Keeping our clothes and other necessary fabric clean is a matter of utmost importance and therefore, having a laundry room with the necessary components is the key to the good health of a fabric.
Since washing is a major part of cleaning fabric, access to water to the laundry room is needed. This article explores the necessity of a sink in your laundry room.
Sink in laundry room:
Since washing our clothes and other fabric accessories are an integral step in the laundry room, having a sink there would be much more beneficial and efficient. A utility sink is a very important fixture in the laundry room since it offers many benefits besides convenience.
A laundry sink is similar to regular bathroom sinks but are much wider and larger in depth. Their increased capacity is to accommodate washing of large items. Due to their multi-functionality, they are also often referred to as utility sinks.
Many homeowners find these utility sinks to be useful for washing clothes, fabric items and other washable items in the laundry room, therefore they often look for houses with large laundry rooms or rooms with pre-installed utility sinks.
You need to have a laundry sink in your laundry room in order to soak clothes, hand wash them and clean other fabric items that require manual washing. They are also used to wash non-fabric items as well such as paintbrushes, pots and glasswares.
You might think that utility sinks are limited to the convenience and use of ordinary bathroom or kitchen sinks, but they provide much greater functionalities which have been described below:
Wash large Items:
Sometimes you would need to wash large pieces of clothing or large objects made of fabric which cannot be washed by regular means in a washing machine.
These items need to be manually washed and that’s where the utility sink comes in handy – it is larger and wider than bathroom or kitchen sinks, therefore it has the capacity to accommodate large clothing or items that you need to wash.
Normally people tend to wash those items in the bathroom sink but since they are too small for washing large items, it becomes a hassle and an inconvenience to wash them and makes it a difficult and time consuming process.
Prevents additional mess:
Washing machines are often subject to debris buildups which causes you to clean your washing machine frequently or in worse cases, causes mechanical failure which requires an electrician to fix it.
These problems occur when washing mud, pet hair or other debris stuck in the clothes – if those are not disposed properly, they end up stuck in the washing machine.
A utility sink in the laundry room can be used to rinse off those mud, pet hair or other debris from your dirty clothes before putting them into the washing machine.
This will not only ensure your clothes are properly cleaned but will also ensure that the drainage lines in your washing machine are not clogged.
Hand-washing delicate fabrics:
There are several types of clothes and fabric that are not washing machine friendly and require delicate care when washing. In those cases, you can use the utility sink to manually wash those clothes.
Another use of the sink could be to remove stains that cannot be removed by usual means or by washing them with the washing machine.
Soaking clothes and other items:
You may need to soak some clothes in water in order to remove old and dried stains which cannot be removed by just rinsing with water. That is when the utility sink comes in handy, you can soak your clothes in the utility sink for several hours before you wash them.
You could do this on bathroom or kitchen sinks as well but they would occupy the sink and render them unusable until you take the clothes out to wash them.
Laundry room without sink:
Although having a utility sink in the laundry room can add much convenience to your life, having them isn’t necessary and in many cases it could cause more problems than benefits.
Having a sink in your laundry room would take up a significant portion of the room space since the sink is wider and deeper than ordinary sinks – so if your laundry room is not spacious, it is best to not get a sink.
And if your laundry tends to pile up, having a sink would make it more messy and unorganized since you would end up piling your clothes in the sink rather than washing them as soon as possible.
This would give rise to hygiene risks as well since debris from those clothes would build up with the water in the sink and create an optimal condition for bacteria and mold growth.
Finance is another matter to consider in this case because installing a sink has many additional costs apart from the sink itself.
Such as the cost of installing an additional water line to the sink as well as connecting the drain line from the sink to the main drain line, not to mention the cost of hiring a plumber.
How to choose a perfect sink for your laundry room?
Sinks come in various shapes, sizes and styles – and it is important that you choose the perfect sink that fits your laundry room. However, there are several aspects to consider before getting your sink and those are discussed below:
Type:
There are various types of sinks for the laundry room such as Drop-in, Undermount, Wall-mounted and Floor-standing.
Drop-in type:
Drop-in type fits into the cavity cut onto the countertop with the basin lying below the counter while the rim is exposed above. They are commonly used for their compatibility and ease of installation.
Undermount types:
Undermount types are installed completely below the counter unlike Drop-in types and thus the countertop covers the sink fully. This type is popular for being low maintenance and easy to clean.
These types often come with covers to close them when not in use.
Wall-mounted and floor-standing types:
Wall-mounted and floor-standing types are installed as standalone sinks in contrast to other types of sinks, the advantage to this is that it does not make the countertop messy or dirty after use unlike the others.
Material:
The material of the sink needs to match the theme of the laundry room, otherwise it would look out-of-place and ugly.
Ceramic:
Ceramic sinks have a non-porous surface and are also resistant to stains. Besides that, they are shiny and easy to clean – making them easy to maintain in their top shape for years.
Stainless steel:
Stainless steel is the classic material for sinks since they are easy to clean and are stylish – adding an eye-pleasing atmosphere to your laundry room. However, they tend to be loud when splashed with water.
Acrylic:
Acrylic sinks are lightweight and durable sinks while having high resistance to stains. But they tend to make loud noises when splashed with water, similar to stainless steel sinks and they have low resistance to heat.
Porcelain:
Lastly, porcelain is a timeless classic due to its shininess and beauty which has both the ease of cleanliness and appearance to fit your laundry room.
Size:
You should choose the size of the sink depending on the size of your laundry room as well as your usage volume.
21 and 22 Inches:
21 and 22 Inches are the smallest sizes, most suitable for homes with small laundry rooms. They are usually undermount or drop-in styles that come in rectangular shapes.
25 Inches:
25 Inches is the size that fits in the middle ground between the largest and smallest sizes. They are commonly found in wall-mount and drop-in styles.
31 and 35 Inches:
31 and 35 Inches are the larger sinks which are suitable for larger laundry rooms. This size sinks have more variations available made of different materials. They come in drop-in, undermount and wall-mount styles.
Placement:
The sinks should be placed near your work area close to the washer and near water and drain lines. However, you shouldn’t compromise your laundry room’s beauty as well thus place it where it has the best fit.
Cost to install utility sink in the laundry room:
Installing a utility sink is not a cheap process and has several additional costs apart from the cost of the sink itself.
To give off a rough estimate for overall cost, the laundry sink would cost between $269 to $589. The labor cost for the installation would cost $350 to $425, adjusting water and drain lines would cost around $31 to $36.
Therefore, the overall cost for the installation of a utility sink in your laundry room would be $650 to $1,049.
Final thoughts
Having a sink in the laundry room would be much more useful and effective because washing our clothes and other fabric accessories with water is a necessary step. The laundry room needs a utility sink since it provides various advantages in addition to convenience.