The pros and cons of a sink over a washing machine

Small bathrooms are a major problem in many Soviet and Russian apartments. This often necessitates creative solutions for organizing the space. A sink over the washing machine is one of the most common solutions for limited bathroom space, allowing you to save up to one square meter. Let's take a closer look at this option, discovering whether it's truly worthwhile, whether it has any serious downsides, and what common stereotypes surround it.

The main advantages of this arrangement of the sink and the washing machine

Without further ado, let's dive right into the pros and cons of placing a sink over a washing machine. Fortunately, there are quite a few. Often, the advantages of this placement don't significantly outweigh the disadvantages, but the positives often outweigh the negatives. According to statistics, approximately half of small apartment owners install a sink above the washing machine in order to use the available space more efficiently. Why do they do this?

The most basic, yet most important, aspect is saving space. Installing a sink over the washing machine allows you to conserve usable space, which is especially important for small studio apartments with tiny bathrooms.
This installation eliminates the need for additional plumbing, as the sink drains through a special siphon, which is often included with new sinks. Therefore, everything needed for connection is included with the purchase.
This solution allows you to add style to your bathroom, as the appliances will be hidden behind a beautiful decorative panel, which will clearly look much more attractive in the interior than regular appliances.
This will prevent large equipment from obstructing the hallway or kitchen, which is especially important for small spaces where there is no room for extra devices.

Installing a washing machine in the bathroom is very practical, as it is often where dirty laundry is stored.

That's where the advantages end. As you can see, there are enough to spare you from even considering other appliance placement options. However, we still recommend first examining the disadvantages of installing a sink over a washing machine.

Why don't people want to place the sink and washing machine like this?

Installing a washing machine in a small space is usually a no-brainer, but several factors can still prevent you from doing so. Here's a list of the disadvantages.

The height of the sink, under which the appliances are built, is approximately 10 centimeters higher than standard. This isn't a significant difference, especially for tall people, but it can be a problem for shorter people and children. However, even in this situation, the height rarely exceeds much more than 94 centimeters, so all users quickly get used to it.
This solution may compromise the maximum load capacity, as such built-in machines can only hold between 3 and 8 kilograms of dirty laundry at a time. This is due to the machine being installed under the sink, with a depth of up to 50 centimeters.

Most often, a sink is installed over a washing machine with a 5 kilogram load.

A shallow sink, which is the only option to reduce the height of the vanity unit, can cause excessive splashing. Therefore, you'll either have to sacrifice some height or install a sink with minimal depth, such as the Aqua Symphony Solo Jazz, which is only 8 centimeters tall and has an internal depth of 7 centimeters. Before purchasing a sink, be sure to read customer reviews to determine how well it drains, whether it has a good slope, and whether it's prone to splashing.
Lack of legroom under the sink is perhaps the most surprising complaint, as not everyone needs the space under the sink, much less for their feet. Users often stand 10 centimeters from the sink, so there's plenty of room to place their feet in front of it, wash their hands, brush their teeth, or perform other hygiene procedures. If you're still concerned about space, you can simply get a larger sink and push the washing machine back a bit. It's not very aesthetically pleasing, but it will keep your feet out of the way.
Finally, it's worth noting the mounting requirements. A sink over a washing machine should be installed not on the machine itself, but on special brackets. Therefore, it's important that the wall be very strong and not collapse under the sink's heavy weight. This is especially true for homes with drywall walls. However, even in this case, there are solutions available—for example, purchasing lightweight Marka 1 sinks.

That concludes the list of disadvantages. As we stated initially, the advantages of this type of space organization are obvious and outweigh any disadvantages, especially the rather questionable ones, such as placing the feet under the sink.