toledoblade.com --

You probably spend a lot of time doing laundry, from piles of bathroom towels to the kids' sports uniforms. To be sure this chore doesn't become more of a headache than it has to be, consider planning the style and location of your laundry room around your lifestyle, rather than just sticking it in the basement or a corner closet. When deciding where to set up your laundry room, ask yourself these questions:
Where in your home do you spend most of your time? If it's your kitchen or your living room, the laundry room should be adjacent to those rooms. Just be sure to purchase sound-conditioned appliances so the noise of the washer and dryer doesn't compete with family conversation or the television.

Is it accessible? If you are unable to climb stairs or prefer to save your workout for the local gym, consider putting the laundry room on a main level or even next to the bedrooms, where the majority of laundry will be generated.

Is it affordable? If cost is an issue, and you can't rework your home's entire plumbing system, find out which walls house the main water and waste pipes and plan your laundry area for those locations.

Think creatively to turn your laundry area into a multi-use space to save on interior real estate. It may double as a mud room, a butler's pantry, or exercise area.

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