SFGate

Simon In reality, I keep the door of the Wmachine open to help keeping it dry and smell better. With bifold door, I don't have much space for this... I'm wondering why front loading exist!!

onthefence My understanding is that the door to a front loader doesn't have to be left all the way open - just not shut and latched. Because they're built to be so water tight, when they're shut there is no air movement and mildew can grow.

We leave ours open as well but it's really only open about 1/2 inch or so.

olldcan I don't like stacking at all just too high. Ideally, ground floor laundry room not laundry closet, side by sides.

feeny I currently have a basement laundry room, and even with a laundry chute with openings on all the floors above, it is a pain to trudge back up the basement stairs with the baskets full of clean laundry. So if I had the space I would certainly choose a first floor laundry, even if it had less room.

suuzee Ground floor has been the rage for many years now for convenience, moved from the basement of the 80's. However, my laundry was ALWAYS a working room, never done, and really not pleasant to look at in our foyers of three houses thus far. Just building a new house and putting it back in the basement! Very excited--I don't mind the exercise, and will be building a cool pantry in the foyer now.

charro534 I say the closest to the bed rooms. It is fine to have basement laundry rooms when you are young but when you get older going downstairs will be a pain, literally.

designideas4me This is a personal choice based on the style of your house................. no basements in california ( that I know of). Many single story houses too. If you have health issues walking up and down stairs may be an issue.

onthefence Many California houses are split level though with the laundry on the bottom floor and all bedrooms on the 2nd level. Similar to a basement IMO...you're still lugging baskets of laundry up and down stairs.

99sv Going up/down the basement to do the laundry gets old quick!! (No matter how nice or how much space is there.) You're bound to forget a load in the wash and find it smelling in the washer the next time you go down. lol
Stacking machines are fine! and worth not going down the basement. You'll probably keep the bi-fold door open all the time anyway and only shut when people come over.

Judy M I would say consider: Your age, the number of occupants in the home (more people, more laundry).
How neat you are ( usually the area outside folding door closet laundry is in hallway or kitchen etc and excessive laundry is on floor etc). Condition of the basement stairs, (narrow, open back with flimsy handrail?)

I have a small but verry efficient laundry room on main level of a 2 story plus basement home and I love it. I can close the door if need be. I have a shelving unit in one corner for storing odd items and part of it has a hanging bar so i can hang shirts etc. as they come out of dryer. Even as I age, I still like the first floor location, as that is where I spend most of my time, so it eiliminates trips to switch loads from washer to dryer.

saraj11357 I would agree with the main floor, the basement idea is good if your young but when u get older the up and down basement stairs can be rough on knees and back!

kimdee24 I bought this house specifically so I could have main floor laundry. My trashed knees couldn't handle three flights of stairs with a laundry basket anymore. That said, I'm not a fan of stacking w/d. I'm too short to see the controls on the top machine.

Terri Williams I vote for a laundry room on the first floor, or if it is a home with bedrooms above first, a laundry room near them is ideal. Instead of a clothes line consider a collapsible drying rack, or a drying rack that hangs on a wall and pushes flat when not in use.

Manon Floreat Having had both, I prefer laundry on the main floor - in the utility room. When the laundry was in the basement, it never failed that a sock, napkin or washcloth would end up falling out of the basket as I traipsed up and down the stairs. It still happens, but at least I don't have to go down the basement stairs to hunt for it.