Laundry Room Location: A Fresh, Clean Look at Your Options

Laundry Room Location

Laundry. It calls to us. When we’re on Zoom and Google Meets calls, when we’re hoping to spend a few hours in the garden or with friends, when we’re wishing for a lazy day with a good book or podcast. And its voice is loud.

As they say in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. Positioning this functional, utilitarian area in the right place makes taming this chore beast much more manageable. It also makes your home much more marketable, should you ever decide to sell. What is the best laundry room location for your home?

Where Are the Best Laundry Room Locations?

Before we dig into the best locations for your laundry room, let’s discuss where you shouldn’t put it. Although common it’s one of the worst places for your laundry room:

Don’t Go Down into the Basement!

It’s true in horror movies, and it’s true when it comes to laundry facilities. Now, we know this may seem counterintuitive: your washer, dryer, ironing board, detergent, and all the accoutrement of laundry can be in one place and, best of all, it’s out of the way.

On the downside… it’s out of the way! Putting your laundry room in the basement is inconvenient; while a few extra steps are great, who wants to spend more time and energy on chores than absolutely necessary? Up and down, up and down… and up and down. And, because the location is out of the way, it’s easier to let it become cluttered and messy, with big piles of to-do and done. Not to mention stray socks galore.

When it comes to location, location, location of your laundry room, convenience is key. Now for some top contenders:

Laundry Room Location: The Main Floor

Doing laundry on the main floor requires much less time and effort than running to the basement each time you need to wash, dry, iron, and fold items. You’ll be able to pop in a load, complete other tasks, and minimize wasted time and steps. Other benefits:

It’s easy from a plumbing standpoint. You won’t have to run extra water and drain lines to accommodate washers and dryers. (Note: you will still need a primer line wherever you have a washing machine.)
Main floor laundry rooms are easily accessible. If you plan to age in place and/or if you have aging household members, you won’t have to worry about navigating stairs — and with heavy hampers of laundry in tow.
Noise and vibrations are less likely to bother light sleepers. Bedrooms are more likely to be located on upper floors. Even if they are not, you can easily separate a laundry room from these spaces.

What could go wrong?

The potential for flooding. Washing machines are a leading cause of home floods. In basements, at least the situation is relatively contained and mitigated. On the main floor, water damage can be much more extensive. To help prevent flooding, make sure you have an easily-accessible shut-off valve, install high quality steel braided water hoses, and use a discrete drain pan.
You still have to work for it! You will still be carrying laundry from the upstairs bedrooms and baths downstairs. A main floor facility does, however, cut off some steps.
A main floor laundry room can create clutter in your living space. People often tuck them into bathrooms or kitchens, for example. This can make it difficult to keep the area neat and organized. A better option is to go with a dedicated room or even a vented closet with ample shelves — and a door!

Laundry Room Location: The Upper Floors

Now, hear us out. Some people loathe the idea of a laundry room upstairs — but you may love it. Here’s why:

Most of your laundry is generated and goes back… upstairs. Think about your household’s clothing, the bedding, the towels. Most of the dirty laundry is created on the upper floors, so why lug it down a set of stairs, only to have to haul it back up?
It’s less work. Again, sneaking in some extra steps is beneficial, but there are more fun ways to do it! Laundry will be easier to do and less time-consuming.
You can clear clutter from bedrooms. Simply put a few baskets (or even mesh organizer bags) in the laundry room. Items that need to be cleaned go here, and you can get the hampers out of the rooms and closets. When they are finished, they just go right back in the dresser, in the closet, on the rack, or on the bed.

There are some downsides to doing your laundry upstairs. These include:

Sound and vibration can interfere with sleep. Today’s machines are much quieter than older models, but if you have some light sleepers in the house, evening and naptime may not be the best time to wash and dry.
It may make your upstairs hotter in the summer. This likely won’t be the case with a new, efficient machine. If you’re noticing your AC is working harder, clean your dryer vents ASAP.
The potential for flooding. As mentioned above, this is a possibility, though you can work to minimize the risk.
You may need to reinforce the flooring to ensure it can withstand the vibration. In a solidly constructed home, this should not be an issue.

Disadvantages of upstairs laundry rooms can be overcome with a few simple steps, so leave this option in the running.

Laundry Room Location: Dedicated Mudroom

We love a good mudroom! This has to be one of the most versatile, practical rooms in the house. It’s about to become even more convenient. Why place your laundry room here?

It’s where the dirtiest of the dirty clothes hang out. Life’s messy. Between work, sports, arts & crafts time and school and rainy days, your mudroom is ground zero for all sorts of detritus that you don’t want tracked into the house. Easy: dirty items go right into the hamper or even the washer.
The mudroom is tailor-made for storage. This room is full of possibilities when it comes to organization. Install shelves, cubbies, and other aids to help keep the space tidy and streamlined.
It is separated from the main living space. You won’t be tripping over laundry baskets or finding socks on the counter as you prepare dinner. It keeps laundry in its place until you can get it done.

What are some potential cons?

Your mudroom may be your entryway. If you use this as your typical entrance to your home, guests will see your laundry. Now, this is far from scandalous. Who cares? Maybe you do. Maybe you don’t want to air your dirty laundry in front of others, so to speak! A simple solution is a vented closet for the machines or even simpler, shelves with baskets for your items that keep them both out of view and organized.
It can be challenging to keep organized. Yes, this room is made for organization, but still… it can be difficult to keep laundry separate from outdoor gear, boots, shoes, and other necessities that are often housed in the mudroom.

Again, these concerns can be easily addressed if a hybrid mudroom/laundry room appeals to you.

Laundry Room Location: Connected to the Master Suite

A big trend in home design is having a laundry connected to the master suite. Love it! One idea is to do a pass through: here, the laundry room shares a wall with the master closet and a connected door provides easy access to the laundry room.

You enjoy maximum convenience. If you’re the one doing the laundry, you will love this option.
It can be a private option. This laundry may be solely for the owners of the home. There can always be a washer/dryer in another location. This also allows you to choose slimmer, streamlined appliances.
It keeps piles of folded laundry off your bed or bedroom chair! A pass-through option allows you to put clean items away immediately, so they don’t interfere with your room’s soothing atmosphere or create a cluttered feel.

What Do You Envision?
Ultimately, the choice is yours!

What are your priorities? How do you envision working in and living in your home? How do you want to utilize your space, so it offers the utmost convenience and comfort?

G&G Custom Homes specializes in making your visions and dreams a reality. Tell us what works for you; tell us what you want and need; tell us your ideas. We’ll provide our advice and input… and we’ll build a house that is truly a home.