Washing machine in the bathroom: where and how to position?

For several decades now, a washing machine has been considered an obligatory attribute of any modern apartment. The most logical arrangement for her is the bathroom, because there are all the necessary communications, and it will not interfere with the main purpose of the room.

Another thing is that in many old apartments the bathroom is quite cramped - the designers of the past decades simply did not think about a place for such a technique. However, with a competent approach, it can still be accommodated in a cramped room if you are armed with useful knowledge and simple logic.

Of course, thinking about how to fit the washing machine into the dimensions of the bathroom, It is necessary to build on the size of the selected model of technology. Moreover, in some cases, it is the key criterion for choosing a model to make its shape and size, and not any practical characteristics - fortunately, manufacturers perfectly understand your situation and are themselves interested in making their products fit you.

First of all, think about choosing a model not with the usual horizontal, but with vertical loading - there the lid opens on top, and you put the laundry in a tank, which in shape and size could be compared with a bucket.

This version of execution almost always turns out to be more compact, and a machine with a height of 90 cm in length and width will have only 45 by 60 centimeters, since you need maximum compactness. For compact machines with horizontal loading, the height is usually slightly lower - about 80 cm, but dimensions of 60 by 60 cm are minimal.

Among other things washing machines are divided into built-in and ordinary. Theoretically, both are suitable for the bathroom, but in practice, the usual model is usually chosen in the bathroom, because the built-in is a solution for the kitchen, where such a technique could inappropriately stand out from the rest.

In the bathroom, the washing machine looks organically, especially since modern manufacturers offer options in all kinds of shades, so it’s worth building in only if you sincerely think that it will be better for any personal reasons.

By the way, typical colors that cover more than 90% of the entire market for such equipment - beige and white - go well with any other colors in the decoration and do not create a color imbalance.

When deciding on the parameters that are suitable for you, you should know in advance whether the chosen place is generally suitable for installing the washing machine.

There are certain rules for the safe operation of such equipment, and when determining the size of the site for it, you must make sure that they are all respected.

• Smooth surface. The installed washing machine will vibrate strongly during operation, which means there must be confidence that it is firmly in place, will not tilt, and will not move. If there are significant irregularities on the floor under its future location, it is necessary to repair the floor or in any other way to ensure a flat surface, otherwise you will have to look for another area.
• Gaps from any walls. It’s great if you find equipment that fits perfectly into the size of your site, it’s just not allowed to operate it under such conditions. It's all about the vibration already mentioned above - a working machine takes up a bit more space than it is turned off, and the strength of its vibration is such that the unit can easily break itself on the wall or damage the wall finish. Both options are undesirable for the owners, therefore it is better to provide at least 2 centimeters of clearance from each of the sides, as well as as much as 5 centimeters for the back wall.
• A dedicated outlet at a minimum distance is recommended. A washing machine is a very energy-consuming device, therefore, in order to avoid overloading the power supply network and taking electricity from other equipment, it is advisable to find the ability to plug the unit into that outlet from which nothing else is powered. In addition, any extension cords tend to reduce the protective functions of the equipment, so it is better to get by with the factory power cord.
• Mounting the sink above the machine is possible, but far from always convenient. Actually, a model with a vertical loading will simply not get in there, because the hatch, it turns out, will simply be locked. As for the popular models with horizontal loading, when overhanging the sink, it is possible that the person who carried out the loading can get injured - when unbending, he can crash into the plumbing, banging his head.

No matter how crowded in your bathroom, almost always there is an opportunity to enter there also a washing machine - especially if you carefully consider really all possible options. Although the option of mounting the washbasin above the washing machine above was regarded as far from perfect, sometimes the harsh reality is that there is simply no alternative. However, one can get out of this situation with dignity if one acquires a technique of relatively small height, and a sink with a side siphon so that it can be planted relatively low.

If everything is done correctly, you won’t have any space losses, because the washing machine will be hidden under the washbasin, and you hardly planned to do without both of these parts. In addition, some stores specifically sell such a set of furniture, which allows you not to even puzzle over the selection of individual components.

You can place the device and in the corner or even just against the wall, if the space above it is additionally occupied by attachments. Here you are free to choose what it will be - above the typewriter, for example, you can hang a small cabinet or a boiler. Thanks to this, you can no longer say that the site is allocated only for a washing machine, and the occupied area brings maximum benefit to the owners.

A relatively new fashion trend is integrating the unit into a cabinet, no matter how strange it may sound. It’s not worthwhile to make a cabinet especially if you haven’t thought about it before, but if you initially saw the need to provide a place to store the same towels inside the bathroom, you can also highlight a corner for such a washing machine in such furniture.

The advantage of this solution will be that the space above the equipment is occupied - in fact, this is a copy of the above option, only with a common housing for equipment and shelves. This option is especially appropriate in a situation where you have a separate bathroom and a bathroom without a toilet.

An alternative and more popular option for embedding a washing machine is under the countertop. As a rule, the depth of the countertop should be approximately equal to the depth of the device itself, and ensuring the necessary clearance at the back is achieved due to the small protrusion of the unit from its “mink” - it is more convenient to access the control buttons. However, in some cases, the countertop is made even wider - then the presence of the machine can be completely masked using special curtains or even a door.

Most often, when embedded under a countertop, the design is combined with a sink, which is located on the side of the washing machine, and then in some cases it is the wash basin that sets the configuration parameters for the lid. This arrangement is relevant for about the same reason why the machine is often mounted directly under the sink - it is convenient from an engineering point of view, since with such a layout it is possible to conveniently organize communications.

It is possible to place a washing machine even in the conditions of the closest “Khrushchev”, where a bathroom, a toilet and a washing machine are required to fit on four square meters. Specialists advise necessarily embed it in something, and if possible not just to save space, but in order to mask the very fact of the presence of technology.

The fact is that in many respects the tightness can turn out to be not so much a real lack of free space as a purely human perception, therefore it is very important to finish the bathroom in the same style with a minimum variety of inserts with "extraneous" design.

For the area of ​​4 square meters described above, the ideal solution for placing the unit in the interior is to install it just under the sink, since all the other options described above are inappropriate - you won’t push the cabinet where it’s difficult to turn around. The owners will have to be prepared for the fact that their sink will be located slightly higher than it usually happens, but there is no need to sort it out - either this way or not.

If it seems to you that even with such an arrangement of the plumbing, there is practically no free space inside the bathroom, you can try to win a little more free space in a somewhat unusual way - instead of a classic toilet, you should mount a suspended toilet on the leg, which allows you to approach it closely. In addition, such a solution will also be beneficial for subsequent cleaning - without contacting the floor at all, this version of the plumbing eliminates the glaring problem of hard-to-reach spots and allows you to wash the floors without too much effort.

If it seems that even a trick with a hanging toilet does not work enough, you can save space in another way - replace the bath with a shower. This, of course, is a significant loss for those who love water procedures in a reclining position, but it is possible to find a shower cabin with high sides - then it can partially duplicate the functions of the bath, taking up slightly less free space.

We have already discussed why it is useful for a cramped room to hide the washing machine so that nothing would betray its presence in the idle state. There are three main ways to do this.

This option is for those lucky owners of apartments whose designers foresaw the need for a sufficient amount of free space and did not hamper future residents with a small quadrature. The option is good in that the solid wall leaves many options for fitting it to the overall layout of the layout - roughly speaking, you can even paste it with tiles so that it is completely identical to the rest of the finish.

Alternatively, the door can be pasted over with liquid stone or even simply painted to organically fit it into a holistic interior. The only serious drawback of this solution is that the open door in open form will occupy additional space that may not be enough, and sliding doors are not always possible to organize due to the same limited space.

A kind of solution that will be relevant only if you manage to find a curtain that is not stylistically very different from the general decoration of the room. In a situation where there is a minimum of free space, this method of hiding the washing machine seems to be one of the best, since in the open and closed form the curtain takes up equally little space, and it can handle the masking function no worse than a full-fledged solid door.

Understanding the need for masking technology, modern manufacturers of finishing materials thought about the production of special stickers that can significantly transform the appearance of technology. Of course, the choice of such stickers is not as great as the choice of wall decoration options, but you can look for at least something similar in shade.

Naturally, upon closer inspection it will be obvious that it is a washing machine in front of you, and not another piece of a protruding wall, however, in general, the absence of ripples and inserts of a different color in the room will decrease. And this will positively affect his spatial perception.

The first photo clearly shows that the space of a small bathroom is not just the floor area, but a three-dimensional dimension, because the machine is correctly placed under the cabinet. What we do not undertake to say inside it, but it is obvious that the owners do not allow the place to stand idle in vain - a boiler or spacious shelves for storing anything can fit inside. In this case, masking or beautifully covering the machine is not required - the bathroom is designed in black and white, so the color of the body of the equipment does not contradict the overall design.

The second photo shows how you can organize the space of the bathroom, if there is no shortage either in the space itself or in creative thinking.Residents, apparently, do not mind the aesthetics of bygone days, and it turned out very worthy - which is worth only a shower room that simulates somewhat harsh conditions, but is very comfortable. The washing machine here is built-in under the countertop next to the sink, but there is no free space above it - the surface of the countertop is used to conveniently lay out a towel and other washing products.

The third example demonstrates how the equipment will look in a very cramped bathroom, where there simply is no alternative to placing the device anywhere else except the sink. In a particular case, their combination looks quite correct - the sink does not protrude beyond the washing machine, and even the gap between them was minimized, so the wash basin is not raised so high.

Finally, the fourth photo is a good example of a room in a classic style, but with a modern approach to the need to mask a washing machine. You must admit that in this antique setting, modern shiny plastic, metal and glass seemed completely alien to the elements, spoiling the whole perception. The designer decided to act in a somewhat unusual way - he simply chose the most brilliant model and dimmed the light, because of which it simply merges with the surrounding interior, which also shines.