Community Chat

[Somertime]

When I built my home 25 years ago. I had the washer and dryer installed in my master bath which is quite large and behind bi-fold doors which contain shelves.  I have found this to be very, very convenient for laundry even more so since my children are grown. 

[Kachina624]

Weve never had many basements anyplace I've ever lived as an adult.  Our first house has the w/D in the garage which worked out okay.  I now have them in a laundry closet in the hall off the kitchen.  I'd rather have a laundry room.

With my poor balance, I'd never make it down stairs to a basement carrying laundry.  What a nightmare that would be.  I have a solution for those who face this problem.....I got some huge indestructible fiberglass zippered bags from Amazon made for Ikea.  They hold almost 2 loads of laundry.  I'd just fill it up and throw it down the stairs.  They have handles for carrying back up.  They're also great for moving or storing clothes or linens

[SeaMaiden]

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@jlkz wrote:

@SeaMaiden 

Or after a Hurricane with water rising in that basement and ruining washer and dryer.....unless placed high enough to be out of danger !

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@jlkz   Living in the PNW I am not in the Hurricane mind of thinking. but you are right if flooding is a concern👍

[hckynutjohn]

@On It 

I have lived my whole life in the Midwest. Every home, that we owned, has had those appliances in the basement. All of our homes have had a basement, and when they were built, they were plumbed for the washing machine to be placed in the basement. Subsequently, most prefer their dryers in the same vicinity as their washers, thus the pairing.

My late sister, had her home built in the late 1970's, had it built to have these appliances, in a closed room, adjacent to her kitchen. My only other living sister, also had her custom home built in the late 1970's, but she preferred those appliances be in her basement. 

Our present home was built in 1984 and our washer/dryer are in our basement. We live in a 3,000+square foot True Ranch, and that is how our home was built. My wife would prefer it be on the main level, but the design of our home would make doing so, a pretty sizable expense, with no added equity in our home value.

hckynut  🇺🇸

[Trailrun23]

I had a basement rancher home in TN years ago. It was a hassle carrying laundry uo and down the stairs. One morning I walked down the stairs and stepped into ankle deep water. The entire full basement where the tv, den, and a bedroom was was flooded. The washer kept filling up, all night long...but it was so quiet, we didn't hear it. Just food for thought. Silence is not always golden. I would never want my washer and dryer in a basement.

[proudlyfromNJ]

1958 ranch here. Everything on one floor and underneath a basement and garage. The washer and dryer are in the master bedroom in the master closet that had sliding doors. Husband ran pipes, etc, and they fit perfectly with two normal closet doors. Clothes come off there and put on there so easy to put the laundry away.

[FiddleDeeDee]

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@On It wrote:

I spend hours looking at real estate across the country. Houses in the northeast seem to place washers and dryers in the basement. Why? 

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@On It  Because they just are. Out of the way, laundry room, work room, romper/play room...the basement is just part of life growing up in the NorthEast/North. Being honest, I prefer it. If it floods, it's in the basement compared to flooding on the top floor or middle floor and causing more damage. Also, no one wants to see it. Laundry piles up around the machines; a mess. Most families I know also had their ironing board in the basement and could work on stains on a table that was near the washer. It....just made sense to have it there. Ours is the first thing you see coming in from the garage. Hate it. But no basement here in Florida so at least it's out of site. 

[Catiele]

We live north east. First house they were in the basement. Was young and lt did not bother me. Second house has it in the first floor behind the garages. Love it especially at my age.

[hckynutjohn]

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@judianne wrote:

Mine is in the basement , not a problem until l had 2 knee surgeries and couldn't do stairs for 3 months . My husband had to do laundry , never did before . So every thing was washed and dried on the last setting l used , he wasn't interested in changing anything , just pushed the buttons . 

@judianne 

I was raised washing our clothes. That was back when the washer had a wringer connected above the wash tub. With my mother working 6 days a week, Sunday was our day for washing our clothes.

In the Public Housing Projects, the  washing facility was in a special building. It was about 2 blocks from our apartment. Each apartment was designated at Day and a Time to do their washing. Our machine was kept in a small fence like room, with a lock.

Have always done my own washing, and my wife's also, during her many abdominal surgeries, and knee replacement. She tells me what cycles to use on both the washer and dryer, and that is how I do it.

As far as your husband? When my wife was in the hospital for over a couple days, she always needed her Starbucks drink. It was 1 pump of this/2 shots of this/triple layer of that, and so on. I had her write it on an index card. All I did was hand it to the barista.

If there is a next time, you might consider writing down how you prefer your clothes be washed, and dried. If necessary, get your owners manual out and explain the settings to him, and write it all down.

I am surprised when I hear about older men, that were never taught how to wash clothes, and other domestic necessities. Younger men, I get it! Older ones! Not so much.

hckynut  🇺🇸

[sunshine45]

LOL @hckynutjohn i would say it was the other way in my life.....

my father, my ex husband, my grandfather NEVER touched laundry....they never had to. there was always a mother, a wife, a gf, or a sister to do it for them.

if i am around, my s/o will let me do it, otherwise, if i am away, he is stuck. lol

now my son, my brother, and son in law? they all do their own laundry and prefer it that way.