Adding that our dog is 60 lbs… ie not a small dog that can fit in a sink.

I'd put a drain in the floor and a sprayer and tiles on the walls. Maybe a little storable doggie pedestal to save your back.

We do a lot of gardening, and have muddy boots, hands, etc

I'd rather see a boot washing station outside the door ... you know, kinda like hotels at the beach have a foot washing station so you're clean BEFORE you come in.

OR just have a dog washing station and wash our hands in that and store muddy items in the dog pan.

Sink pros:

- A sink is considerably less expensive than a dog washing station, which would be larger and would entail tile (and all tile is fairly expensive /more labor intensive to install).

- A sink -- even a large sink -- would take up less space.

- A sink wouldn't require bending down, which will matter as you grow older.

Dog washing station pros:

- You may -- in the future -- have a wash-and-wear dog, whom you would wash at home.

- You could wash large items like coolers more easily in a dog washing station.

- A dog washing station would have a hand-held shower, which could easily work for hand-washing.

Other thoughts:

- Putting the dog washing station aside, I'd want to incorporate more dog-care items in this space: a feeding spot, storage for dog food, hanging space for leashes, etc. Maybe a crate.

- If decide on the dog washing station, take time to go into one of the pet stores that has a "wash your dog yourself station". Look at the details they include; for example, a hook to hold the dog in the bath /prevent him from escaping while soapy and running through the house.

You might consider a mop sink. They are terrific for hosing off boots and dealing with mess. You can get them in various depths, including very shallow. I like the shallow ones because they are easy to stand in or dump a bucket into.

Checking out the Mop sink. Ideally I wish we could have some sort of sink with an area to spray clean and/or put wet muddy boots below it (and briefly clean off muddy paws too). Has anyone seen a combo like this?

We live in Chicago so can’t do this outside year round (and things tend to get really muddy in fall/winter/early spring when it is too cold to have water running outside.

I have used the dog wash stations at some pet stores and the dog hair and water get everywhere when the dogs shake off. I would never want that in a mud room or laundry room. In Kristin's photo everything above, beside and across from that wash area would be covered in water and hair. I have 60 lb shepherd mixes that shed.

I prefer to make the mess in someone else's space, so the pet store dog washes are very convenient. They even clean up and wash the towels after you leave!

If I have to bathe my dogs at home, we do it outside or use an enclosed shower that can contain all the water/hair that goes flying when they shake off.

Following - we’re planning to convert a powder room in our mud room into a utility/dog washing station for all the same reasons. We’re in northern New England. An “outdoor washing station” would not work in the winter. I wash my own dog, and his feet need a rinse nearly daily in the transition seasons. Thanks for starting a helpful discussion about this.

I vote for sink…Don’t know how big a 60 lbs dog is… or how often they need a bath…or how far they spray when they shake off….but you will be using valuable space for a pretty specific use…especially when giving up an extra bath that adds so much to the valuation of your home

That is a reasonable concern, but in our particular case the real estate value will not be affected. Definitely worth consideration when making this decision though!

Ours will be a raised tiled platform with a drain and a handheld shower. We’ll waterproof and tile the surrounding walls. The mess will be rinsable and contained. It will be great for the dog but also for boots, skis, etc as well as drip drying hats and mittens.

As a gardener and a parent, I would love the "dog-washing" station. A place to hose down the dirty flip-flops and feet without tracking across the entry wood floor. I've often thought about converting our garage laundry sink to something like that. Kristen Petro's design might have sold me. We could easily wash hands, and DH could still use it to fill his buckets of soapy water.

You might consider a mop sink.

Interesting idea. If you've ever worked in food service, you know that mop sinks are usually built into a corner and usually have tile or stainless steel on the two walls.
I have used the dog wash stations at some pet stores and the dog hair and water get everywhere when the dogs shake off.

That's true. Personally, I like to take my dog to the pet store that sells a 5-wash punch card for $25. They give you all the towels you want, and you leave the mess. Two negatives: they water down the shampoo ridiculously, and (even with the blow dryer) you have to take home a somewhat wet dog.

I used to wash my old pup in the shower at home -- before we had the self-wash station at the store. I'd take him into the walk-in shower and close the glass door. I'd spread some peanut butter on the shower wall, and he'd go to town on that while I washed him with the hand-held shower. He'd shake, but he'd shake inside the shower, so it didn't really matter.

We’re in northern New England. An “outdoor washing station” would not work in the winter.

I don't know winter climates; could you do a dog washing station in a garage?

but you will be using valuable space for a pretty specific use…especially when giving up an extra bath that adds so much to the valuation of your home

That is true. I wash my dog about once a month. A built-in dog wash, while convenient, will sit empty much of the time.

Why is everyone talking about actual dog washing when OP said she probably wouldn't wash her dog at this sink, she would use it to clean muddy boots?

When I heard about the ski factor ..i totally got the reasoning about how handy a feature like this will be…snow country has a whole different list of lifestyle needs…

You can also do a raised dog wash. It doesn't need to be this height, but something at a height that can accommodate everything you need it to do.

This was designed for a family with small dogs. We were joking that it was also a great toddler washing station.

As an avid gardener, I would go for the dog washing station without a second thought!! I have a huge utility sink in my garage which comes in handy for many tasks, but when it comes to needing to wash my feet or boots off, the utility sink is useless. Having a place to actually sit and wash off would be awesome. I’ve even tried to use a counter stool in front or the utility sink but it’s extremely awkward (basically doesn’t work). If I could go back and do things over, I would have definitely installed a dog washing station (with a place to sit) for my gardening needs….no question about it!

Muddy boots also bring in bits of leaves and sticks and pebbles, so the drains need to handle heavy duty stuff. I am on a farm and would also recommend something outside to do a quick rinse before coming into the house. I actually have a long handled scrub brush by the hose outside, and give my boots a quick scrub out there if necessary and don’t feel the need to do any additional boot cleaning once I’m in the mud room. I have a broom and wet swifter for the floor. Coat rack for drip drying rain heat, a boot tray, a bench, and a basket for dirty and/or wet things to get carried to the laundry room. But the worst of the mud stays outside.

Shikes, rain GEAR, not rain heat.🙄

Thank you everyone! All of these comments gave give my husband and I lots to consider… will update when we make the final decision :)

I vote for the dog shower rather than utility sink. I wish we had a mudroom but no space on the main floor. Our space is a combined laundry room and bathroom, close to the basement stairs. We don't need the shower but the plumbing was already there so we kept it. We have used it to wash the dog but usually it is used for stashing wet gear, washing muddy boots, dumping mop buckets and hanging fabric to drip dry. If I had realized how handy it was going to be, I would have tiled in some hooks and added a towel bar or drying rail.

I thought the OP stated they would not be bathing their dog themselves due to the breed and the size. I think a sink or similar would be more practical for gardening and household chores. It seems neat to have a floor based sprayer and drain in the floor but it seems like a lot of expense for something that in the scheme of things may be more of a novelty and not get a lot of use. I tend to think like an accountant and readily admit that is how I approach many possible expenditures, but I also ask myself if I would really use something enough regularly to justify what it is going to cost if it is large amount.

Since you won't be washing your dog there I would suggest you design instead for cleaning yourselves instead. You would certainly need a shoe/boot cleaning station, a handsink, a place to store wet shoes/boots, a closet or cabinet for towel storage, storage space for cleaned and dry shoes/boots if you have some that are dedicated for garden use, a place to store gloves, hats, scarves, etc.

So I didn’t know what a boot washing station was until these comments, and now I now I am like “where has this been all my life!” Anyone have recommendations on which model works. I don’t need something industrial strength, but am looking for something we can put just outside the back door that is not too unobtrusive (preferably one that works without having to bolt down to the deck). Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Usually mud rooms have an exterior entrance so the muddy stuff stays there and a somewhat clean person moves into the interior of the house. How are you getting from the exterior door to the mud room?

Just want to clarify here that I would do both something similar to the dog washing concept AND a utility sink. I would definitely be lost without the utility sink, but an additional washing area with seating would be so helpful as a gardener.

Mud room is right next to the back door. We only have room for the utility sink OR the dog washing station. We think we decided on the utility sink with the boot washing station out the back door, and room under the sink to dry boots.

Do a dog washing washing/post-gardening station! Sounds way more useful for your lifestyle.

And if you put in time to teach standing stay, you no longer need the groomer!

Sounds great! Would love to see pics once your project is complete.🙂

I have this sink in my garage. It fits my 50 lb dog (with no problem), grill grates, gardening stuff and anything else that i need it to do. I did have a much better faucet installed. If I was to put this sink into my home, Id have a custom cabinet built to drop it into. Easy to clean, multifunctional sinks can accommodate most tasks.

A stainless steel single basin restaurant sink would make a good utility sink. They are practically indestructible and won't stain like plastic or chip like cast iron.

Well… it depends on how you use it…our “stainless “ sink is pretty stained🤷🏼‍♀️…i am a clean freak so don’t assume it is from lack of trying…😫