Pros and Cons of Washer and Dryer in Master Closet

Washer and Dryer in Master Closet Pros	Washer and Dryer in Master Closet Cons
Having your appliances right in your closet makes it convenient to wash, dry, and put away your clothes.	Using a section of your master closet for the two appliances means you are giving up valuable storage space.
If your bedroom is on the second floor, having your laundry appliances there makes roof venting a lot easier and even cheaper as you pay for less ducting.	Master closets are not as large as entire rooms, so you will be limited as to the size of the dryer and washer you can buy.
The warmth generated from using the dryer can heat up your closet and adjoining bedroom. This can save energy and electricity costs.	Other members of the house will have to be in your closet in order to do their laundry.
	If you run your washer or dryer during the night, the noise from the machines might make it difficult to sleep.
	Installing your washer and dryer into the closet will require additional plumbing and wiring to be done.
	In summer, the heat generated from the washer and dryer might make your closet and bedroom unbearably hot.
	You run the risk of getting lint on all your clean clothes, which will get annoying quickly.

Pros of Washer and Dryer in Master Closet

Convenient to Wash, Dry, and Put Away Clothes

Having your washing and dryer machines in your master closet can truly be a dream. It will be super convenient for you as you will be able to simply wash the clothes that you have left in a heap in your closet (we’ve all been there).

Now instead of having that laundry pile sit there until you get up the courage to trek it to the basement or wherever you would keep your machines, you can easily get a load done while you are still in your closet and getting ready for the day.

Once your clothes are dry, you can also immediately pack away the items that don’t really need to be ironed or steamed until use. Laundry day will now be an absolute breeze.

Second Floor Laundries Make Roof Venting Easier

Ventilation is not only a necessity and legal requirement when installing a washer and dryer, but it will be made so much easier if you install the appliances in your master closet.

This is only the case if your master bedroom is on the second (or higher) floor of your home, though. Having laundry appliances on the second floor makes venting the dryer through the roof a lot easier as there is less distance that the ductwork has to traverse.

This means you will have fewer bends in your vents which can be a mission to install and which potentially affect the efficiency of the ventilation system. Being able to vent from the second floor straight out of the roof is a slightly more straightforward process than venting it starting from the ground floor.

You can also save a bit of money as each extra foot of ductwork comes with a cost.

Warmth From Dryer Can Heat Closet and Bedroom

There are few things worse than waking up in winter to a chilly bedroom and then shivering into your master closet to get dressed. The winter chill is definitely felt more in a closet where no windows allow sun inside.

Having your washer and dryer in the closet of your master bedroom would definitely help with this as the heat that is generated from the machines as a product of the washing and drying process will spread throughout your closet and could even reach your bedroom.

Imagine how amazing it would feel to put on a sweater after a shower without feeling like you are in the ice age.

Cons of Washer and Dryer in Master Closet

Loss of Storage Space

A closet is there to keep your clothes, shoes, accessories, and any other items (sometimes) neatly packed away. Some master closets are made slightly larger so that they can accommodate two people’s things.

However, when you add a dryer and washer into your closet—machines that will take up a substantial chunk of your closet—then you are giving up valuable space that could have been used for more of your personal items.

You might have to get creative and install shelves about the area over the washer and dryer in order to utilize any available wall space or opt for a stackable washer/dryer set.

You could also use the wall space to hang your hats, handbags, or jewelry using Command Small Clear Wire Hooks _{^{(amazon link)}}, a really cost-effective way to make every inch of space count.

If you are worried about moisture from the washer or dryer causing the hooks on the walls above them to fall off, there are other options from the same brand that are waterproof.

Limited Washer and Dryer Size

Bedroom closets tend to be on the smaller side and don’t usually extend to the ceiling. Even master closets, which might be larger and more open-plan, are significantly smaller than a bathroom or bedroom.

The reduced size means that you will be limited to which washer or dryers you can install as you need to be aware of whether or not they will fit safely and securely. Larger washers and dryers might fit but you might not be able to store any of your clothes in the closet or even be able to close the door.

This means that you will probably have to get get a smaller washing machine. For a single person, this should be perfectly fine, but if you are in a larger household then the smaller machine means it will take twice as long to do your laundry as you will need to do multiple loads. Or you’d have to buy a second machine and store it somewhere else.

Others Have to Come Into Your Closet to Do Washing

Having the washer and dryer in your master closet is great for you. You have the ease of doing laundry in only a few steps. However, this does also have a downfall.

Having the washer and dryer in your closet means that other members of your home will have to come into your bedroom and then into your closet in order to do their washing.

This means that you could be interrupted in the early morning while you are trying to get your beauty sleep by someone who urgently needs to throw their hand-washed blouse in the dryer.

This also means that you will probably be obliged to keep your closet and room neat at all times since many people will be using the space.

The alternative is that you may end up doing all the laundry just to maintain your privacy.

Can Be Noisy if Trying to Sleep

A lot of people tend to do their laundry at night as it might be the only opportunity in their busy schedules to get things done. Putting the clothes in at night makes it easy to just transfer the wet clothes to the dryer in the morning.

However, when the washer and dryer are in your closet, you will probably opt to do the washing earlier in the day. It’s no secret that these appliances make noise when in operation, and for someone trying to get their vital 8 hours of rest in, this can be extremely annoying and make it impossible to sleep.

Yes, closing the closet door might stifle the noise slightly, but most washing machines sound like a spaceship about to take off for Mars, so you will probably still hear it.

Have to Plumb and Wire Closet

One of the biggest factors that might sway you from putting your washer and dryer in your master closet, is all of the work that will be required in order to do it.

Since these appliances require specific electrical and plumbing work to function, hardware that your closet is very unlikely to have, you will need to plumb and wire the closet.

Installing these machines into your closet is a lot of work, and might not be worth it as the plumbing and electrics installed can literally only be used for one function.

You will also need separate outlets for each machine. You can’t have one and then use a multi-strip to plug them both in. Dryers require a dedicated 240-volt outlet (normal outlets are 120-volt) in order to function safely.

You can’t even get away with plumbing it in and then running the machines on extension cables from plug points in the bedroom. Washers may be fine with extension leads, but tumble dryers are too powerful for most normal cables, and directly plugging them into the wall is recommended.

Getting in a plumber and electrician can work out to be costly, but it is better to let the professionals deal with these sorts of situations.

The added plumbing will likely also take up space in your closet (you can’t push the machines flush against the wall), which makes your opportunities for storage a lot less.

Closet and Room Can Get Too Hot in Summer

Unlike in winter, when we would welcome the warmth radiating from the washer and dryer machines, in summer, the excess heat is definitely not wanted.

Your closet and bedroom can become too hot too quickly in summer, which may make you avoid spending prolonged periods of time in your bedroom. As your bedroom is supposed to be a safe, comfortable, and welcoming place, this is not desirable.

You might start avoiding the growing pile of laundry in your closet in order to limit the amount of heat and moisture in your bedroom. This means you could end up with even less available space in your closet as the unwashed or unpacked clothes can accumulate quickly.

You can place a small fan in your closet to help combat the heat, or keep the doors and windows open while your washer or dryer is running.

Lint on Your Clean Clothes

Ah, lint. The nasty little monsters that manage to cling to your clothes after you wash or dry them. Lint is a horrible by-product of the washing process. Small fibers from your clothes (which loosen with every wear) can be shed during the washing and drying processes.

So, once you take out a load of laundry, you will notice tiny flecks of lint sticking to your clothes, or being left behind in the actual machines. This is a problem that most people suffer from, no matter where their laundry machines are located.

However, when your washer and dryer are in your bedroom, you have the added risk of the lint falling onto the clean clothes that are packed away in the closet. You’ll likely need to keep one or two of Scotch-Brite Lint Rollers _{^{(amazon link)}} handy to remove any lint from your clothes before you leave the house.

Common Washing Machine Smells (Some Normal Others Dangerous)

Sources

https://www.domex-uk.co.uk/help-advice/why-does-lint-form-in-the-tumble-dryer/