How to optimize your laundry space

Laundry facilities are often the most overlooked room in the house. In addition to fulfilling its main function, which is to have a space to wash clothes, the laundry ends up becoming a warehouse for materials and cleaning products, tools, among other elements. But none of this means that the space should be poorly organized. Rather, the laundry environment must be streamlined and functional.

In addition, in the case of new apartments, this space is located next to the kitchen, which further highlights the need for order and cleanliness. Ultimately, the laundry must be practical, functional and organized, to make life easier for residents.

Since the laundry room needs a good amount of storage space, many people choose to make a custom furniture project for this room. The architect Marina Carvalho explains that having an optimized service area is thinking about the routine and expectations of the residents to execute a functional design. “For an exquisite laundry you have to consider the electrical, hydraulic and gas points, assess the accesses, assess the natural ventilation that enters through the windows and work with exact measurements. This context makes a difference and mitigates headaches or dissatisfaction in the future, “he explains.

The architect Vanessa de Paula Cadaval affirms that it is necessary to understand the needs of the space and adapt them correctly to avoid problems arising later. “We know that in a space like the laundry room there is great contact with water. If it is stuck to the kitchen, there is contact with grease and smoke. Therefore, it is necessary to use specific coatings and floors for this environment. To clean and to avoid possible infiltrations, coatings that have low water absorption are recommended, such as marble and non-slip floors ”, he says.

Vanessa also affirms that an ease that can be applied to the laundry is the use of planned furniture, being possible to assemble only what will really take advantage of the space and unite functions, optimizing and maintaining comfort. “Good planning ensures a better organization of the items that must be stored in the laundry, so it is recommended to design the furniture. A good tip is to make furniture to build in other spaces. For example: if the washing machine has an opening at the top, a support bench cannot be made on top, the space under the tank can be filled with a cabinet to store buckets and cleaning supplies. Thinking of these examples, it is possible to adapt to each wash, “he said. concludes.

Marina advises of the need for good ventilation. The position of the window directly influences the natural lighting and ventilation of the laundry room: for a good result, it must have a minimum area equal to 1/6 in relation to the space of the room. Along with the pleasant climate and well-being, the clothes dry quickly and without the unpleasant smell of a garment that takes too long on the clothesline. This equation generates savings in electricity costs and maintenance of appliances. “With light and without excessive humidity, the risk of rusting the washing machine is lower”, considers Marina.

Advice

Use cabinets and niches at high points to store cleaning supplies

Set up service benches to help with chores.

Leave the most used products at your fingertips

Include a clothesline on site – you can choose from ceiling clotheslines, wall retractors, and floor clotheslines

Have supports and baskets to separate clothes, cleaning products, staples, among others, keeping them about 20 centimeters from the ground to facilitate cleaning.

If you are next to the kitchen, use a sliding door to separate the rooms and make sure it doesn’t take up too much space.

(Collaborated with Yasmin Lisbon)