Must-Have Features For A Truly Functional Laundry

Like many household chores, doing the laundry can sometimes feel never-ending. Carting dirty clothes from bedroom and bathroom hampers, sorting, transferring wet clothes from washer to dryer and the tedium of folding, not to mention putting everything away, makes laundry a time-intensive, ongoing pain in the neck. For this very reason, the quest for a functional and aesthetically pleasing laundry is a high priority for most of us.

Whether you're building a new home and want to make sure that you design the laundry to be both functional and beautiful, or you're tired of the dysfunctional nature of the one you have and are planning to remodel it, you'll want to take the following ideas into consideration.

Create a Functional Layout

Whether you choose an L-shaped, U-shaped, or galley style layout, make sure you've got plenty of room to manoeuvre and that the washer, dryer and sink are positioned so that they can't be viewed easily from outside of the room. Decide whether you're going to have open or closed storage and consider a closet for storing large items like an ironing board.

Include Plenty of Storage

Many home owners would agree with the statement “you can never have too much storage” and this is especially true in a well-designed laundry room! When you consider all of the laundry supplies, the iron and ironing board, broom - not to mention all of the dirty and clean laundry that's passing through at any given moment - you need to think cabinets, closet, shelving, bins and drawers. Remember, open shelving will showcase the items you store there, so consider transferring laundry detergent, bleach, etc. to glass jars or canisters rather than storing them in their original retail packaging. Cabinets are great for storing washing baskets and you can even have vents built-in to keep air circulating and avoid trapped odours.

Consider Your Appliances

Front loading washers and dryers are popular now, and with good reason. The lack of an opening on the tops of these appliances frees up a large amount of space for folding clothes. Install a bench top over the top to protect the enamel and keep your appliances looking new longer. Front loading appliances are also the way to go if you're short on space because they can be stacked.

Create A Place for Folding and Stacking

Installing a folding bench that is slightly higher than your standard benchtops will help eliminate back strain, making it ergonomically preferable. Make sure that it's wide enough to accommodate large items like bath towels so you can stack and go!

Install a Deep Sink

If you have the room, consider adding a deep utility sink next to the washer and dryer. This will be useful for pre-treating stains, hand washing delicates and even cleaning paint brushes and other items you'd rather not cart through the house to your kitchen sink. Make sure the tap is either high enough that you can fit a bucket underneath it, or mounted to the side rather than the centre of the back of the sink so that it can be pushed out of the way when you need to put something big in the sink.

Include a Place to Dry Hand-Washables

A drying rack and a place to store and set it up will make life easier and keep your bathroom tub or shower from becoming a display case for lingerie and other personal delicate items. If you have a utility sink, a drying rack installed above it will keep drips going down the drain rather than on the floor.

The Devil's in the Details

Last but not least, even the little details can make a big difference to the functionality of your laundry space.

• Even if your laundry room is too small for hanging racks, it can be helpful to put a large hook or two on the back of the door or even on a patch of wall to hang freshly ironed clothes.
• Include a basket for storing stray socks until you find their mates in future loads.
• Include a dish for odds and ends found in pockets prior to washing.

When it comes to creating a high-functioning laundry room, careful planning is a must. If you do it right, you'll end up with a laundry room that works with you rather than making you work harder than you need to!