You may think that there’s nothing glam about a laundry room. I don’t blame you — it is the room where you chuck the laundry into the washing machine and make a run for it (just talking from experience TBH).
But chances are, you do more in there than that. You may be soaking fabric that’s got a gross stain on it, folding your laundry, or even doing some ironing. So you actually use it quite a lot. This is why it's a good idea to make sure your laundry room sink is working for you and your room as well as it can be.
Not only is it important for it to look cute, but it’s also important for creating a laundry room that's organized and laid out in a way that serves you best. Yes, this means being big, sturdy, and practical enough to soak all those grimy garments.
If you’re looking to upgrade your laundry room sink, here’s some inspo to get you started, plus all the info you need to choose yours wisely…
9 pretty and practical laundry room sink ideas
Give your laundry room a glow up, using these sink ideas for inspo...
1. Utilitarian stainless steel sink
This Kingbo free-standing sink from Amazon is super easy to clean and is large enough to accommodate larger items when washing blankets or comforters. It also provides enough space to even wash/groom your dog or pet (muddy paws are cute but so messy!).
It is great for a laundry room with plenty of square footage — place it alongside shelving to keep essentials at the ready.
2. Undermount sink
Undermount sinks look streamlined with the rest of your laundry space, and they're also useful due to all the workspace around them.
Blanco's liven dual mount laundry sink from Wayfair is deep enough to wash a weighted blanket by hand and other hefty linens. With Blanco's patented non-porous, stain-resistant Silgranit material, the sink has a low maintenance, anti-bacterial surface.
3. Cabinet-mounted sink
Suitable for a variety of laundry rooms, cabinet laundry room sinks are particularly perfect for compact spaces. The closed cabinetry is a nifty storage nook for laundry essentials.
This Simpli Home laundry sink with faucet, which you can buy from Wayfair, has a deep stainless steel sink, a contemporary faucet, and ample space in the cabinets — a winning laundry room storage idea.
4. Stainless steel undermount sink
Stainless steel is by far the most durable material for laundry sinks, but its utilitarian look isn't everyone's favorite. Opting for stainless steel as an undermounted sink keeps the tidy aesthetic of your laundry room countertop while disguising the ever-practical but somewhat jarring stainless steel.
The Ruvati Roma brushed stainless steel undermount laundry room sink from Lowe's has the added bonus of accessories that can be placed over top the sink to convert and disguise it as a solid wood chopping board, a colander, or a steel/silicone rollup dish rack drainer with rinse grids.
5. Enamel cast iron sink
Enameled cast iron is scratch, stain, and burn-resistant, so it can be used for more grimy chores.
Kohler's Park Falls cast iron utility sink offers traditional styling with a deep basin that can be dual-mounted, top-mounted, or undermounted, giving you the freedom to show it off or keep it out of view.
6. Top mount self-rimming sink
The major advantage of top mounted, self rimming, or drop-in laundry room sinks is that they are the easiest to install compared to the under-mounted variety.
Sterling's Latitude utility sink, which you can buy from Lowe's, is low-profile and has a unique quarter-deck design to provide shelf space to keep cleaning equipment out of view. The durable material is crack-resistant and a practical choice for heavy-duty laundry chores.
7. Vintage-style wall mounted sink
Fancy a welcome pop of color in your laundry room? The vintage inspired Randolph Morris Falco Cast Iron Sink from Vintage Tub & Bath is wall mounted and small enough for even the smallest laundry space. Made from cast iron and porcelain enamel, the antique style has rugged durability yet stays easy to clean.
8. Farmhouse-style utility sink
Made in extraordinarily durable fine fireclay which resists chips, stains, cracks, and scratches, this Ratel single gloss white sink from Amazon is a must-have in any modern laundry room space. The apron-style mount also makes a real statement and will look slick with a marble countertop.
9. Deep freestanding utility sink
A great budget alternative, the Swan premium floor mount laundry sink from Swanstone can fit larger, bulky items and is a great place to wash or groom your dog or any pet for that matter. Plus it's constructed from Veritek, with no surface coating to chip or crack. This ensures it has a long life in the hardworking space.
Is it worth having a sink in a laundry room?
Okay, so you're thinking about switching up your sink. But why are laundry room sinks a good idea? "While a laundry sink is typically used for cleaning, soaking, or hand washing soiled clothing, it can have a number of additional convenient uses when you don’t want to make a mess in your kitchen or bathroom sink," Edyta Drutis, brand marketing vice president for North America at BLANCO, explains.
Utility sinks also may be used for bathing small pets, watering house plants, arts and crafts, or other general cleaning purposes like filling mop buckets. "If you have a laundry/mudroom combo, a utility sink is an ideal spot for rinsing dirt or sand from shoes, clothes, and hands before entering the home," she adds. Basically, a laundry sink is a fab way to keep your house squeaky clean.
What kind of sink do you put in a laundry room?
When choosing a laundry room sink, one of the biggest considerations is where you're going to put it.
This depends on how much space you have to play with, if you have countertops, and any plumbing considerations. For example, if you have a small laundry room, you'll be looking for a compact option in a freestanding design.
Here are the different types of laundry room sinks and what you need to consider when choosing the right one for your space.
- Wall-mounted laundry room sinks: Attached directly to the wall, these laundry sinks rely on wall studs located behind the drywall to support their weight.
- Freestanding laundry room sinks: If you are looking for an inexpensive laundry sink option, a freestanding or floor-mounted laundry sink is your pick. It usually comes in a deep single or double basin usually with its own legs (but these may come separately).
- Cabinet-mounted sinks: Think of a bathroom vanity cabinet with a laundry sink
attached. The cabinet on the bottom will have doors to handily stow away laundry clutter and store laundry detergent, so it's readily available when hand-washing items. It will also hide the lower plumbing. This type of sink typically has less capacity than other varieties. - Top-mounted and undermount laundry room sinks: If you already have existing counter space to use, drop-in or undermount laundry sinks are what you'll be after. The drop-in (or self-rimming) sinks are inserted from the top into an opening on the countertop. While undermount sinks attach to the bottom of the countertop, under an opening. These laundry sinks seamlessly blend in with your laundry room design and provides same-level workspace in the form of the surrounding countertop. The downside is that, like cabinet-mounted laundry room sinks, they can be shallow for washing grimy garments.
What materials can laundry room sinks be made out of?
You'll also need to think about what its made from and how durable the material is for what you'll be using it for.
We've rounded up the most common materials most laundry room sinks are made from so you can make the right decision for your family's needs.
- Stainless steel: Highly durable, stainless steel sinks resists chemicals, are heat resistant, and are sand-able with steel wool (although deep scratches can't be fixed). The downsides are they can dent easily and they are pricey. We've got the lowdown on how to clean stainless steel, so you can keep yours sparkling.
- Acrylic: Lightweight and inexpensive, polypropylene is best for wall-mounted sinks and this material is usually the easiest to find. However, it can stain easily and may react with chemicals.
- Enamel cast iron: Durable and resistant to stains and heat, an enamel cast iron sink is a period living lover's dream, if you can get your hands on a vintage-inspired version. Watch out for chips on the enamel surface, though as you'll need to repair these before the cast iron starts to rust.
- Ceramic: Fired at very high temperatures, ceramic laundry sinks have a non-porous surface, which is stain resistant, easy to clean, and sturdy. Avoid dropping anything heavy though as it's susceptible to chipping.
What size should a laundry sink be?
Size really does matter, people. Drutis explains: "You should always prioritize depth when selecting a laundry sink, which is why recommend a deep 12” bowl depth that’s perfect for soaking." It's important to note, however, that width will depend largely on your space.
More laundry room sink considerations
Design: Laundry room sinks can look fairly utilitarian as standard, but there are modern designs on the market that will seamlessly blend n iwith your laundry room decor. "Just because this space isn’t the centerpiece of your home, doesn’t mean it should be an afterthought," Drutis says. "By finding pieces that are both practical and elegant, you’ll set yourself up for more enjoyable laundry trips that leave you feeling as refreshed as the clothes you’re washing."
Keep it clean: Laundry room sinks can get grimy, stained, and scratched over time and with all that dirt comes a ton of clogging. It's best to always use a removable filter to catch any materials before they enter larger drainage lines. Here's our guide to how to unblock a sink if you're in a pickle.
What not to do: Laundry room sinks are often seen as safe to dump toxic chemicals like paint thinner,s but this couldn't be further from the truth. The drain from your laundry room sink goes into your home's regular sewage pipe and from there into sewers and septic tanks.