It is common to see laundry rooms outside on the lanai or in the garage in older Hawaii homes.  The reason is because homes in Hawaii were poorly designed.  Laundry rooms have no standard size so they end up in awkward places as afterthoughts. Especially if space is limited. One of the first requests we get when working with homeowners is a better solution for their laundry room.

PROS of an outdoor washer and dryer

• Saves electricity. Hanging your clothes rather than drying can save on your bill
• Washer and dryers are noisy, if they are outside you wont hear them
• Clothes dried outside smell better
• Saves valuable indoor space
• Health issues. A home has between 1 and 2.5 gallons of water in the air at any given time, and a load of laundry releases an additional 1/2 gallons of dirty air that you later inhale such as cancer-causing chemicals and mold spores are 300% higher when laundry was dried indoors. Also humidity is a breeding ground for dust mites that trigger allergies and asthma

CONS

• The weather (rain and heat)
• Machines become vulnerable to rust and weather elements and will need to be replaced sooner
• Not as convenient
• Not as clean
• Privacy

The solution

If you’re lucky enough to have space inside for a washer and dryer in your home, having it indoors is more convenient and comfortable. If you decide to remodel your older Hawaii home, your contractor should easily be able to design something that fits into your home. If you like drying your clothes naturally and are concerned about the health issues of indoor drying, you can get an outdoor clothesline. Tell the contractor so they can come up with the best location that makes it convenient to take clothes outside.