There’s nothing like the smell of fresh laundry—clean, warm, and fuzzy. Although everyone loves having clean clothes, not everyone enjoys doing laundry. Getting clean can be fun and rewarding, but depending on the size of your family, it could be time consuming and exhausting as well. Each load requires bending down several times to insert and remove the laundry from the washer and drier, detergent and fabric softener has to be measured, and clean laundry has to be folded, not to mention putting it away! All that work is tedious and strenuous. Considering that the average family does almost 400 loads per year in their clothes washer, that’s hours of bending down, folding, and measuring! Anyone looking to purchase a new washer and drier or planning on renovating the laundry room might want to consider a few laundry accessories to help make their laundry experience more relaxing, efficient and enjoyable. We’ve done the research for you to help you to purchase the laundry accessories that are right for you and your family.

Whirlpool Duet Sport washer/dryer laundry pair on 10 inch pedestals, with work surface and laundry towers.

Laundry Pedestals
One of the most popular laundry accessories is a set of laundry pedestals. Laundry pedestals help to raise washer and driers so that you don’t need to bend down to insert or remove a load. Especially when it comes to front loader washing machines, where the door opens close to the ground, a pedestal can be a very valuable investment. Pedestals can also be used with driers, almost all of which open in the front. Laundry pedestals elevate washer and drier units from 8 to 15 inches off the ground, making it easy to use without straining your back with substantial bending. Trust us,your back will thank you! Pedestals are available in a variety of different heights and finishes and are built of sturdy metal to support heavy clothes washers. Generally, pedestals are not interchangeable and must be purchased from the same manufacturer as the washing machine. Although a washing machine can be elevated on a custom made wooden or cinder block platform for considerably cheaper, it is not usually recommended unless built by an expert craftsman. Since front loading machines direct their energy into the ground and result in a lot of shaking, it may weaken a homemade support overtime leading to a hazardous situation. Furthermore, pedestals are esthetically pleasing, built by the major brand names to match the washing machine finish.

According to the well-respected retailers in the New York/New England region with whom we were in contact, most customers today do indeed purchase pedestals and are thrilled that they did. It should however be noted, that when using a pedestal, it is no longer possible to stack a drier on top of a front loader clothes washer—an important point to consider for anyone seeking to conserve floor space. Nonetheless, pedestals are also space efficient, possessing a small built in storage area. Purchasers of compact pedestals, which are usually eight or nine inches in height, are sometimes disappointed to discover that the actual storage space is smaller than required and can only hold a large detergent container when the bottle is slanted.

GE Profile Frontload SmartDispense™ Pedestal

For someone seeking even more comfort than is afforded by a run of the mill laundry pedestal, GE makes the deluxe Smart Dispense Pedestal, that comes equipped with built in detergent and fabric softener dispensers. Three built in canisters hold up to a six months supply worth of liquid detergent and softener. Just adjust dials to select the type of fabric, the size of the load, the dirt level, and the hardness of the water and the matching washer will add the right amount of soap automatically. It doesn’t get easier than that!

Laundry Hoses
Although most new washers come with their own rubber laundry hoses, we strongly suggest the purchase of a stainless steel braided hose. A good quality stainless steel hose should only set you back between $25 and $50 and will insure you never have to worry about a hose breaking.  A metal hose is many times stronger than required and will not burst under normal circumstances. Rubber hoses, on the other hand, expand and contract as the washing machine switches between different portions of its cycle. This fatigue will eventually lead to failure and, you guessed it, a flooded wash room. Take it from us, save yourself the potential headache and go for the stainless steel hose.  Your wallet will thank you in the long run.

If you do decide to use rubber hoses, make sure to replace the hoses every two or three years – it’s much cheaper than dealing with the aftermath of a broken hose.

Stacking Kits
Another popular laundry accessory is a stacking kit for front loading washing machines. One of the main advantages of a front load washer over a top loader is that a drier can be stacked on top of a front loader, saving valuable floor space for anyone seeking to store their laundry units in a small closet or in a kitchen. To do so safely, requires purchasing a stacking kit to securely attach the drier to the top of the washer. The kit consists of a metal plate, brackets and screws for easy home assembly that sells for as low as $20. A more expensive model that goes for around $70 comes with a built in sliding tray for folding laundry.

Shoe Racks
A slightly less popular but nevertheless very handy laundry accessory is a shoe rack. Typically made of coated metal or plastic, its function is to prevent shoes from clanking around in the drier. It is inexpensive, selling for around $29 a piece making it a good choice for anyone who owns a pair of washable shoes.

Whirlpool Work Surface

Work Station
Anyone who wants to optimize their washer and drier counter spaces should take the time to check out a Work Station by Whirlpool. The work station is essentially a 5-foot wide seamless metal counter that rests atop a side-by-side washer/drier unifying the surface area for maximum efficiency, eliminating the annoying gap between units where laundry might fall. It provides you with a scratch and chemical resistant mat to manage all your laundry needs while providing ample room for sorting, folding and treating laundry.

Laundry Towers
If laundry pedestals are not quite your thing, consider a laundry tower instead. Built to match the height of a washer or drier that rests on the ground (as opposed to a pedestal), laundry towers provide a practical shelf space for detergents, fabric softeners, bleach and stain removers and will look great next to the washing machine. Laundry towers are often overlooked in favor of pedestals. Indeed, most retailers we interviewed reported never having made a single Laundry Tower sale, Customers looking to save a few dollars can do so by purchasing an inexpensive shelf cabinet from a hardware store instead.  Keep in mind, however, that a laundry tower will match the finish of your appliances and will have a more professional appearance.

Summary
It feels good to get clean—that’s why people sing in the shower. We hope that these tips will help to make your laundry experience more comfortable and enjoyable so that you can sing when doing laundry as well!

Popularity: 49%