Washing Machine in the bathroom?

[Rachael007]

As part of a remodeling, there will be no space for a washing machine and dryer in an open plan kitchen. I don't like them in kitchens anyway, especially not open plan kitchens. I have no suitable space for a separate laundry room.

So my options are

1. have them stacked, housed in a cupboard at the entrance of the smallish family bathroom, complying with building regulations and suitable drainage. Or
2. Divide the already smallish bathroom, so that the cupboard (in the same spot) is just off the hallway, with a door to an even more compact bathroom.

In both cases I would have a sliding door to the bathroom, to make better use of space. The difference between the two options is where the sliding door is - before the laundry cupboard or after.

The bathroom now is 2.65m x 2.15m with some space taken up for boxed in soil stack and pipework. If I have the washing machine off the main hallway - in a small inner hallway so to speak, the bathroom would be 1.9m x 2.15m, obviously again minus the boxing in.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Cupboard in bathroom. Can you get a joiner to do it nicely? It's far more normal to have them in the bathroom in lots of countries anyway.

Can it be soundproofed? Although modern machines are amazingly quiet. Just thinking that the acoustics in a bathroom may make it sound very noisy.
But in the bathroom or close to it makes sense - and life so much easier. Ours is outside our bathroom and washing never piles up as it’s just bing it in and switch on. No laundry baskets as a half way hell of doom.

Thanks. Yes of course it would be done properly. I know it's popular in Europe, and I prefer it personally, but I'm wondering if it would be a turn-off when selling. That's really my only hesitation.

Are you planning to sell your house immediately? Honestly, please yourself. Has anybody ever really turned down their dream house because there was a washing machine in the bathroom (because surely they could just... move it and make it work in the kitchen).

Ah. Then no, it wouldn’t put me off buying, done nicely.
Bonus of more space in the kitchen for a storage cupboard, and easier to hang up laundry over the bath.

It certainly wouldn't put ME off - I would prefer it.

But it's also YOUR house, so you should do what makes you happy, rather than thinking about "but what if we sell...".

My washer/dryer is in the bathroom for a number of reasons (one being that I switched kitchen and bathroom) and I vastly prefer it.

Personally, I'd be deciding not to have a dryer. They are expensive to run and are only going to get more so. I'm thinking of getting rid of mine as we don't use it.

JUst think about how you do laundry and how you use a bathroom whether it would make sense for the washing maschine to have separate access. Dont understand why it needs a separate cupboard? Any electric appliance doesnt like to be in a cupboard.
In my home country people most often have the washing maschine in the bathroom and the maschine is loaded from the top, not from the front.

(Dont understand why people would prefer to have a washing maschine in the kitchen unless its a space issue).

I have a similar set up but our bathroom is a long narrow room so what we went for is open the old bathroom door laundry cupboard is on your right and there's another door in front of you that is the new bathroom door.

There are definitely more attractive ways of doing it but we've had this set up for a few years now and love it. I would say having the door inbetween is key though and I'm not sure I'd be as in love with the set up if I couldn't just quickly empty the washer without waiting 300hrs for the older kids to finish in the bathroom.

I would LOVE my washing machine and dryer to be upstairs, can't quite fathom why we have them downstairs usually when all the wardrobes are up! If I ever built my own home it would have laundry room upstairs!

Agree with this is your house, do what suits you now, don’t think about what if I sell, what will others think…

An upstairs laundry room with a Tele for ironing company sounds bloody marvellous. I'd even make sure there was a lock on the inside so no bugger could find me

Yes yes yes! Our washing machine and tumble dryer are in the bathroom. They're actually where the old water cylinder thing used to be. It's bliss. Kids out of dirty clothes - straight into the machine. When I'm done with the washing, i'm already upstairs with it.

Now seems bizarre to me to have a washer in the kitchen! Clothes with food! Madness!

Oh and they're stacked. Will see if I can get a photo!

This is normal in Spain. People think it's weird having it in the kitchen

@BlueLu That is an interesting point. The one reason for having a separate door to the bathroom, with a laundry cupboard - not off the main hallway but a sort of inner hallway leading to a smaller bathroom. Is this what you have? And what are the dimensions of your original "long narrow" bathroom I might not have the luxury of space. A photo would be nice if you don't mind. Thanks.

(Dont understand why people would prefer to have a washing maschine in the kitchen unless its a space issue)

Washing machines in bathrooms always make me think yuk because of the poo particles. And I prefer washing machines downstairs because I don't want to have to carry heavy wet washing downstairs to hang outside. I'd plan for a utility room downstairs if I was remodelling an open plan kitchen dinner though rather than eating into a small bathroom space.

If it's the only loo/bathroom available then I'd probably go for the laundry cupboard being separate so you can empty the washing machine even if someone is locked in the bathroom for a long bit of 'alone time'. Or if you are emptying/loading up and someone needs to dash in.

Sister has this set up but the wm and dryer are in the downstairs loo and she has a family bathroom upstairs. It works well.

I have a downstairs shower room and my washing machine and tumble dryer are in there. I love it. If I ever were to move I'd be gutted to go back to having my washing machine in the kitchen. It would actually be a buying point for me 😂

It is no longer possible to have a washing machine installed in a bathroom unless it is in a cupboard. It's electrical safety rules. Mine is in a cupboard I had built around my boiler and washer in the bathroom and a plug socket was required- hence the need for the cupboard, too keep water away from the socket.

I wouldn't want my washing machine upstairs because I always hang washing outside. For me, it therefore makes far more sense to have the machine close to the back door.

We are just about to do exactly the same rring and are planning to knock a doorway through to our main hall to make a washer drier cupboard from a small corner of our bathroom. Could you have a door knocked through onto your main hall instead of creating a teeny extra hallway?