Is a Second Floor Laundry Room For You?

To begin, there are many perks to having your laundry room on the second floor of your home. If you are currently living with someone elderly, someone handicapped or someone with chronic pain, then having a washer and dryer available around the corner is extremely helpful. Skipping the classic basement stairs and the long hamper haul will reduce stress in the body and prevent further injury. Concerning carrying heavy loads, larger families with children often have a lot more laundry to do every week too. And most laundry often originates in the bedroom, as this is where you keep your clothing and strip your bed sheets.

By having the laundry room so close to the bedrooms, you’ll be able to take fewer trips back and forth. You may not even need a hamper in the bedroom anymore, as you can just take your clothes or towels to the laundry room immediately. Say goodbye to the days of throwing dirty outfits on the floor. The convenience of an upstairs location will promote laundry organization, save everybody time and make your cleaning routine easier.

Just as there are pros to building a laundry room on the second floor, there are also cons to consider. First, note what type of washer and dryer you'd like to use. While all washers are electric, dryers are powered by either gas or electricity. Both resources have their own requirements for your unit to work properly. For example, if you opt for a gas dryer, you will need a gas line running upstairs. This is possible to accomplish, although it will add additional cost and labor to the project if you don’t already have a line. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an electric dryer, these appliances require a specialized plug to operate. While gas dryers only need a standard outlet and a 120-volt circuit cord, electric dryers need connections that can support 240-volt, 30-amp circuits.

If you have an older home, your floors may or may not be structurally able to support the weight of the appliances or handle the spin cycles. This can result in your appliance “walking” or moving as you run your load. Laundry appliances also make noise, which is something to consider if your sleeping quarters are nearby. These units also create heat as they run. Because of this heat, your upstairs may end up hotter than usual in the summer months. And if you run your A/C to combat this, you can expect higher utility bills. And while this is a worst-case scenario, homeowners should also prepare themselves for the possibility of appliance flooding. If your washer ends up breaking and leaking, the water damage will not only affect the floor but the ceilings and walls of the room below, too. 

There’s no reason you can’t purchase and install a standard appliance pair in your second floor laundry room. But you may also wish to save more space, so your machines don’t feel like they’re overwhelming your bedroom or another upstairs living area. If that’s the case, we recommend either stacked washer-dryer units or washer-dryer combo units. Yes, there are some individual washers and dryers that you can stack on top of one another, but stacked washer-dryer units do the hard work for you by permanently attaching the two. Modern stacked units typically feature front-loading appliances and they come in various color finishes so they can fit into nearly any aesthetic.

Another route you can take is a washer-dryer combo unit. These appliances have the appearance of a front-loading washing machine, but there’s more there than what meets the eye. They’re also equipped with a built-in ventless dryer, which uses either a heat pump or a condenser to complete your laundry. With this one appliance, you can both wash and dry your clothes in a single session. Yes, combo units can take longer to complete the job and they typically offer less capacity. But in turn, they make up for this with convenience and a compact design.

The Electrolux 600 Series laundry tower offers a 4.5 cubic foot capacity in the washer and an 8.0 cubic foot capacity in the dryer. Feel free to wash and dry large loads of clothing or even king-sized comforters without struggle. This machine uses SmartBoost® technology to premix detergent and water before the cycle even begins, which maximizes the cleaning power of the appliance. Upon starting a wash cycle, Electrolux’s Perfect Steam™ will rise from the bottom and lift stains and dirt from the fibers. With help from the LuxCare Dry System, all humidity will be detected by the machine so it can provide a more precise drying while also protecting your items. The best part is that the unit is ENERGY STAR Certified, which means its operation is as energy-efficient as possible. Here are some helpful settings, cycles and levels that are available on this Electrolux model:

The Samsung Bespoke AI laundry combo offers 5.3 cubic feet of capacity and can deliver a powerful cleaning in just 98 minutes. The Flex Auto Dispense System can automatically dispense your detergent for you too. Feel free to choose from either 47 detergent loads or 25 detergent loads paired with 34 loads of softener. The machine comes with a 7-inch AI Home LCD display, so you’re always a fingertip away from all your favorite settings and cycles. You can also control your laundry appliance via voice assistance or the Samsung SmartThings app.

On the app, you can also remotely delay, start and stop your loads or view end-of-cycle notifications. Dryer owners know one of the most important tasks to complete after using their appliance is cleaning the lint. This model has an Auto Cleaning System that does the job for you, so you can spend less time on maintenance and more time enjoying yourself. This Samsung machine is also ENERGY STAR Certified, just like our other recommendation. Here are some helpful settings, cycles and levels that are available on our Samsung pick:

Now that the appliance options have been laid out, as well as the pros and cons, all that’s left to do is decide where your laundry room truly belongs. Should you stick to the standard first-floor laundry room? Or should you switch things up and try out a modern second floor laundry room? The decision relies on the space you already have, the type of appliances you want and how much you’re willing to invest in possible home upgrades to support these appliances. No matter which you choose, Abt is bound to have the perfect models for your new laundry room. If you’re looking for more advanced washer and dryer recommendations, check out our best units of 2024. Additionally, if you’re a first-time appliance shopper looking for more general information, reference our washing machine buying guide or read through our dryer buying guide.