Cloakroom or Utility Room?

coachman12

AskAsk said:

couriervanman said:

Downstairs loo every time......the older you get the more handy they are

for me, i don't like people going upstairs to use the toilet when they visit as i feel upstairs is private space so having a downstairs toilet gives me more privacy.

i don't mind having the washing machine in the kitchen as it is only one appliance, so it does seem a bit excessive to have a whole room just for the washing machine.  we had a utitlity room at our previous home.  it only had a washing machine in it!

there was a downstairs toilet off the utitlity room, but it made the toilet not so inviting, having it in the utility room.  where we live now, the downstairs toilet is a proper room and it makes it more welcoming for guests.

Another posting that does not seem to make much sense. You produce so many. Why do you need more privacy upstairs when no-one is going to be coming up to your bathroom if you're in there ? How can you say "upstairs is private place" but "having a downstairs toilet gives me more privacy".
And you only had one appliance in a utility room ( but you don't have a utility room now----not surprising if you only have one appliance------what happened to freezers, dishwasher, tumble drier, CH boiler if appropriate, and all the space needed for ironing, drying clothes sometimes, keeping cleaning equipment and dirty boots etc ?
And it must have been a funny house to have a toilet off the utility room.
And now you have no appliances, no utility room but complete privacy on your lavatory instead of sharing it with strangers from downstairs.
And shouldn't the downstairs toilet should always be a "proper room" ? Whether it's inviting for guests depends on whether you have this problem 
  

getmore4less

When space is an issue  for laundry you can stack machines into a tiny area anywhere you can get plumbing/electric.
Size of a single wardrobe. 

Utility rooms don't solve the dishwasher issue as the sensible place for that is still in the kitchen space.

Not many houses have clean and dirty area multiple sinks for food based activities and dinnerware storage. 

Walk in pantry is a useful addition, loads of storage and can cut back on expensive cabinets

AnotherJoe

lincroft1710 said:

AnotherJoe said:

Just buy quieter kitchen appliances if its that troubling. Or put them on when you are asleep or out. 

You shouldn't leave washing machines or tumble dryers on while you are out.

Assuming its because they may burst into flame, then presumably the reasoning is, better to burst into flame whilst you are in the house ? Possibly asleep (what with all the emphasis is on using appliances at times energy is cheap) ?

Yep, not getting that ........

davidmcn

AnotherJoe said:

lincroft1710 said:

AnotherJoe said:

Just buy quieter kitchen appliances if its that troubling. Or put them on when you are asleep or out. 

You shouldn't leave washing machines or tumble dryers on while you are out.

Assuming its because they may burst into flame, then presumably the reasoning is, better to burst into flame whilst you are in the house ? Possibly asleep (what with all the emphasis is on using appliances at times energy is cheap) ?

Yep, not getting that ........

No, I've never understood that logic either! And I've survived *cough* decades so far without washing machines or tumble dryers ever doing anything surprising, whether or not I was sitting there watching them.

youth_leader

I'm 63 and looked at houses with a downstairs toilet as a plus, in case I ended up living downstairs. 

moneysavinghero

Downstairs toilet is always handy when you get delivery drivers, tradespeople etc, that ask to use the toilet. Don't have to have them traipsing upstairs.

NaughtiusMaximus

Downstairs loo for me too, although unless space is VERY tight it may well be possibly to do both. If you get one of those toilets where the handbasin is directly on top of, and drains into the cistern, the room doesn't need to be any larger than a cubicle in a public toilet and stacking the washer and dryer as mentioned in an earlier post would work in a small utility room.

lincroft1710

AnotherJoe said:

lincroft1710 said:

AnotherJoe said:

Just buy quieter kitchen appliances if its that troubling. Or put them on when you are asleep or out. 

You shouldn't leave washing machines or tumble dryers on while you are out.

Assuming its because they may burst into flame, then presumably the reasoning is, better to burst into flame whilst you are in the house ? Possibly asleep (what with all the emphasis is on using appliances at times energy is cheap) ?

Yep, not getting that ........

If it bursts into flames while you are there and awake, you have the opportunity to call the fire service, before the fire spreads. If you are out, and it catches fire, could cause a lot more damage.

And I am only repeating what WM and TD manufacturers advise (or was it Dept of H & S)

lincroft1710

davidmcn said:

AnotherJoe said:

lincroft1710 said:

AnotherJoe said:

Just buy quieter kitchen appliances if its that troubling. Or put them on when you are asleep or out. 

You shouldn't leave washing machines or tumble dryers on while you are out.

Assuming its because they may burst into flame, then presumably the reasoning is, better to burst into flame whilst you are in the house ? Possibly asleep (what with all the emphasis is on using appliances at times energy is cheap) ?

Yep, not getting that ........

No, I've never understood that logic either! And I've survived *cough* decades so far without washing machines or tumble dryers ever doing anything surprising, whether or not I was sitting there watching them.

You don't need to sit watching them, just be at home. 

Like you have fortunately never suffered a WM or TD fire and for 9 yrs owned a TD that was eventually put on the"at risk" list. But have suffered chip pan fire (many decades ago) and we were in the house, but not in the kitchen when it happened.

davidmcn

lincroft1710 said:

AnotherJoe said:

lincroft1710 said:

AnotherJoe said:

Just buy quieter kitchen appliances if its that troubling. Or put them on when you are asleep or out. 

You shouldn't leave washing machines or tumble dryers on while you are out.

Assuming its because they may burst into flame, then presumably the reasoning is, better to burst into flame whilst you are in the house ? Possibly asleep (what with all the emphasis is on using appliances at times energy is cheap) ?

Yep, not getting that ........

If it bursts into flames while you are there and awake, you have the opportunity to call the fire service, before the fire spreads. If you are out, and it catches fire, could cause a lot more damage.

And I am only repeating what WM and TD manufacturers advise (or was it Dept of H & S)

Well, there's no such advice in my (Hotpoint) washer/dryer manual.