{laundries} transform love your laundry Program your laundry space to save time, eliminate stress and make wash-day chores a breeze WORDS AnnA Koorey WhEn yOu consider how much time you spend washing, drying lwell a and ironing, it makes sense to create a laundry that’s as user-friendly as sw possible. With a little careful planning, you can streamline your space k E r E to maximise its efficiency – whatever its size. Start by creating task- oriented zones: washing, drying, ironing and folding. “For a laundry to function and flow it’s important to reassess everything in the space – if graphy d it doesn’t belong there, move it!” says Tanya Lewis of Eco Organiser. > oto ph homebeautiful.com.au {OCTOBER 2012} 181 shopping shopping ‘WH70F60WV1’ 4.5-star WELS- rated, 3-star ERL-rated washing machine, $909, Fisher & Paykel. ‘WD14030FD6’ 4.5-star ‘T 8000 WP Supertronic Heat WELS-rated, 4-star (washer) Pump’ 6-star ERL-rated 7kg dryer, & 1.5-star (dryer) ERL-rated $4699, Miele, miele.com.au. steam washer/dryer, $1999, LG. ‘Mulig’ laundry bag with stand, $24.99, Ikea. ‘Portis’ drying rack, $49.95, Ikea. ‘WF1104XAC’ wash wisely 4.5-star WELS- rated, 4-star ERL-rated 10kg ‘HDY-C70’ front load washer, Front loading washing machines are generally 1.5-star $1999, Samsung. more energy-efficient than top loaders, and Doing the dirty ERL-rated 7kg can be neatly tucked under a benchtop or a a mounting pile of grubby clothes is the condenser dryer can be hung above. “a 600mm washer is bane of laundries everywhere, but a few dryer, $749, usually 6.5kg-7kg capacity, which is perfect for simple tricks will have the space spick and Haier. an average family household,” says anna span. a compartmentalised hamper allows duncan, product manager for Fisher & paykel. you to sort colours, whites and delicates dry efficiently Washing large loads is most efficient, so buy the as you go – if you don’t have room for side-by- biggest machine you can fit in. If space is tight, side hampers, opt for a three-drawer unit, Technology simply cannot better the warm- the laundry. Fold-away clothes airers are ideal try a combined washer/dryer – Lg’s latest such as the ‘polo’ from Freedom, or stackable for drying underwear and can be moved to model has a huge 8.5kg washing capacity. boxes. Built-in pull-out drawers eliminate the from-the-sun freshness of line-drying outdoors. n, ‘DC7573’ ll The hills hoist first graced the aussie backyard catch the sun – look for one that fits inside the a need for a bulky basket altogether. sso drying W in 1945 and now comes in a range of sizes, shapes shower if your bathroom doubles as a laundry. g keep laundry powder and liquids within I cabinet, han O ‘Polo’ 3-drawer unit, $79.95, ra and colours. But the reality is, busy schedules j $1999, Asko, reach of the washing machine and sink and C Highly rated ) ic Freedom, freedom.com.au. E r and rainy days mean other options are often asko.com.au. pay heed to water and energy ratings when buying position according to how often you use each T pag All things electric /pa S a new machine – the water efficiency labelling product. howards Storage World stocks easy- is required. To avoid a towering pile of washing, r h If you need to dry your clothes in an instant, T io look to a combination of indoor rails and a dryer. and standards (WELS) scheme rates machines build ‘Elfa’ shelving units that can be custom-fit r r, ( look for a tumble dryer with a high energy star E te v from one to six stars, as does the energy rating n to your space and storage requirements, then I rating. The latest dryers come equipped with co label (ErL): the higher the rating, the more kitted out with detachable baskets and boxes d GAP technology to minimise creasing, such as the ) efficient the appliance. “Some water-efficient to keep bottles tidy. The space under the sink Re rr/ Inside story Miele ‘T 8000 Wp Supertronic heat pump’ E left , washers are very energy inefficient. Some will is another storage hot spot: keep it organised h Indoors, hanging rails within cabinetry and wall dryer. There are also models designed for have great water efficiency, but only 2.5 energy by installing shelves around the plumbing eff /j osite or ceiling-mounted drying racks are a blessing laundries with little to no ventilation, such as pp stars,” says anna. “The price of power is with a product such as the 46-81cm expandable ot O h during winter. If space allows, fix a drying rack the ‘Condenser’ dryer from haier, with a drain- increasing and an efficient washer may cost you under-sink shelf ($49.95) from howards Storage directly above your dryer to make the most of away hose and tank to store condensation. less in the long run.” Look for programmable World, but if you’re storing products down low, ‘WAY32540AU’ 5-star WELS-rated, otos graphy ( the heat that rises from the machine during a an alternative is the electronic drying cabinet: ) ph time settings; run it while you sleep as this is ensure you install a child lock to keep the 4-star ERL-rated 8kg front load T cycle. a retractable clothesline that extends is the asko model dries delicate and large items not Hills 4-line extendable clothesline, oto gh I usually off-peak and can reduce your power bill. ph contents away from little hands. washing machine, $2349, Bosch. (r another way to keep drying clothes contained in suitable for tumble drying in under two hours. > $177, Masters, masters.com.au. 182 {OCTOBER 2012} homebeautiful.com.au shopping ‘Solus Digital Resilium SR7000’ iron, $129, Sunbeam. ‘Raindrop’ iron board cover, $29.95, Mozi. ‘Willow’ baskets, $45/set of 4, Masters. iron and fold with ease ‘PerfectCare’ steam system, $629.95, Philips. Ironing will be less of a chore if you create a table to the wall. asko’s ‘hidden helpers’ range dedicated ironing and folding zone. Be sure to of laundry systems includes a thin pull-out allocate plenty of benchspace for folding, and shelf that can be positioned below the washing include a stereo or small television or favourite machine or dryer to provide a platform for artwork. If you don’t have space for a special unloading clothes. It slides into cabinetry nook, keep the ironing board and iron, clothes or between appliances when not in use. hangers and baskets for unironed and ironed clothes within easy reach of each other. ‘Jall’ table ironing Iron clad board, $9.99, Ikea. assign a spot for the iron where it won’t Space race come into contact with water and position the an over-the-door ironing board holder within ironing board close to a powerpoint so there’s S the laundry cupboard saves on space, as do less chance of the cord catching and pulling n table ironing boards. Check out hettich’s the iron onto the floor. Iron technology has ow ‘WingLine’ range for inconspicuous laundry improved in leaps and bounds – the philips hn d O storage options, such as pull-out ironing ‘perfectCare’ steam system offers a boards. If you don’t have room for a professional steam press tested by Woolmark workbench, consider fixing a narrow fold-out that’s suitable on silk and wool. graphy j Floral fabric boxes, oto $24.98/set of 3, Masters. ph 184 {OCTOBER 2012} homebeautiful.com.au.