Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Common House Laundry

[Joani Blank (jeblank]

Yes, if at all possible, keep your laundry in prime real estate on the same
floor as your dining room or sitting/dining room. Of course the laundry
should be light and pleasant (one reason to keep it out of the basement),
but more important is the idea of getting folks to sort and fold laundry in
the dining room!  IMHO, CH laundries would do well to have little or no
counter/folding space. Not only does that encourage folks to socialize
while folding laundry, but it helps keep your dining room from feeling
institutional to have a couple of people folding laundry on the dining room
tables. Imagine that in a restaurant or a school or business cafeteria. If
you absolutely must have your laundry in the basement, be sure to have no
folding space at all near the washers and dryers. It's true that then some
people will take the laundry to their own houses for folding, but some cute
signage or snacks always available in the common house, could encourage use
of dining area for said folding.

Joani Blank
Doyle Street and Old Oakland CoHousing