5 steps to an efficient & convenient laundry room

The perfect laundry room is efficient and has everything you need. With these suggestions, you could have the perfect place for all your laundry needs.

• While deciding what your home laundry area should include and where it should go, you should also consider the needs of your household.
• A small-capacity washer and dryer would probably work fine for a one or two-person household, particularly if dry cleaning and drop-off laundry services are used often.
• A large household, on the other hand, could probably use a large-capacity washer and dryer with a fully equipped laundry area set up for high-volume washing.

• Families with small children might want the laundry room to double as a mud room near the back door. That way, kids can strip off dirty clothes in the laundry room before coming into the house.
• A laundry located in, or right off of, the kitchen lets parents do several things at once — supervise homework, prepare meals and fold clothes.
• On the other hand, a separate laundry area that includes space for a sewing machine and storage can easily become home to other pursuits, like crafting or sewing.
• Because laundry first accumulates near bedrooms or baths, a double hallway closet is another logical laundry spot.
• If space is tight, a single closet can accommodate a stacked washer and dryer, as can the unused space under a stairway.

• No matter where a home laundry area is located, it must be hooked up to the right utility connections.
• A washing machine needs a drain and plumbing lines for hot and cold water.
• Washers also need a 120-volt grounded outlet, as do gas dryers.
• Gas dryers require connections to either natural or bottled gas.
• Electric dryers need a dedicated 240-volt circuit.
• All clothes dryers should be vented to the outside to prevent humidity and mildew problems in your laundry room or basement.
• Include extra electrical outlets for ironing, sewing and task lighting, especially if the laundry area is home to other activities.

• Because a laundry room is home to water, detergents and additives, the floor should be spill-tolerant resilient flooring, ceramic tile, brick or stone.
• Countertops should be surfaced with laminate or ceramic tile.
• Shelves located high on the wall can store bleach and detergents safely out of children's reach.
• A sink offers the perfect place for pretreating laundry or handwashing delicate items.
• A desk area can be turned into a sewing spot.

With a little imagination, a laundry room can go from good to great. For example:

• A shower stall with a clothes rod, a drain and a faucet with a hose attachment will let you to hang drip-dry items, or freshly ironed clothing. You could also hose mud off of boots and clothes.
• A pull-out table adds extra sorting and folding space.
• An ironing board can be installed in either a tall cabinet or drawer, where it can be pulled out when needed.
• Tall cabinets also can accommodate brooms, vacuum cleaners and exercise equipment.
• A rolling hamper can be stored in a cabinet, and a centre island with recessed wheels provides movable folding space.
• Many space-saving storage centres are available for detergents, pretreat solutions, bleach and dryer sheets.
• You can create a recycling area by adding a few plastic bins put in a separate cabinet or simply placed under shelving.

With the right planning, your laundry room can make your chores much more efficient. All you need to do is think about what you need, and what would make life easier, and then start putting it all together.