[Closed] Washing machines in the kitchen....

I'd rather have it in the kitchen that churning away in the bathroom!

Ours is in an outside shed though.

Why don't you have a laundry?

Ours is in the downstairs W/C, along with a heat pump tumble drier

I think she's doing a bit of mickey taking.

Anyway, what's the difference between having a washing machine in the kitchen and a dishwasher? Some dirty items get placed in a sealed unit and come out clean(er).

Ours is under the stairs (in the kitchen).

The comparison with properties Stateside is pointless - a typical American bathroom is bigger than the bedrooms in most UK properties so there's room to put it there.

Kirstie Allsopp sort of agrees

Generally, I take this to mean that the opposite is correct.

I really don't know where the staff keep the washing machine, I assume it is downstairs somewhere*

*Its actually in my garage next to the tumble dryer.

Anyway, what's the difference between having a washing machine in the kitchen and a dishwasher?
Some dirty items get placed in a sealed unit and come out clean(er).

On that point, none. But everything else in the kitchen is related to food storage, preparation and eating...why would you put a clothes washing machine in there?

Placement primarily will come down to having a water supply and a waste outlet....?

So, for most people that would be in the kitchen.
A lot more modern houses now have utility rooms fitted as standard, which seems like a sensible thing to do.

UK bathrooms are generally fairly small. We could fit a washing machine in ours if we, erm.....got rid of the bath.
And I wouldn't fancy lugging a washing machine upstairs to the bathroom!

A lot more modern houses now have utility rooms fitted as standard, which seems like a sensible thing to do.

Indeed, makes for a great suspension workshop

Ours is in the kitchen, generally we run it overnight so the washing is ready to hang out first thing in the morning. I wouldn't want it in the bathroom next to our bedroom.

hearing on the radio this morning Kirsty's take was purely that there normally isn't enough space in the kitchen for enough stuff, so if you can get it under the stairs for example, it frees up room for a dishwasher.

Seemed fairly sensible. In my current house, I've got a utility room with a washer and drier in. Before, they were both in the kitchen as I used ever possible inch of space for storage elsewhere. I guess this is completely normal.

But everything else in the kitchen is related to food storage, preparation and eating...why would you put a clothes washing machine in there

Equally, everything in a bathroom is to do with washing and cleaning the human body. Why would you put a clothes washing machine in there?

The comparison with properties Stateside is pointless

I think it's common in Europe too, not have it in the kitchen

I'm guessing that none of her houses have/had space shortages?

We're in an old house, no utility room, no garage. There's basically two places a washing machine can go: in the old entrance porch next to the boiler; under the stairs. The water supply and waste system are in the kitchen not the porch. The washing machine goes under the stairs.

I'm guessing that none of her houses have/had space shortages?

God, I can't stand the woman but you need to at least listen to what's being said (radio 2 about 7:45 this morning) before deciding to criticize.

Yes, apparently it's a very British thing. Not that I have any issue with it at all, but it does make more sense to move it out if you can?

I'm guessing that none of her houses have/had space shortages?

We have a small kitchen and the whole reason for not having the washing machine in there is space. It's a new build and we saw from the plan that there was space in the W/C for a washing machine, so we asked for it to be put there (or at least for the plumbing to done). Seemed the best use of small space to us.

The noise of the washing machine could be annoying, especially if you multiple people doing laundry at various times of day.

apparantly until she met her partner she lived in a one bed flat.

The Honourable Kirsty Allsop, daughter of the 6th Baron of Hindlip?

I think it's common in Europe too, not have it in the kitchen

+1

This also occurs to places people have even smaller spaces than London. (e.g. Paris)

My bathroom is up stairs, where as my kitchen is right next to the garden, which is where we hang the wet washing to dry. Makes sense to me really.

Would rather have it all in a utility room but I don't have one.

generally we run it overnight

Bit off topic but ask any fireman if that's a good idea!

Ours is in the kitchen because having it in the dining room, or living room would be weird, and annoyingly disruptive, and even if there was room for it in the bathroom (there isn't) I sure as hell ain't lugging it upstairs!

Aside from it not being where the yanks put them what's the issue with having it in the kitchen?

I keep mine in the chat forum, where it belongs. 😉

I still miss launderettes.

Aside from it not being where the yanks put them what's the issue with having it in the kitchen?

It's not just "Yanks". It seems it might be only the UK who have it in the kitchen. I'm just pointing out that it's a bit odd....

Keeping it in the Kitchen CRAZY!!!

You would think it would be in a place with easy access to water and drainage.... wait!

Mrs dickyboy insists on it being in the kitchen, she likes the noise it makes*, meanwhile the freezer and tumble drier are in the unlinked garage - ice cream anyone? Have to get garage key and shoes on first...

* I have put it under a worktop so she can't sit on it too 😯

You would think it would be in a place with easy access to water and drainage.... wait!

Bathrooms have this too. I think the reason the kitchen became the norm is down to electrical regulations

I don't understand why Ms. Alsop finds it disgusting? it's a big white box / machine - I guess it's because she’s one of the ****s who thinks a home is an investment first and a kitchen is where you show off your middle-class toys and not a utilitarian area.

Anyway, our house is about 100 years old, back when people lived in the living room, dined in the dining room, bathed in the bath room, took a dump in the toilet and cooked in the kitchen so the boring utilitarian rooms are quite small so the rooms where you shared food or relaxed with your family and friends can be bigger and as such the washing machine sits in the little room at the back of the kitchen with the fridge and the drier. I thought about perhaps moving it to the dining room to make more room for a flashy stainless-steel mixer that's never used to be more on message with the likes of Ms. Alsop, then I remembered she's a massive **** and didn't bother.

as such the washing machine sits in the little room at the back of the kitchen

Sounds to me that your washing machine isn't in your kitchen?

Bathrooms have this too. I think the reason the kitchen became the norm is down to electrical regulations

Alternatively, no-one wants to lug a washing machine up the stairs, and lug wet washing down the stairs

dmorts - Member

as such the washing machine sits in the little room at the back of the kitchen

Sounds to me that your washing machine isn't in your kitchen?

Mrs. Jay calls it the 'utilty area' it's not big enough to be a room as such, but the worktops don't go that far.

Bathrooms have this too. I think the reason the kitchen became the norm is down to electrical regulations

Alternatively, no-one wants to lug a washing machine up the stairs, and lug wet washing down the stairs

You have to have electrical sockets at least 3m from a bath or shower under current regs. Most bathrooms won't be large enough to allow this.

If RCDs were mandatory, could this 3m exclusion be relaxed? Plenty of developed and modern countries allow power sockets in bathrooms

If I was building or speccing out a new house then I'd put the washing machine, drier, things like that in a utility room or garage but the last three houses I've lived in haven't had that space so it's gone in the kitchen.

The comment about electric regs is probably as close to the main reason as anything. I've had a washing machine fail and spew water around, a bit of mess in the kitchen on a hard floor but if it had been upstairs in the bathroom then it would have been worse.

I've had a washing machine fail and spew water around, a bit of mess in the kitchen on a hard floor but if it had been upstairs in the bathroom then it would have been worse.

What about a toilet cistern/toilet bowl/sink/bath/shower/water tank/hot water tank leaking upstairs? Probably just as bad, if not worse

I normally don't comment on threads that I regard as a waste of time, but I'm having an epic struggle trying to understand why anybody gives a **** about this.

They are passive systems though, unless you've frost damage or have slightly acidic water then they are unlikely to fail.

Another failure mode would be someone taking a tap head off without isolating the system. Not that I've ever done that 🙄

They are passive systems though

Toliet Cistern
Water Tank
Hot Water Tank
Washing Machine

They all fill up large containers of water autonomously, i.e not with direct human input like turning a tap on and then off...... granted a toilet cistern is started by human input but it stops on it's own accord (or more accurately its built-in feedback loop)

My wife is a kiwi and still bemused about the lack of top-loading washing machines here, which should (of course) go in the garage.

If I was designing from scratch I'd probably want them on the same floor as the bedrooms, saving you carting it all downstairs only to bring it back up again. Although that only works if you tumble-dry everything.

the lack of top-loading washing machines here

I think it's because they use a lot more water than front loaders and water is often metered here.

I think it's because they use a lot more water than front loaders and water is often metered here.

Front loaders were the norm in the UK before metering was widespread. I think it's because we have our washing machines in the kitchen beneath a worktop.

It seems it might be only the UK who have it in the kitchen. I'm just pointing out that it's a bit odd....

The Brits might be the odd one out but that doesn't make us wrong, especially when you take tradition and housing size into account....
My aunt is Canadian, a Newfoundlandlander. She has a big house, and like all the houses out there it's big enough to have an actual laundry room. As the house is on 4 levels, the laundry room is sensibly in the furthest room away on the lowest level. For most of the year the clothes are dried in the drier but she will have to carry her clothes down 3 sets of stairs to wash and dry them, then back up to put them away. If the washer was in the kitchen it would be up and down one set of stairs and it would be easier to dry them outside in their short summer as it's right next to the garden. As far as I've noticed all the Canadian houses seem similarly planned.
It's out of sight but it's a lot more faff.
Traditionally in the U.K. We have smaller, far older, houses that predate washing machines and dry clothes outside. So it makes more sense to put the washing machine in the kitchen.
Most newer houses have utility rooms though, but they're generally just a kitchen extension and near a door to the garden.
I'd say we've got it right to be honest.