My kids were doing their own laundry from the time they were 11 years
old ...

Did I write this? I could've. Except I'd have to add this: Occasionally my kids'd take a stack of clean clothes into their rooms, leave them on the floor a while, and then shove them into the hamper instead of putting them away. Didn't take too many times finding a stack of folded tees in the hamper to figure this one out.

Back to the question at hand ...

You're talking about THREE laundry set ups? Basement, first floor AND upper floor? Uh, I say it's overkill. I'd go with one set convenient for you, whether that's in the master closet or in a mudroom, something convenient to the master bedroom. Then I'd provide ONE additional set for the kids and guests. Won't they mainly be visiting just a few days at a time? Will they really be washing big loads anyway?

As for size, I'd say you need one full-sized set somewhere. My inclination is to place the full-sized set on the first floor for YOU because you're the one who'll be doing the linens as well as your own clothing. However, I could see you using a small set in your master closet and walking upstairs (or downstairs) occasionally when you need to wash something large like a comforter.

ILoveRed, I think I can still take a look at your plans. I'll look and see.

I've never understood why people want the laundry right next to their bedroom. Once you have to carry it 5 feet, the extra 30 feet is nothing.

It's obvious you are still young. That extra 30 feet if you're using a walker, or a cane can seem like miles, especially if you have to carry stuff. I watched that happen to my mother as her parkinsons disease advanced. It's why I'm putting my laundry closet across from my master bath/master closet.

Did I write this? I could've. Except I'd have to add this: Occasionally my kids'd take a stack of clean clothes into their rooms, leave them on the floor a while, and then shove them into the hamper instead of putting them away. Didn't take too many times finding a stack of folded tees in the hamper to figure this one out.

Hahaha, mrspete. Mine too.

Annette...I think if I truly had it my way I would skip the set upstairs and put a full laundry room on first floor and small set in basement, like you. I don't think DH will have it. He can be "insistent". He wants a set upstairs. I suggested a door this morning in the mudroom where there is now a window to let my dogs out easily. Nope... In a few days I will suggest it again and we will see. So, yeah I can see all of your points. I worry about flooding too. And venting. TY

Andy...you will be glad you've got that bench inside your mudroom/laundry room where you can close the door on the mess. Because no matter how you try the bench never looks like the cute Houzz pics. I may skip the bench and do a big walkin closet where my boys can throw everything in and shut the door on it. You must be young when you are talking about walking across the house and being in trouble if you can't do it. DH and I aren't so young even though we have teens ;-) Thank you for sharing :-) Your house/setup sounds a lot like mine.

beatapathbackhome...perfect advice and food for thought. I am going to let DH read your post. TY.

mrs.P...yep 3. And it may be overkill. I'm seriously thinking of doing the full sized (but smallish) laundry room on the first floor, skipping the second floor, and doing the basement lake prep room. This thread is helping me clarify my thoughts. Hope they don't get cloudy again in a few hours! Have to see what DH will go along with as well. PS..I have found my share of clean, rolled, never worn socks in my boys dirty clothes hamper. TY

CP...yes look at them if you don't mind. If I go with the scenario just described to Mrs. P, would love your thoughts or other thoughts. Master bath not figured out either. LR area is 2 ft bigger on each side. Martha is going to start on these spaces after I figure out what I want in them. . Not in a hurry..we are rebuilding boat dock....Ty

You guys nailed me! We are indeed young (well, young for people having a custom home built it seems...late 30s).

Perception is a funny thing, it's impossible to see things until you do, and then it's so obvious you wonder why you couldn't see it the whole time.

I Love Red: It sounds like DH wants a laundry upstairs and you are vacillating between putting a second w/d in your closet or in the laundry room. And you give lots of reasons for each location. So you really are torn. And I assume your plans are set and you can't enlarge or rearrange the mudroom/laundry/powder. Because that would be the obvious first option.

Why don't you start out with the laundry in your master closet and plumb your laundry/mudroom for a w/d - "just in case"? This gives you options down the road in case the bedroom location doesn't work for you. (noise, dust, mess,humidity). Will you have a folding table in the closet? Will your closet have a window?

Perhaps make a list of your priorities and don't forget that one day it could be you or DH in the w/c - even if only temporarily.

BTW and to answer your question, my laundry is off the hallway that leads from my garage to my kitchen. I briefly considered putting in the master bath or closet, but the associated noise was a no-go for me. It has a coat closet, drop zone, overflow pantry and linen closet. Powder is on the other side of the same hallway. Laundry is far enough away from the bedrooms that I can run laundry at night or early AM and not bother anyone. I can close the room off with a pocket door w/etched glass insert that I love. The room has an exterior door and screen door so lots of air circulation. Even though it is small compared to those I've seen on this forum, I really enjoy my laundry room!

Ahhh...to be in your late 30s again!

ILoveRed,

Did you read this article?

[Where to put the laundry room[(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/where-should-you-put-the-laundry-room-stsetivw-vs~35155424)

Honu...great advice. I will give it serious consideration. Yes, it could definitely be one of us in the WC or a walker. We are trying to make the first floor of the house WC friendly, although not totally accessible. Looks like your first post here? Welcome to the board :-)

thank you!

Martha, I didn't. Thanks for sharing it. I'm glad you are following this thread. Mark told bill not to work on the inside just to stick with the outside ie: boathouse for now..so we don't have crossover. Thanks!!

Only way I'd want to be in my late 30's again is if it wasn't with my ex. LOL.

ILoveRed, I'll look later tonight or tomorrow. Right now I'm seething about the city and their crap.

Seems my builder was told by the city, we need a letter of deviation from the engineer to change where our driveway is and that it's no big deal. My builder had gone down to city hall 3 weeks ago, and spent 3 hours there talking to the guy in charge. Now the engineer (after 3 weeks) finally calls the builder and says, so and so from city hall (the guy my builder talked to 3 weeks ago) says it's a problem.

My builder called me just to vent he was so PO'd at the city. He's going back to the city tomorrow to find out what's going on. If they give him a hard time, he said he'd have us call. LOL. They don't want me, a Nu Yawkah calling them to find out why they are going back on their word.

We could pick a different two lots, but they are not as desirable. We were the first ones to put down a deposit and we chose the most desirable lot.

I didn't read the other responses but I am in the same camp as your DH about the boys doing their own wash BUT - our laundry is on the main floor where our bedroom is. Those crazy high energy boys are more than capable of lugging their wash up and down from their room to the laundry room and they do do their own - mostly. They are 11 and 13. I can't imagine having more than one W/D with 2 kids. I feel like after they move on it would be a waste or not get enough use that it would break. ? Or most assuredly there would be moldy musty clothes sitting in the washer up there - out of sight out of mind. Is that crazy thinking? That is the one thing they forget and that I typically pick up the slack - to switch it from washer to dryer.

I like honu's idea.

There was another poster a couple years back - lolauren. She had a set up that was master off the garage side of the house with laundry off of (not in) the mudroom that did connect to the master closet. Dreamy. That is what I recall but it's been a while so I could have that a little off. :D Our master is not off the garage side so I couldn't get her layout to work for me but I remember thinking it was slick.

Autumn...I remember your layout by your closet and master. You've got a great layout. Yeah...that's what freaks me out. I can just imagine one of my boys putting a load in and me finding it a week later in the washer or whenever the upstairs starts reaking. My DH thinks it will be easy to train them. I think it will be easier to train them if the machines are downstairs. And they have to bring their clothes up now and put them away (bedrooms in basement). So they can certainly continue that in the new house.

no, while they are learning..if it's downstairs I could pick up the slack. I totally get what you are saying.

TY

Yeah it would wreak all right! That is just the part they always miss. BUT I am vigilante about doing it RIGHT NOW same with when the dryer is done. That has everything to do with my iron allergy though. Hahaha! Seriously - it's severe. I could end up in the hospital.

I do like my set up even though it's not really typical. I enjoy it very much, thanks.

If hubby is so adamant about W/D placement, am I to assume he does the bulk of the laundry? Sometimes mine has a lot of "good" ideas on stuff he's 100% unfamiliar with...

I typo'ed on my height, I'm 6'-4".

ILR - I'm approaching my second late 30's.

I don't do the laundry at our house, but I will tell you this much.... Our current house has the laundry room off the hallway on the second floor (Where all three bedrooms are). It is right outside the master bedroom door and we never have trouble with noise. It is super convenient to where they dirty clothes are made.

HOWEVER:

We are in the process of designing a new house and DW (who does all the laundry for us and our 6&8 year-old cherubs) would like the laundry room on the first floor in the new house. So, what I'm saying is since she's lived as above for 10yrs, she has decided downstairs makes more sense. For my part, I make clothes dirty and don't do the laundry... so my job is to make sure she gets the laundry room she would like! :) :) :)

Hi Red: Thank you for the welcoming comments!! Yes, my first post on the building forum. I found the kitchen forum when our home was under design and I think I recognize your name from that forum or maybe the decorating forum. I ventured a post or two, learned from bmorpanic and others but couldn't make the rearranging and redesigns that were suggested. Lot lines and setbacks were just too limiting and it was too much brain damage to try to explain on the forum. Almost like giving a mouse a cookie ; ). So I became a lurker. Very happy with my kitchen, though and many thanks to GW. I found the Building forum further into our design process and at times wish I had found it earlier. We finally finished our build and moved in last fall. I still lurk just for fun and occasionally post on the home decorating/conversations side. Yes to WC friendly. That is a good way to put it. I drove my architect crazy double checking his hallway and finished doorway dimensions! It sounds like you have such a beautiful setting and your house will be amazing. I'll be watching for your progress pics. Best of luck.

I'd want the full size washer dryer set up in a separate room downstairs. We are putting in a large laundry (home office/gift wrapping) room 11x16. It's right off of the mudroom/family entry and adjacent to the kitchen. Most of my time as a stay at home mom to 3 active boys (upwards of 3 clothing changes a day at times!) is in the laundry room and kitchen. We will have a laundry shoot from the upstairs for the kids to get laundry down. I don't mind doing all the laundry, but perhaps that will change as they get older. I will have a spot for 6 laundry baskets under the counter. Laundry comes down the chute, gets cleaned/sorted/folded and put in that person's basket. They are responsible to get their basket back up to their room and the back up basket back to me. I also will use this space for a home office, cleaning supplies and a gift wrapping station. We are putting in a separate large mudroom closet for all the shoes, coats, sports stuff and extras near the laundry right off the garage. As well as lockers in the mudroom for current shoes, backpack, coat, purse, etc. I like having command central on that side of the house and the master on the other in my private oasis. When I'm in the master bedroom, bath and closet, I want to feel like I've escaped the duties of the day...even if it's just for a few minutes every night and morning. Good luck!

Autumn...Fe allergy?? Wow, that's gotta be rare. I hang almost everything up on hangars when damp. Very little gets folded. I'm persnickety too.

Jann...he does not do laundry but honestly it's because I don't like how he does it. I have my own way of doing it. He just does it wrong! But, he does get his own ideas and often is hard to budge but I plan to work on him on this one. As soon as I figure out how I want to do it ;-)

Mark...something told me you weren't 5'4" lol

doc5md - SMART MAN....

Doc... "For my part, I make clothes dirty and don't do the laundry... so my job is to make sure she gets the laundry room she would like! :) :) :)" now, you sound like a reasonable spouse!! I can't wait to see her laundry room!

Honu...this is a fun forum. You don't have to be building to hang out and offer advice. I built here in 2005 and left then came back. Kitchens are fun. I lurk on decorating occasionally. Those gals are too good for me ;-) as in talented. TY

jaime...I had to read your post twice :-) It sounds dreamy. Our building envelope is rather small so our first floor is limited somewhat. My boys will be gone before I know it but at one time I dreamed of a space as you describe. Please post a pic of the plan of your room! I would love to see it. TY.

edit: ironING allergy. ;)

It's
obvious you are still young. That extra 30 feet if you're using a
walker, or a cane can seem like miles, especially if you have to carry
stuff. I watched that happen to my mother as her parkinsons disease
advanced. It's why I'm putting my laundry closet across from my master
bath/master closet.

Yeah, I saw it in my grandmother too. She could walk quite well (for her age) with her walker ... and carrying something small on her walker was easy for her ... but carrying a laundry basket was too much for her. This is a typical aging issue.

My personal plan: I'm buying two laundry carts. I'm going to have a custom cabinet in the bathroom built to hide it, and I'm going to have another cart-sized spot in the laundry area. My grandmother could push a shopping cart quite well, so I'm thinking this'll be a way to handle laundry easily.

mrspete, my mother could use a walker but eventually even that was difficult.

I'm in my 30s but I wouldn't want to have the full size washer upstairs if the master is down. Like autumn said, the kids are capable of lugging their laundry up and down stairs. I have 3 boys but they are all 9 and under so right now I am laundry queen. Going to start teaching the 9 year old soon but I am sort of laundry particular on stains/hanging vs drying so we'll start with towels and sheets for now.

I don't know if anyone else already suggested this and haven't seen your house design, but would it be possible to put your full size W/D in your main floor since that's where you'll be living and to then put a laundry chute from upstairs into your laundry room? I do like the idea of plumbing the second floor for an additional set of machines should you ever decide you need it, though.

I know having the laundry in the closet is all the rage but personally, I've decided against it (I may however push for a door from the closet to the laundry.) Our current house has the laundry in the bathroom and honestly the functionality doesn't bother me that much, it's the DUST. Every time I empty the lint trap (so before every single dryer load) I feel like there is a small wave of dust that settles. It kind of cakes on if the surfaces are wet. In the closet things obviously won't be wet, but I would still feel like I'm wiping lint dust off everything. So I vote: separate laundry room! (Some day I will have mine...)

Stephja...thank you for sharing your experience. Very helpful post. I had not even considered the dust.

I was SAHM. I've always had my laundry near where I am during the day. For us, the MBR is not for TV viewing or doing laundry. I don't want a clutter of laundry, noise or damp in my master closet. Also, the 'laundry' sink at our house has had many other purposes -- dog wash, boot wash, slop sink, etc.

I'm happy with a laundry at one end of my 'back hall' between garage and kitchen/breakfast room -- with a window, cabinets, a closet to hang clothes. The other end houses a powder room -- and half-glass back door.

I am unhappy that there is only a stacked washer/dryer in a hall closet at our condo. No slop sink to fill a pail or dump filthy water. No surface to pre-treat or fold.

Why not a laundry chute into a downstairs big landry? Let the kids run up and down...

Chisue...I wish you would post a layout of your back hall. It sounds perfect.

renee...no chute but they will definitely be the ones running up and down the stairs no matter what ;-)

If my 5 year old boy is capable of carrying his laundry up and down the stairs and across the house then two 13 year old boys can do so. You can tell your husband I said that ;) In our new house we have a laundry room at the bottom of the service stairs and near the kitchen so I can hear the buzzing. We're plumbing my master closet for a stackable washer and dryer in case we wish to add it when we're empty nesters. The master bedroom is at the opposite end of the house from the laundry room so a friend of mine suggested it.

I can't believe I haven't posted here yet... or have I? It seems like such a personal decision, but it's nice to hear others experiences b/c sometimes there's things you can't always think out without living with it.

Currently, I have my laundry in a closet upstairs so it makes for zero processing space and nothing for folding either, but upstairs laundry for a house built in 1955 is pretty swanky.

We plan in the new house to have laundry upstairs and share space with our workout equipment. But we're roughing in laundry for the mudroom so that if we get to an age where we can't do the stairs we'll move the laundry down and move ourselves into the first floor guest suite that is an absolute must b/c of disabled/stairs challenged parents. Hopefully this will keep us living independently for longer.

Tcu..it's not that they don't carry their clothes up and down the stairs. I do laundry but not unless they bring everything to me and they have to put it away. At least I have them trained in that way ;-) DH wants to train them to start doing their own laundry. And I know it's a great thought.... I will start training them but I would rather have that happen in a first floor laundry. I talked DH into seeing things my way lol. We are actually doing the laundry area the same as you. First floor laundry by the kitchen...which is really my first choice. I do think I will plumb for a w/d in the master closet just in case. That is a great idea. Master on first floor too but across the house from laundry.

Amy...yes, that is pretty swanky for an older home. Actually around here most homes that age force a trec to the basement to do the laundry! If all of the bedrooms (except guest) are upstairs I think you made a good decision. And smart to plumb for one down in case it's ever needed. It is a personal decision and for me one of the hardest. I didn't want to have regret with something I do almost every single day....laundry. First world problems lol.

@ILoveRed

It's good that you expect them to cart their own laundry. I was reading somewhere where parents were complaining about having to go into their teens' bedrooms and try to sort clean and dirty clothes mixed up on their teens' floors to get their dirty laundry. If my kids pulled that I'd refuse to do their laundry. Of course by the time I was a teen I usually did my own laundry.

I was reading somewhere where parents were complaining about having to go into their teens' bedrooms and try to sort clean and dirty clothes mixed up on their teens' floors to get their dirty laundry. If my kids pulled that I'd refuse to do their laundry. Of course by the time I was a teen I usually did my own laundry.

That's how my kids were until I did exactly as you and refused to do their laundry anymore. I taught them how to do their own. Problem solved.

Yep...this summer, mine are going to learn to do their own as well!

It's easy....wear dirty, smelly clothes and you don't eat! LOL

Okay, I don't have kids. But I have nephews that learned very quickly, when they came to visit : )

I know where I do not want to have laundry ever! - Adjacent to Kitchen or in the kitchen. Had a house like that. Never again.

When my sister and I started doing our own the biggest issue was getting her to actually MOVE the load from the washer to the dryer (oh they would stink) or to take them out of the dryer and fold them. We are so night and day, lol. So I am Johnny on the spot with that and am always after my kids to not leave their stuff in there!

I'm not building a house except in my dreams, but here are the dreams:

1- a laundress - washer/dryer, tubs, ironing board, well away from where I am as most laundresses like to watch TV

2- laundry in basement with both a laundry chute and a dumb waiter. I had the chute when my children were little and it was wonderful - well, except when they put the cat down the chute. Large pile of laundry at bottom so no harm done to cat.

3- a full size room with double tubs and room for folding plus room for always-up ironing board. I want this on the 2nd flr.

Unfortunately, mine is in the basement and my bedroom is on 2nd flr and I havechronic respiratory problems and am 72. I only do laundry once a week (did thus when children were still at home - don't like never ending chores), so I grab anyone I can - yard man/ plumber/cleaning help/grandson - and ask them to carry up basket of clean clothes. Just call me Blanche DuBois - I must depend on the kindness of strangers.

Our build is single floor so mudroom/laundry at the opposite end of the house. I do not think I would like a w/d in my master closet. just does not appeal to me.

Mudroom/laundry will be between garage and kitchen. It is pretty large 16 1/2'x12' with stackables at garage end, sink, drying closet and coat closet, desk area/landing station, pull out pantry and dog food cabinet. Various other drawers and cabinets also. Place for shoes and coat hooks by garage door and a door between kitchen and this room. This is the entrance we personally will use the most. So looking forward to it!

We have two laundries in our home, both are full sized stacked. I'm only 5"2" and its not too tall for me at all. When we picked out the machines we checked that out. One laundry is in our master bath/closet area. I love this, it works well for me. All my clothes are there, they get washed at put away there. It's also convenient in the morning, the dryer has a steam function and I often use it to freshen up clothes. The other laundry is for the kids. It's in a closet in the hall. In our other home we had a laundry room and I was just so sick of everyone throwing everything in there. Now the kids take care of all their stuff and that makes me happy! The only negative thing is that my smart daughter has discovered that it's a lot quicker to use two machines, so when she has more than one load she uses both at the same time..not what I had in mind!

Autumn...the same with my boys. One will be easy. One will forget stuff in the washer. That will be the challenge.

Suzanne...I Googled laundress to make sure I was thinking the same as you were ...an actual person whose work is the washing and ironing of clothes! Yep, that would be nice. I'll take one too :-)

my mil's house had a cabinet that opened up like a hamper door that led to a big wooden laundry chute in the basement. The clothes fell to the floor when you unlatched the basket. She raised six kids in this house running up and down those stairs constantly. That's probably how she stayed so thin! At 72 with respiratory issues there has to be a better solution for you.

when she got older and had respiratory problems, much as you describe we tried to get her to let us put a stackable on the main floor. She wouldn't let us. Wouldn't hear of it :-)

Suellen...you room sounds wonderful. I'm jealous. Will you share the floor plan for it? I would love to see it. May I ask how tall you are (using stackable)?

Lepages....

"our other home we had a laundry room and I was just so sick of everyone throwing everything in there."

BINGO. I agree. My laundry room right now is small. I'm hoping that having a bigger room to organize stuff my help with this problem.

You mentioned that you are shortish and have no problem reaching the dryer. May I ask what kind of w/d this is? Is it full sized?

it sounds like you have come up with the perfect solution for your house. I hope I'm happy with my solution.

Brian S....that would drive my DH bonkers. Having loads of clothes waiting in line in the kitchen.

LL.....that does sound like a good solution. But, it drives me crazy seeing my boys in clothes that look like they just came out of the hamper. I'm afraid it would bother me more than it bothers them. Thirteen...I can barely get them to wear deodorant ;-)