Many homeowners decide at some point to add a laundry room on the first floor of the house. They may be moving their laundry facilities upstairs from the basement or buying a washing machine and clothes dryer for the first time. It’s relatively common to have a toilet and small sink included in this room, since plumbing will be installed there anyway. However, many people don’t think about the benefits of having a single or double washtub sink hooked up to the plumbing.
If you’re planning to add a laundry room and haven’t thought about a utility sink, consider the advantages of this feature.
A Trap for Lint and Hair
With a drain hose from the washing machine emptying into the utility sink, you can easily filter out fabric lint and hair that washes off the clothes and normally heads toward the sewer pipe. Just ask a plumber to install a model that uses wide sink strainer baskets like a kitchen sink does.
Without an adequate filtration system, lint and hair can accumulate on tree roots that grow into the underground sewer pipe. That can cause a sewer backup.
A Place for Pre-Soaking and Hand-Washing
Because it has water taps and at least one faucet, a utility sink is a convenient place to soak laundry that has stains, is particularly dirty or could benefit from a brightening cleanser. It also provides an easy way to hand-wash delicate items. Without the laundry washtub, filling buckets of water in the bathtub and soaking laundry that way is the next-best option.
A Tub for Washing Pets
Many dog owners resort to washing their canine companions in the bathtub, but that can leave behind a hairy mess and grungy bathtub ring. This all must be thoroughly cleaned before the next bath or shower use. A utility sink, in contrast, can typically be wiped down with some paper towels without worrying too much about whether it’s spotless.
An Area for Showering Houseplants
Houseplants generally benefit from having a shower once in a while, just as they would out in nature. In a utility sink, you don’t need to be concerned about getting the bathtub dirty and having to wipe up plant debris. Attach a bath hose to the faucet and give the plants a spray.
A Place to Color Hair & Dye Clothing
Some individuals feel nervous about coloring their hair in the bathroom and risking staining the sink, shower or bath fixtures. They aren’t as concerned about whether some discoloration develops in the utility sink.
This washtub sink also provides an area where you can change or enhance the color of clothing. You might want to soak some faded black pants in black dye, for example, or brighten up a dingy once-white shirt with a brand new color. Even if you use a separate container inside the sink to protect your utility sink, you don’t risk splashing dye onto a bathtub or kitchen counter. In addition, you can give the clothing its first cold-water rinse in the utility sink.
A Sink for Doing Cleaning in the Laundry Room
In this sink, you can clean the washing machine’s detergent and fabric softener dispenser drawer, which tends to get grungy after a while. You’ll have an easy place where you can run water on cleaning rags or paper towels to wipe down the laundry equipment and everything else in the room.