Make the most of your European laundry

Buying the right appliances is crucial to operating your European laundry. The size, stability and noisiness of your laundry cupboard, washer and tumble dryer can mean the difference between a dream run and a nightmare one. And it doesn't stop there. Moisture from the dryer and water leaks can damage flooring and cabinetry, and lead to peeling paint and mildew.  

"Space is obviously the number one consideration, given we're talking about a laundry cupboard," says Daniel Bobik, product manager at Bosch. However, space and capacity go hand in hand, so you need a good-quality washer and dryer that are efficient in both. Front loaders generally fit the bill, Daniel says, and also enable the machines to be stacked on top of each other with a purpose-built stacking kit. Washing machines and dryers generally measure about 600mm wide by 600mm deep, with varying heights. However, you also need to allow space for taps, which might be directly behind the machines, and hoses. Appliance measurements can vary according to brand and capacity, while combined washer-dryers can be bigger than individual machines of a similar capacity. Whichever appliances you choose, check the measurements carefully and ensure they include the handle, otherwise you could be left short.

Stability, noise and moisture also need consideration. Top-quality appliances usually have an automatic stabilisation system that uses counterweights to stop them shaking after the first few spins, causing damage to the laundry cupboard. But noise is a trickier proposition, particularly if your laundry cupboard is in the open-plan kitchen/meals/family area. There's no Australian standard for noise measurement, so Daniel recommends consumers ask stores to run washing machines at their fastest spin cycles to assess noise levels. Some stores will even let you take in a load of dirty washing to give it the once over, he says.

Leaks and steam are other areas of concern in a laundry cupboard, but they're easily navigated. Flood protection devices can be fitted on to the water inlet of some washers, so water is blocked automatically when a hose leaks. These are particularly handy for European laundries, where leaks might be hidden behind the machine and not easily detected. "Water won't generally leak from under the machine and if it does, the machine will pick it up internally and pump it out," Daniel says. He recommends installing a condenser dryer in your laundry cupboard to eliminate moisture from the air and the need for costly external venting. As their name suggests, condenser dryers convert steam from wet clothes into water, which is then stored in a container or immediately drained. "Otherwise, if the moisture is released into the air it peels paint and causes mildew and mould," he says. "Condenser dryers are a little bit more expensive, but as more and more are being sold, they're coming down in price."