Pinterest really
draws you in.
And when you’re
looking to make some changes around your home, it’s chalked full of ideas. One
seen as of late is putting the washer and dryer in the master bedroom closet.
This is, of
course, a brilliant idea in theory. And it’s increasing in popularity with new
home construction. After all, how convenient it would be to do your laundry in
your closet and never have to lug another basket of folded clothes up the
stairs ever again.
While the benefit
of convenience could easily make the decision for you, before you renovate your
master closet for convenience sake, there are some things to consider.
Upstairs
Means Risk
Remember the days of the waterbed? Remember the risk involved with
putting one on the upper floors? If the bed were to ever leak, you’d have a
bigger problem then you could imagine on your hands. The same goes for having a
washer and dryer on anything but the ground floor. Why do you think laundry
rooms are always ground level?
Yes, you have a bathtub, toilet and sink upstairs in all
likelihood. But they aren’t as prone to leaking as a washer can be. Not to
mention the fact that, in order to move the laundry to the master closet in an
existing home, you’re going to have to run new water lines and drains (not a
cost-friendly task).
Additionally, accommodating a second story location for the lint
duct means you either need to have it blow outside from a high location or have
to lengthen the duct to reach the second story. It both cases, it will be much
harder to clean if it kinks or gets clogged.
Convenience
May be Fleeting
There are limited circumstances in which the convenience of
combining your laundry room and master closet outweighs the risk:
- You live in a one story home
- All of the bedrooms are on the same side of the house to reduce how much laundry you carry
- You’re exceptionally organized so your closest isn’t overrun by a floor full of dirty clothes
- Your master bedroom closet is already the size of a walk-in closet and laundry room combined (to accommodate the extra clothing and laundry bins)
- You’re only doing laundry for yourself and not a house full of kids (otherwise, their clothes will now take over your closet)
