6 Bright Ideas to Strategically Place the Washing Machine

6 Bright Ideas to Strategically Place the Washing Machine

The look and feel of any room depend largely on how you place your furniture; accessorize the room or what colour palette you choose. Now that you want to recreate the relaxing spa-like ambience in yourbathroomonly to be confronted with the sight of your washing machine which clearly hurls you back to reality. Who would have thought that a useful thing like washing machine can be an eye sore? It can completely ruin the look of your bathroom, if not positioned strategically. You really need to rack up your brains to create a solution for the machine so that it can coexist peacefully in your elegant setup. So are you ready to dig up some innovative ideas for creating a storage space for your machine in your bathroom? Here are 6 ideas which are effortless, functional and ingenious to say the least…

A little innovation can create wonders. If you do not have any allocated space for your machines, you can do a simple cover-up with screens or decorative panels. Your bathroom will continue to look polished while your washing machine woes will be lost in no time at all. Cabinets are probably the oldest and most classy ways to keep your washing machines hidden. And once they are covered, they are out of sight which means that your bathroom will sport a tidy and neat look. Often covering up is not the best solution, as it is too complex to build cabinets, especially if your bathroom is small. If you cannot hide it, why not flaunt it? It is better to emphasize than to hide; and by installing a simple countertop, you can stack the machine in the bathroom. Why not use the waste water from the washing machines to flush your toilet? This is an eco-friendly solution for your water problems. By putting the washing machine on the toilet, you can save space and water both.

Building sliding doors

The best way to cover up the washing machine, if you want it out of your sight is by installing a sliding door or a decorative panel. Place your washing machine on that side of the wall, where the existing plumbing is stacked. This may be at the back of your bathroom. With a plumbing line at hand, the waste lines and the water supply are easily accessible. It also means that you can easily create seclusion by installing the sliding doors. The decorative screens or panels can work as great diversions, and because you will install sliding doors, they will be flexible. A closed door gives the impression of a closeted space. With a sliding door, you will have the space open. Choose a decorative panel which goes well with the rest of the decor. And if you want something artistic, you can custom-made a pair of lattice doors which will cover the vanity and the machine as well. You can utilize the bottom of the sink and use it for a dual purpose: vanity and storage space for the machine as well. To keep up with ambience, you can add wooden accents and a woven rug.

Built-solutions for washing machines

Built-in cabinets are the classic ways of keeping things tidy and neat. If you have a small washer, you can easily fit it into an in-built cabinetry. Bathroom cabinets, of course, make much more sense. Along with washing machine, you can store the rest of the cleaning supplies as well. And if you want to keep the cabinet separate and create a world of calm, you simply need to shut the doors. You literally shut the rest of the world and create a happy space for your soul. Do you want to stick to minimalism? You can create a big closet and store all the accessories related to the bathroom there. It is the best and easiest solution to do away with all the floating shelves, racks, curved hooks and looming cabinets. However, before you dedicate some space to the machine, you should check whether it is 3 inches deep to accommodate full-sized units.

Cover it up with curtains

Every problem has a simple solution, and for storing washing machines the easiest way would be to hang curtains and hide it all. The only thing that you need to take care of is the fabric. It should match the rest of the decor. So, if you are having tiles with floral designs, the curtain should be something similar to that line. For the techs, you can always utilize the most unassuming space; like the bottom of the sink. They are usually spacious and can easily fit machines. And the best thing is that you can easily hang a curtain to create a perfect enclosure.

Hide it in a bespoke shelf

Another great way to camouflage the washing machine is to create a bespoke shelf and place the machine below. The shelves can either have two or three tiers. The space designated for the machine is generally enough to accommodate techs of all sizes and shapes. Above the machine, one can have a foldout hamper for keeping the semi-dried clothes after they are being taken out of the washer. The top shelf of this unit is dedicated to detergents and other cleaning substances. The bespoke shelf is perfect for smaller bathrooms. If you are planning to add doors to the bespoke shelf, you can choose the same colour as your washer. In this way, it will not seem out of sync; rather it will give an impression of one continuous unit. If you are really pressed for space, you can also add some floating shelves to accommodate more items in this unit.

Putting up machines on a high shelf: exploring the vertical space

Although this sounds incredible and to some extent impossible, this can be a reality in a small bathroom where space is indeed a luxury. If there is a bespoke shelf, you might as well raise the tech to a higher level. The shelf should be hardy enough to carry the strength. But this is indeed a clever idea and is actually quite convenient because you do not need to bend to pick up the clothes. Also, if you have a washer and a dryer, you can easily accommodate on the top of the other. Some washing machines are designed in such an intelligent manner that they can actually double up as a toilet flush. This, of course, is one of the hi-tech solutions of keeping your washing machine on the top of your pot and use the waste water for the flush. For this, you need to contact your plumber and discuss the possibilities.

Incorporating a space-saving machine in your bathroom

Technology has made great advancements and it is time to adopt some of its boons. If you have a small family, you might as well go with a space-saving machine. A small machine is not only handy but can fit easily in any nook and corner of the toilet. If there are any intersections which you really want to cover up to create pleasing aesthetics, you can easily do so by installing two small doors and placing the machine inside. Just think how imaginatively functional it will be?

When you think of any space, the first thing that you need is imagination. If you can imagine it, you can build it too. For such drab realities like washing machines which we cannot do away with, you need some imagination. Think of the space you have, and how you can utilize it beautifully to accommodate techs. Possibilities are immense, you just need to take the plunge!

Imagine the home in 2020

1 minute washing machine
design by : jung hyun cho + Bo Ram,Hong from Korea

designer's own words:

In the future, more people will live by themselves and live on a busy life. I suggest a washing machine that finishes laundry in a minute. The basic design motive comes from the human ‘intestine’ (stomach, small intestine, and large intestine) that manages digestion of food. Corporate identity also is an important factor, so that I took ‘E’ from Electrolux as the design motive. When laundry is put in, it goes through a certain cycle like a relay-race and the washing completes. It is a no-soap washing machine that operates without harmful chemicals which pollutes the environment. Rather, it runs with water changed by electronic decomposition, breaks down protein, washes clothes with great water pressure, eliminates water with vacuum cleaner, and lastly disinfect with ultraviolet sterilizer. All of these processes completes within a minute. Lights appear as the clothes move around, and the ultraviolet wave leaks so that it adds on to the interior beauty of the house.

Engineers design way to recycle shower water into washing machines

Thatcher Michelsen October 10, 2012

Tired of hanging your laundry out to dry? The Washit, a concept washing machine from a team of Turkish designers, recycles shower water to cut down on energy consumption.

 

 

A new design from a team of Turkish engineers may prove to be a boon for both environmental advocates and procrastinators around the world. The concept appliance, known as the Washit, is a device that incorporates a shower stall and a washer-and-dryer system, with the former providing water for usage in the latter. Simply put, your clothes get washed while you wash yourself.
According to technology news website Gizmag, the Washit team recently received the 2012 Hansgrohe Prize for Efficient Water Design, which was awarded by the iF Concept Design Awards, an international program that celebrates and honors green-friendly creations.
The Washit utilizes a closed-water plumbing system that takes water from its internal drain and feeds it into a separate water tank. Three different filtration systems sluice the water through in order to remove any contaminants before it is sent to the laundry portion of the machine. UV radiation is employed during this process to kill off any bacteria or germs before the cleaning process begins.
But the Washit doesn't just wash the clothes – it dries them. In a bid to save energy consumption, the engineering team designed it so that the machine doubles as a dryer. That way, users could theoretically change back into their clothes once their shower is done. According to Gizmag, this means that the Washit could potentially be deployed in gyms, clubs and apartments that lack a washing appliance.
As of now, there are no official plans from the creators of the Washit to produce a commercial-scale version or even to market the current design. However, given the publicity surrounding the project, it's all but certain this idea will be a favorite for those who try to live a low-impact lifestyle.

Orbital Washing Machine

Washing clothes has never been so easy

With the incorporated basket you can load and unload the clothes in the washing machine as easy as 1, 2, 3. This isn’t the only innovative feature. The spherical drum is moving on two axes washing your clothes better than the old washing machines that use only one axe.
 

History of laundry - after 180

Washing clothes and household linen: 19th century laundry methods and equipment 

 

 

 The information here follows on from a page about the earlier history of laundry. Both parts offer an overview of the way clothes and household linen were washed in Europe, North America, and the English-speaking world, and are also a guide to the other laundry history pages on this website. The links take you to more detailed information and more pictures.
A tub of hot water, a washboard in a wooden frame with somewhere to rest the bar of laundry soap in pauses from scrubbing - this is a familiar image of how our great-grandmothers washed the laundry. It's not wrong, but it's only part of the picture. Factory-made washboards with metal or glass scrubbing surfaces certainly spread round the world in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and bars of soap were cheap and plentiful by the late 1800s, but there were other ways of tackling the laundry too.




In the idealised images of early advertising or today's nostalgia products, the washtub is on a stand near a bright, breezy clothesline, though in reality it may have been in a cramped kitchen or dark tenement courtyard, or by a tumbledown shack. Alternatives to the classic washboard and tub included dolly tubs (photo left) used with a dolly stick (aka peggy or maiden) in the UK and parts of northern Europe. These were tall tubs, also called possing- or maidening-tubs, in which large items were stirred and beaten with dollies or a plunger on a long handle.
Water could be heated in a large metal boiler or copper on a stove. A big pot boiling over an outdoor fire suited much of rural America. In urban areas there were public laundries: some with hot water and modern equipment, some much simpler and older, like the communal open-air sinks with a water supply in Italian cities. There were washing machines of a kind, but not many homes had them. Ideas from inventors working on washing machines helped improve the design of simple washboards and dollies. A plain wringer was the most common piece of home laundry machinery in 1900.




 There were huge changes in domestic life between 1800 and 1900. Soap, starch, and other aids to washing at home became more abundant and more varied. Washing once a week on Monday or "washday" became the established norm. As the Western world prospered, chemists, factory-owners and advertisers invented and sold more laundry ingredients to more homes. English-speaking countries saw riverside washing, laundry bats, intermittent "great washes", and the use of ashes and lye tail away. Later Victorians thought these methods were old-fashioned or quaint. English travellers sometimes described "foreign" laundry routines as very inferior to the "new" ones they expected of their servants at home.
An 1864 sketch (right) from the American Civil War shows two soldiers hard at work, with equipment old and new. One is using a bat on a washing bench, an almost-forgotten method that was hardly used by the next generation in the USA and UK, though it survived longer in some parts of Europe, along with communal washing by rivers and in washhouses. The other soldier's tub and washboard, though, stayed popular for many years to come. Washboards were also used without a tub; they could be carried to the riverside.





It may seem odd to say that using soap generously was a modern, "advanced" way of tackling dirty laundry, but in 1800 soap was used economically. It was mixed into hot water for the main wash, and extra might be used for spot stain treatment, but everyday linen might still be cleansed with ash lye. Some of the poorer people in Europe continued to wash their "ordinary" things with no soap or minimal soap. Laundry soap was often the cheap, soft, dark soap that was fairly easy to mix into hot water. Before the 19th century hard soap could be made at home by people who had plenty of ashes and fat, with warm, dry weather and salt to set the soap. If you bought it, you would buy a piece cut from a large block.
By the end of the century there were plenty of wrapped bars of commercial, branded laundry soap sold at moderate prices. To mix up a lather, you could grate flakes off the bar of soap, or even buy ready-made soap flakes in a box. Soap powder had been known for a few decades, and from about 1880 it was quite widely available. Developments in science, industry and commerce had a significant impact on household chores.

From the mid-nineteenth century, an overall increase in demand was one of the consequences of rising living standards. A growing concern for cleanliness, associated with health and with fashion in the form of whiteness for clothing items and linen, easily translated into widespread consumption, even as the low cost of soap, starch, and blue enabled their definition both as household necessities and as inputs to an expanding laundry industry.
Roy Church and Christine Clark, Product Development of Branded, Packaged Household Goods in Britain, 1870–1914, Enterprise & Society (Sep 2001)

 Other changes in the course of the century included factory-made metal tubs starting to replace wooden ones. Mass-produced tongs were more affordable and more likely to replace sticks for lifting wet washing. Clotheslines, pegs, and pins became more widespread. Home-made clothes pegs and indoor drying racks were copied and/or improved by manufacturers supplying hardware stores. Improvements in starch production led to a range of products with small differences, packaged differently, and aimed at different users. Laundry blue was no longer a mere ingredient in "blue starch". By the 1870s it was produced in an array of different formats with different packaging gimmicks: wrapped squares, balls, distinctive bags or bottles of liquid bluing. Tinted starches, dyes, and products for restoring faded black clothes while you laundered them were on sale at prices people with modest incomes could afford. Borax and washing soda were packaged under various names. Borax was even used as a brand name for soaps and starches, and promoted as a miracle all-purpose cleaning product.





There were laundry services aimed at the "middling" people too. While the upper classes went on employing washerwomen and/or general servants, there were various cheaper "send-out" laundry services in the later 19th century and early 20th, including laundries that brought both domestic laundry and linen from hotels etc. to a "hand-finished" standard. The simplest were wet wash (US) and bag wash (UK) arrangements where you sent off a bundle of dirty laundry to be washed elsewhere. Ironing was done at home at this bottom end of the market. In some places a mangle woman with a box mangle would charge pennies for pressing household linen and everyday clothing.