Laundry Area- Up or Down, Pros & Cons

[monkeywrangler71]

Mine has always been in the basement, which is good for hiding mount laundry, but is inconvenient and a lot of work hauling up and down stairs.

I've always thought it would be nice to have on the main floor or upstairs, but now wonder if it would look messy.

Which do you think is more convenient - upstairs by the bedrooms (close to where people get dressed) or main floor where you'd be spending most of your time doing other things? I'm wondering if an upstairs laundry would be as much running up and down as a basement laundry.

[ladykemma2]

in terms of leaks the bottom floor is always best.

[Ceashels]

I would absolutely LOVE a washer/dryer on the bedroom level or main level of the house. It would be much easier to get the laundry done if it was conveniently located and my personal Mt. Wardrobe would be so much more controlled. I'm in and out of the kitchen regularly (main level) and in the office (bedroom level) so much during the day.

[LadybugMom]

Ours is upstairs with the bedrooms. We spend most of our time on the main level so I do feel like I need to go up there many times just to start the washer, etc. I am active enough now that I just consider it exercise but when I was pregnant, the stairs got very old. It does hide any laundry mess we have though and since we have an electric dryer, we can vent the dryer heat into the house in the winter. We love dryer heat - start the dryer shortly before bedtime and it takes the chill out of the air without turning up the heat. I purposely timed the laundry so we could have dryer heat every night.

[stinkbug]

Good question.....
I've had both. mostly on the main level, because that's the typical house I've lived in (no basement). But...the times it was in the basement, no problem for me, but I was younger then!
My parents house with a full basement, has the laundry off the back door in a very large utility room. My brother's house is the same way.
My MIL has a tri-level house and her W/D is in the kitchen! And not behind doors, just in one corner. Very weird, but they've lived there forever (3 kids) and she never seemed to mind. She is 80 now and still thinks it's no big deal....but she's very tidy and organized. (this is a very good trait I think DH inherited!!!)
I've actually seen a lot of newer homes with two laundry areas. One in the bedroom wing and one in a utility area (like off a garage) I think if it's in the basement, they should at least have the common sense to put in a laundry chute!

[Palooka]

Ours is downstairs but not not really considered a basement, but it is for a raised ranch and I don't like it.

I rather have it in the hallway or by the kitchen or bath. Way more convenient. I might actually get the clothes out of the dryer before they wrinkle....

[frugalfranny]

Most of mine have been in the basement and I really like it there.

The three times I have had it on the main floor I didn't like it..........too noisy, have to have a large hamper and then when you sort clothes....do what with them while the first load is washing.......leave them out?.....put them back in the hamper?

A friend has a stacked front loader (behind doors) in her kitchen and when she is washing clothes you can't even hear the TV.

I set the buzzer on my dryer, in the basement, when it goes off I go get them. They are also pre-sorted with it down there........don't have to worry about piles of clothes around. When 'a pile' gets to a full load I toss it in the washer!

[IntlMom]

the closer to the kitchen, the better. mine is downstairs (bsmt) in this house and I HATE it there!

[craftypam]

I've had both. Last house basement. This house first floor laundry. I liked it when I moved in except that I felt like I didn't get enough exercise in the winter. That was when I was younger. Mine is off by back door (I wish it was a larger room) because if anyone comes in my backdoor they have to walk through the laundry. We don't use it much for that reason.

[NikoSan999]

Everyone has good points. When I was younger it was in a hallway behind doors. Midway between all the bedrooms. It worked well.
In between then and now it was in a basement. At the time I could do stairs without much problem. ( they were just starting) It still got old real quick with the up and down and carrying baskets. REAL old.
Now we have one floor and it's easier. If I had to pick one now it would main floor. I have trouble sometimes even walking. Climbing stairs would be near impossible. I find it hard with my shoulders the way they are to carry more than 5 or 6 lbs.

I think if you're looking a long term house you have to also consider the later years. I vote where ever you're going to be putting the laundry away the most and collecting it the most.

[monkeywrangler71]

Well, we went to look at a house today that had the laundry at the back door by the kitchen. It was really loud, the noise was the first thing I heard when I walked in the front door, and it looked messy. I loved the idea of having it there, because it was close to where I would be spending most of my time and close to the clothesline. However, I think it needs to be in a separate room, or at least have doors that can be shut in front of it. I'm not sure I want to be looking at it all day.

[NikoSan999]

You'll find it...You'll know

[Telephus44]

I just paid $$$ to have mine moved out of the basement to the second floor bathroom (near the bedrooms). I absolutely love it. I don't have to store laundry in hampers, I can just grab the basket from the bedroom and bring it in. Makes it much easier to do a load a day (my goal).

Ideally I'd like it in the hallway, with doors you can close (like a closet) but my house wasn't set up to accomodate that. They looks a little odd in the bathroom, but the next people can always put theirs in the basement if they want.

[Lady_V]

We had talked about what we want in a future house... NO stairs!!! I have FMS and stairs are hard for me, I don't want to HAVE to go up and down stairs to get to bed or do laundry.

I am sure there are more... but this is my preliminary list --

Pros of downstairs laundry - easier clean-up if water leak, easier to 'hide' laundry from company

Cons of downstairs laundry - must be able to up & down stairs, at all times (sprained ankles, casts, advancing age), laundry can get 'forgotten' easier

[annymoll]

We have a laundry room in the basement. We also have a set in a large closet off the hallway on the second floor. I use it the most, and use the basement for bedspreads, linens and such.