Do you need a sink in a utility room

[motorbird83]

Hi all-- sorry for yet another thread on the work we are doing to our new family home. So far the advice I've had has been so useful I figured I would ask about this latest choice. We can either have shelves for storage or a sink in the utility room we are creating. With the sink, there would be some storage for ironing etc but much less. What would you prioritise? How often do you use your sink for soaking things?

Thanks!

[RoLo1]

We are doing work soon, and I couldn't see the point of a sink in there, I don't steep clothes, could use a bucket or something should it ever become necessary. My priority is having washer dryer in the utility room, the hoover and steam cleaner, and in the ceiling hanging a clothes airer (contraption from Lakeland, means my bedroom will no longer look like a laundromat). Your priorities may be different, some people like two sinks in their kitchens after all. I will just have one high shelf with detergents etc out of reach from little hands. I guess it depends on whether you need extra shelving, but presumably you could opt for sink and store lots underneath. As well as this room we will have a walk in pantry (using an otherwise dark corner in the kitchen), and this will be a brilliant dumping ground I hope, also means we don't need much storage in the kitchen itself. Hope that helps.

[motorbird83]

Yes, it does. I suspect we'll rarely use it and my husband can't see any reason for it but we don't have kids yet so its always hard trying to plan for a future you have no idea about :) I thought my life with kids might for some reason involve more soaking than it does now but couldn't be sure!

[Emski]

I'd opt for the storage - life with kids certainly leads to having more STUFF!

[shaunag]

Wow I would love this dilemma-utility room not on cards for some time! I grew up in a house with a utility room with a sink (and lots of storage). My mum still uses the sink every day, several times a day. She always steeps clothes if stained and washes veg, dog bowls, particularly mucky saucepans etc there. I think if you had a sink for steeping you would use it-I've dumped quite a lot of baby/toddler outfits through stains and not wanting to tie the kitchen sink up for hours-probably laziness as a bucket in the bath would do, but I would steep and save outfits if I had a utility room (also didnt realise how effective vanish is overnight on clothes until recently!) kids have loads of stuff and you can never have enough storage but I would opt for a sink.

[fl0wer]

Yes I would opt for the sink as well - a good roomy Belfast one.

I'd be like shaunag's mum but in this flat have to use the shower cubicle for a second site away from the kitchen sink, and it is a nuisance.

Am always in need of the space for gardening extras, pots and vases.

[motorbird83]

Oh no, I'm more confused than ever... Is soaking in a bucket that much worse than a sink?

[reren]

Also worth bearing in mind that if you have a drier that is non-vented you will need to pour out water from drier by hand - sink becomes critical. No drier? Prob not so crucial - but we find we use our sink all the time.

[motorbird83]

Hmm, that was my biggest concern as there is a non-vented dryer. However, we are going to have a wet room floor in the utility room with a floor drain-- that we if there is a leak it won't flood the house. I figure I'll just use the floor drain to poor out the water but maybe that's a bad idea. I need to think about this some more.

[pebbles]

We have a sink however our utility room also has a loo so a sink is necessary. I love it - for our tumble drying to empty out the water, to soak clothes, to wash rugby boots, i soak my pot plants and hanging baskets in there - HOWEVER all of that can be done in the kitchen sink or a bucket and if storage is an issue then I'd probably say go with storage!!!

Sorry that's not very helpful at all!!!

[tiddles]

I would go for a sink. Really useful - I have a utility room without one and altho not essential, I would find it jolly useful. Also as a dog owner, I could dunk him in there rather than the kitchen one! also washing down welly boots, etc.

not essential but pretty useful

[scareyt]

We have a sink in ours and I mostly use it for washing painty stuff and for pouring out the dryer water. It's useful but I sometimes wish we had put a freezer there instead as ours is pretty small. I think pouring dryer water into a floor drain would be really annoying though.

[VeronicaSawyer]

I'm finally getting a utility room and the main purpose is to house a sink. I'm perfectly happy with the washing machine being in an upstairs cupboard but I hate having to clean muddy wellies and soak clothes in the kitchen sink or bathroom. Good idea about the freezer though, Scareyt. I wonder how I could fit that in.

[motorbird83]

Hmm, the dryer water is why I initially wanted itm. My husband says we'll wash wellies in the garden with the hose. Any good counter arguments to that? I keep going back and forth on this!

[VeronicaSawyer]

Wellies get most use in winter; the water from the hose will be close to freezing; your fingers will go numb long before the boots are clean. Next time you wont bother to clean them at all and you'll end up with dried mud coming off all over the floor/car boot.

It's never even crossed my mind that a utility room wouldn't have a sink, and if I were looking to buy a house one with a sinkless utility would be be down with those with no utility at all.

[scareyt]

I'm convinced Veronica! Also I'm pretty lacksadaisical (sp?) when it comes to laundry but used ours a lot for soaking at the beginning of potty training. Would have been a bit grim without it.

But yes, a nice big freezer for stocking up on stuff on special offer, freezing big batches of cooking and fresh things / garden veg that you can't eat straight away would be lovely.