How to Relocate a Laundry Room to the Basement

Design and Layout

• 1

  Call a contractor first to assess whether you have proper ventilation and hookup to both a water and power supply in your basement. In some instances, you may need building approval to install a vent in your exterior wall or make changes to your plumbing.

• 2

  Once reviewed and approved, check the dimensions of your basement with measuring tape. Your basement must be able to accommodate a washer and dryer, as well as a shelving unit, garment rack and folding table.

• 3

  Position the washer and dryer side-by-side in the basement, close enough to an exterior wall for ventilation.

• 4

  Insert a lumber base or grate underneath the washer and dryer. The slight elevation will protect the appliances from dampness or possible flooding, which is common in most basements.

• 5

  Move the metal shelving unit to the left of the washer and the long table to the right of the dryer.

• 6

  Keep a trash bin close to the dryer for collecting lint. If you have small children, hang a garbage bag from an adhesive hook on the exterior wall.

Organization and Storage

• 7

  Place all stain removers, detergents and bleaches on the metal shelving unit. Keep these items high enough where small children cannot reach, but is still handy when loading the washer.

• 8

  Tie a garment bag to the shelving unit to separate the dry-cleaning from the regular wash.

• 9

  Store a rolling three-bin sorter underneath the long table. The sorter allows you to separate your laundry into brights, whites and darks. And most importantly, it prevents you from having to sort laundry on the basement floor.

• 10

  Store newly laundered clothes on the table or use it later for folding.

• 11

  Place the rolling garment rack near the table or in an empty space in your new laundry room. The rack permits you to hang wet clothes too delicate to be placed in the dryer. Remove spare hangers from your closets to keep on the garment rack.

• 12

  Relocate the ironing board next to the table if extra outlet space for an iron is available. This allows you to iron as soon as the clothes finish drying. It is also possible to set your ironed clothes on the garment rack before transporting upstairs.