In this article, we will discuss if you can use a kitchen sink in the laundry. If you are thinking that your laundry area is the one room in your home that does not need a sink, you have to think twice because it could certainly benefit from having one. What kind of sink can you use? Is it okay to use a kitchen sink for the laundry area? Check out the rest of the article below for the answer and for more tips and information.
Can I use a kitchen sink in the laundry? You can use a kitchen or toilet sink in the laundry room. It is a good alternative to a laundry tub. If you do not have a large space, you can install a kitchen sink with a standard depth of approximately 200mm and pair it with a gooseneck. This will also provide a lot for buckets, soaps, and larger items.
Can you use a kitchen faucet in the laundry room? What is the best sink for the laundry room? How deep does a laundry sink need to be? What do you need a laundry sink for? We will answer these questions below. It is vital to choose the right laundry sink to have a well-designed and organized laundry area.
What is the Best Sink for a Laundry Room?
The best sink for the laundry room depends on one’s personal preference. You need to consider what you’re most likely to use the laundry sink for. Will you use the sink to hand wash delicates, washing your pets, soaking clothes and bedsheets? The difference between a laundry sink and a laundry tub is in their size.
A laundry tub is larger and deeper which is a good choice if you have a wide laundry area. Otherwise, it can be challenging to fit a large laundry tub into a small room. Generally, the larger the laundry sink is, the better. However, you first need to measure the space that you have so that you can decide on the best sink for your laundry room.
What is the Purpose of a Laundry Sink?
A laundry sink or also referred to as the utility sink is a rugged and large capacity sink that is primarily used for washing and soaking clothes. Moreover, it is used for washing items unrelated to clothing like paintbrushes, gardening tools, shoes, and even your pets. The laundry sink offers a lot of conveniences when it comes to doing laundry tasks. They are also useful for treating stains and hand washing clothes. Can you use the laundry sink to wash your hands? Check out this article titled, can you wash your hands in a utility sink for more information.
Can You Use a Kitchen Faucet in the Laundry Room?
You can use a kitchen faucet in the laundry room. However, kitchen and laundry faucets have different purposes and there are a few differences between them. Because design and style are considered when choosing kitchen faucets, these kinds of faucets are stylish, sleek, and more expensive. Kitchen faucets also have add-ons that you do not need in the laundry room like soap dispensers and sprayers.
If you have a spare kitchen faucet that you want to install into your laundry area, you need to measure the hole spread unless the faucet has a single-hole model. Take note that if the spread on the laundry sink is 4 inches, your 2 or 3 inches kitchen faucet will not work on it.
✅ Video – Laundry Room Sink Installation
House Doctor Ray shared the video below on YouTube. It demonstrates how to install a laundry washtub or slop sink. The easy step-by-step instructions can apply nearly in any floor cabinet or sink. Watch the video below for more information.
What do You Use a Laundry Sink For?
Laundry sinks are ideal for hand washing and pre-soaking of clothes, washing pets, cleaning shoes, and showering houseplants. They have many uses. A lot of people do not think about the benefits of having a sink in the laundry room. If you want to add a laundry room and haven’t thought about installing a sink, below are some of the advantages that you can consider.
Serve as Trap for Hair and Lint
Emptying the drain hose from the washing machine into the laundry sink easily filters out hair and fabric ink that washes off the clothes. Rather than having fabric and hair head toward the sewer pipe and cause clogging, you can use a laundry sink to serve as a trap. Ask your local plumber to install a model with wide sink strainer baskets like those in the kitchen sink. Bear in mind that without a filtration system, hair and lint can accumulate into the sewer pipe and can result in a sewer backup.
Pre-Soak and Hand Wash Clothes
Laundry sinks have water taps and at least one faucet which makes them a convenient place to soak stained and dirty clothes that can benefit from a brightening cleanser. Moreover, it provides a comfortable way to hand wash delicate items.
Washing Pets
Laundry sinks are also a convenient place to wash your pets. Usually, dog owners wash their pets in the bathtub. However, it can leave a hairy mess and a grungy bathtub ring that takes time to clean. The good thing about a laundry sink is that it can be wiped down using toilet paper, cloth, or paper towels without worrying too much about it being spotless.
Shower Houseplants
Another use of the laundry sink is to shower houseplants. Houseplants can benefit from a shower once in a while. If you don’t want to use the bathtub and worry about getting it dirty, you can use a laundry sink to shower your plants. You can attach a bath hose to the faucet and spray your plants.
Color Hair and Dye Clothing
If you are worried about coloring your hair in the bathroom because it might stain the sink, shower, and bath fixtures, you can color your hair at the laundry sink. Moreover, the laundry sink offers an area where you can dye old clothes. You can use a separate container to protect the laundry sink from stains and color.
Sink for Cleaning the Laundry Room
The washing machine’s detergent and fabric softener dispenser drawer can get grungy after many uses and you will need to clean them. The laundry sink provides a convenient and comfortable area to clean the laundry room. It offers an easy place where you can run water on cleaning rags and cloths to wipe down the laundry equipment. We have also shared this article that discusses the best material for a laundry room sink. You can check out the article for more information about the topic.
Does a Laundry Sink Need a Vent?
A laundry sink needs a vent. A sink requires a vent because the pressure put on the drainpipe when water flows down the pipe should be equalized. As a matter of fact, all plumbing fixture which includes the washing machines must be vented. Drains that do not have vents or are not properly vented can be sluggish, noisy, and release hazardous fumes. On the other hand, drains that are properly vented enable the P-trap to do its job which includes preventing sewer gases from escaping into your home.
How Deep Does a Laundry Sink Need to Be?
A laundry sink should be at least 15 inches deep to provide enough space for soaking items. Take note that laundry sinks are exposed in many activities, so the size and depth of the sink are important. You can find sinks that measures 10 inches to as much as 25 inches deep. They are usually available in square or rectangular shapes. We have also shared this article titled, how many gallons does a laundry sink hold? You can check out the article for more information about the topic.
Does a Utility Need a Sink?
It is ideal for a utility to have a sink. Sinks are useful when it comes to handling dirty jobs like scrubbing muddy shoes, washing pets, cleaning gardening tools, and many more. Sinks can also be used in cleaning trainers, paint trays, paint brushes, and other equipment. A utility room usually includes a washing machine, dryer, sink, storage for the clothes dryers, ironing board and iron, and extra storage for coats or shoes. You can also check out this article that we have written that discusses if you really need a laundry sink for more information and tips about the topic.
Can a Washer and Sink Share a Drain?
A washer can sink can share a drain with the use of a PVC Y-fitting. One arm of the PVC Y-fitting will attach to the horizontal flow of where the washer drain exits, the top of the fitting will attach to the venting pipe above, and the other arm of the fitting will attach to a pipe that runs from your utility sink drain. When joining a washing machine and laundry sink drain, you can use a single vent for both of them if they are close enough together. If they are far apart, you can connect their separate vents before tying them into the main vent stack. You can also check out this article that we have written titled, what is a laundry/utility sink pump? We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.
Can I Paint My Utility Sink?
You can paint your utility sink to match the design, theme, and color of your laundry room. For a concrete utility sink, you can spray Rust-Oleum paint on the pipes and base floor stand. Moreover, you can add a sprinkle effect for added detail and allow the paint to dry for 24 hours. Another kind of paint that you can use is Epoxy spray paint. Make sure to cover everything that surrounds the sink when you spray paint and do not forget to wear a mask and rubber gloves when painting.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed if you can use a kitchen sink in the laundry. We have learned that a kitchen or toilet sink is a good alternative to laundry sinks. On the other hand, you need to check the faucet that you are using on the sink because some kitchen faucets are not suitable for the laundry area. We hope that the information that we have shared has helped you learn more about laundry sinks. Thank you for reading!