Where to Put a Washing Machine in a Small Apartment

Washing machines are large, weighty appliances that need to be stored in the right type of environment.

Finding the ideal home for a washing machine can be difficult when you have a lot of room in your house. So, it’s even harder to find a place to store such a vast appliance in a small apartment.

That being said, although the task of finding a place to keep a washer might be tiring when you don’t have ample room in your apartment, it isn’t impossible to put a washing machine in a little apartment. You’ve just got to put your creative hat on and find a suitable spot!

 

Where Can You Put a Washing Machine in a Small Apartment?

When it comes to housing a washing machine in any type of property, you’ve got to make sure that your washer has access to water, electricity and some kind of a drain. And unless you buy a portable washing machine, these three features are usually essential.

So, when it comes to housing your washing machine in a small apartment, you ideally need to place it in a space that already has these features, or somewhere close to these facilities.

Of course, you can house a washer away from a water inlet, power point, and a drain, but it does mean that you’ll have to call a professional out to fit these features in your home, so you can get the washer to work. This isn’t impossible, but it is an additional cost that has to be covered.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Kitchen

The kitchen is by far the easiest place to house a washing machine in any home because the necessary features (water/drain/power) are usually already present in the room.

You could get an integrated washer and pop it under the kitchen worktop. You could then close the door when you don’t need to use the washer, and essentially, you’d never know the appliance was there.

You could build a dedicated cupboard space for a washing machine. If you’ve got some space leftover in your kitchen, you could consider adding a small cupboard area to the room, so you could pop your washing machine in there.

You could sacrifice a pre-existing cupboard space and make it habitable for a washing machine.

Is there a cupboard space that’s just housing pots and pans, for example? If so, is there any way you could remove these items and hang them up in the kitchen instead. In turn, you’d end up with a free cupboard that could house your washing machine.

 

2. Cupboard

If you’ve got some space in your apartment that isn’t being used, you could potentially create a brand-new cupboard in this area. Alternatively, you could repurpose an existing cupboard if it big enough for a washing machine.

You can put a washing machine in a cupboard, provided it has access to an electrical socket, a water supply, and a drain connection.

This space could then be used as a home for your washing machine and any other cleaning supplies.

For example, if you had an open plan living come kitchen area, you might have some room between the two rooms, and this is where you could put the extra cupboard.

If you’re going to do this, be prepared to cover any additional costs that this work could bring about.

 

3. Garage

If you’re lucky enough to have a garage with your apartment, you might be able to house a washing machine there. This would free up space in your small apartment, and you might also be able to house a tumble dryer in the area too.

Of course, do keep in mind that you must take the necessary precautions to protect your appliances from harm when it is being kept in a garage or other space away from the apartment itself. 

For example, the garage will need to have a water supply, drain, vents and power outlets present. Also, the temperature shouldn’t drop below 5°C.

You might need to renovate a garage to make it suitable for a washing machine.

Remember: If you don’t create the right environment for your washing machine it may not work effectively, or it could end up getting damaged.

 

4. Bathroom

In the UK there are strict guidelines on putting electricity sockets in a bathroom. Regulations stipulate that you must have a three-metre gap between the power outlet and the shower or bath.

If you have ample room in your bathroom and you won’t breach any legal requirements by adding an electricity socket to the room, there shouldn’t be a problem with housing a washer in a bathroom.

However, given the fact that a lot of houses in the UK don’t have enough space to accommodate this requirement, it’s very unlikely that a small apartment would be able to do so. In this case, it would be better to avoid trying to house a washing machine in a bathroom.

 

Tips to Keep in Mind

Here are some extra points to think about when trying to decide where to put a washing machine in a small apartment.

Consider alternatives to a washing machine if necessary

If you don’t have enough room in your small apartment, and you cannot remodel or repurpose the space, it might be worth looking into other ways you can do your laundry.

For example, you could buy a portable washing machine, you could use a launderette, you could contact a laundry cleaning service, or you could ask a family member to help you with the washing.

 

Think about how you will dry your laundry

Having a washing machine is great. But you must consider how you will dry your clean laundry as well—you can’t leave piles of wet clothes lying about your home.

So, if you have limited space, it would be worth thinking about getting a washer dryer combo rather than a regular washing machine.

This machine would be able to wash and dry your clothes, so you wouldn’t have the added worry of drying your laundry around your apartment and it becoming a trip hazard.

If you don’t fancy getting a washer-dryer for your apartment, it would be worth looking into whether or not you have enough space to stack a washer and dryer together.

For example, if you are able to create additional cupboard space in your apartment, you might be able to make it big enough to hold two appliances. This would save you a huge amount of time later on when you have to dry your laundry.