Washing machine in the bathroom of Poles

Although I often tease my other half that a washing machine is a kitchen appliance and as such should be in the kitchen (or even a utility room) she always counters that laundry is washing and as such washing should be more closely related to the bathroom.

I don't think I can win this argument.

Another recent "difference of opinion" revolves around the location of kitchens in Polish houses. She claims that all Polish houses have kitchens at the front of the house, nearest the front door, as when shopping is brought into the house this room should be the closest.

English houses typically have kitchens at the back of the house, furthest away from the front door. Which is right ?

There is no right or wrong in this, as well you know :-)

The English house still clings to an order of room preference established in mediaeval times; the main entrance leads into the 'hall' - once the largest space, now much diminished. From the hall at one end would be the 'parlour' (from 'parler' - the talking room) and 'solar' above, with a pantry and buttery at the other end where food and beer were stored ready to serve. The kitchen, because of the risk of fire, was sometimes a separate building, or at least right at the back of the others. The kitchen - the cooking room - was also separate from the scullery, where 'wet' operations took place. The scullery has become the utility room, and therefore the most common place in English houses for a washing machine.

Many European dwellings were based on two rooms - one for living in, where everything took place (cooking, eating, sleeping) and the other for the livestock. In old Austrian farmhouses, the main entrance always leads into this main room, now commonly a kitchen / dining area taking up most of the ground floor. Polish houses may be the same.

Neither, kitchens, in Ireland/UK are traditionally built facing the north to get the most natural light in the morning, thus, living-rooms are on the south to receive most of the natural light in the evenings/afternoons.

I'm with you on the washing machine, putting it in a bathroom is just plain stupid.....I've seen so many bathrooms where people have their washing machines & dirty water flowing from it into their bathtub! WTF is that about? Why not just connect it to the water pipes in your kitchen/bathroom instead of fouling your bathtub?

Don't you mind keeping dirty socks near food? :)


Not true.


It's about not having the pipe for dirty water near around. Not all bathrooms flush the laundry water into bathtub.

Oh of course, in my place when I moved in I connectd the washing machine to the drain pipe, but I've seen plenty of places. Some people are just lazy I suppose.

Mine goes straight down the toilet. Is that wrong?

AFAIK the older type washing machines didn't have the pipe hookup thingy. I might be wrong.

Most homes I have ever lived in that don't have a specific 'mud room'; have the laundry towards the back of the house or near/in garage regardless of kitchen location. Or in the basement (in my WA home that had kitchen at back side off garage).

Condominums and townhouses are more 30/70 towards kitchen at back because bedrooms are upstairs.

And in following that, most homes I have ever lived in the kitchen was one side of the front of the home. Both in antique homes and new ones.

This includes the family ranchero outside Sao Paulo and a time share in Puerto Penasco and my cousins farmhouse outside Nurnburg.

So, I suppose that influences fact I'd prefer my laundy off/in a bathroom rather than my kitchen. I love bacon, not sure if I want my shirt to smell like bacon. I can't imagine thinking my clothing would be considered soiled coming from my bathroom rather than my kitchen. I don't wash my socks in the toilet! 0_0 and even then, though the idea is distasteful, the bowl and water within are initially clean before..um..use. The floor is realistically more clean at any given moment since bathroom traffic is not as heavy and my kids wont be eating toast in there.

Electricity...in bathrooms???? need I say more.......much like all this driving at high speed on ice and snow etc???

Yeah, some people can handle that... ;-P
The sockets are different though.

e-instalacje.pl/a/4032,gniazda-w-lazience

Yes One needs it for electric shavers recharging of toothbrushes etc not to mention women need of recharging there viberators:))

So the water goes on the floor? :P


How else are you gonna watch prn in the shower? (^_^)

No, it goes in the bath or the toilet bowl, as mentioned above ;-)
A special hose was provided for that.

I imagine the old USSR twin-tub top loaders were a bit like UK washing machines from the 1960s - the outlet was a loose hooked rubber hose one hung over the sink.

Ah I know, I'm just taking the mick :P


Aye and from what I've seen people still do it that way :D

I know, but I like to answer the questions I've been asked ;->


If they have an older washing machine, they can't do it any other way. It's not exactly a question of choice.

Exactly!. In UK we don't have ordinary electric sockets in bathrooms for obvious reasons. We would rather not be bbq'd whilst doing the washing! Simples!

I have 2 in my bathroom

Wear rubber-soled shoes...

I'm confused. Are you talking about the plumbing or the prn ?

Bah-hahahaha ROFL :D

Marriage experts over the years have determined that the key to a happy marriage is that the wife is always right.

She is right if she's the one doing loundry :)

When I had this house built the electrician did ask how many electrical sockets we wanted in the bathroom? He had told us that he had worked in UK and Germany.....so I tested him.....I said what do you think...with a big smile......he said " No plugs, no switches, and the lights have to be special sealed type lights Yes???? correct said I......and he did a good job. But some of our Polish friends houses we visit...water everywhere, washing machines..electric plugs hanging off the wall???? Disaster waiting to happen.

Have you ever heard it happen?
During whole my life I have not heard about anyone being electrocuted in bathroom.

I have a socket all my life and noone got electrocuted


Are they suiciadal?I have a socket in my bathroom (my uncle in Germany have one as well) but it's firmly attached to the wall.Nothing's hanging

They dont have GFCI receptacles in England and Poland? Having electricity in the bathroom is pretty common for the last 50 years or so...

Electricity in bathrooms....one day 'Building regulations' will come to Poland and electricity in bathrooms will be a thing of history.....and now just a quick note: Poles do have a sense of humour......TVPL1 today wiadomoschi Yaaayyy 'Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster' go for it guys...welcome to humour.

Code here in Canada requires any electric outlet to be outfitted with GFCI breaker to prevent electrocution.