Laundry Chute in House

Doing laundry is one of the most exhausting household chores. It isn’t just about washing or cleaning clothes; it’s also about collecting all the stinky clothes, arranging and sorting them in an organized way, picking the right detergent, drying the clothes, and so on. Some people wish that this tiresome activity would be less hassle. Well, let me ask you a question – have you thought about using a laundry chute before? 

Installing a laundry chute in your house can make your household cleaning duties more convenient. But before we go further, what then, is it?

What is a Laundry Chute?

A laundry chute is a storage and drop for your dirty clothing. This shaft is where all your linens pass and go to the laundry area. It is a method of delivering dirty clothes, bedding, and towels from your upper floor down to your lower level.

No doubt, laundry chutes are highly functional and useful for many homeowners. It is normally built within your chosen room.  It assists in smoothly delivering your clothes, towels, or bedding down to your laundry area where the washing machine is located. 

Installing a laundry chute in your house can provide the ultimate convenience and solution to facilitate your washing activities.

Clothes Chute Options – Building vs Buying

Home centers do have laundry chute doors in them. You can easily go to these home supply centers and find various types and other accessories. Talking about convenience, buying one is more recommended. 

However, some homeowners think that buying a premade kit is more expensive than building one. The downside, on the other hand, of building a  clothing drop is it’s tiring, inconvenient, and challenging. If not done correctly, you might end up ruining your walls.

Even so, building your own can also provide some benefits. Luckily, most of the modern structures are easy to install.

Some types won’t require too many installation steps. There are also useful instructional guidelines and videos online that can help you in building a DIY laundry chute.

Nevertheless, if you’re quite concerned that you might ruin things as you install your shaft, you can hire some expert contractors to do that task. Though that might cost you more money.

But then, if you’re not a fan of doing lots of construction tasks in your house, you might as well buy a shaft kit with a door online so there will be less hassle.

Chute Cost

It’s quite difficult to know the precise average cost of laundry chutes as it normally depends on the kinds of materials that are used for a particular installation. It also depends on the complexity of how the shaft is installed.

However, the cost of materials that are generally used in laundry chutes ranges from $100 to $200. If you have a one-story house with a basement, the chute’s installation cost might range from $800 to $900.

This is the average cost that you might need to pay for an expert worker. Moreover, if you have a two-story house with a basement, the installation cost starts at $1000 above.

This would cost you more as the installation process could be quite more complex as multiple floors, ceilings, or walls might be needed to open to successfully install. Read more about our guide to a renovation vs remodel here.

Chute Sizes

The most common size of a laundry chute is 12’’ x 12’’. Even so, some homeowners think that it’s too big so some people only settle for 9” x 10” or 8” x 9”.

Smaller-sized drops are more advisable for families that have kids around the house. The height and width of the doors must not allow the kids to wiggle in.

Does the chute’s shaft need to be straight? Well, ideally, their shafts must have a straight vertical drop into the washing machine area. It is generally the design of most shafts for residential houses. 

But, there are clothing drops in some houses that have minimal offsets. Some are angled up to 45°. These angles can still fit without the clothes, towels, or bedding getting stuck halfway downward. Moreover, if the clothing shaft has curves, then it must be huge and gradual.

Where to Put a Chute in the House

One of the most ideal places for incorporating a laundry chute is in the hallway. The installation process is much simpler if the wall is running parallel to the joists of the floors and the wall studs are assembled on the top surface of the floor joists below.

However, your bathroom, bedroom, or even living room can have these shafts. But then, all of the clothing that’s deposited in the chute’s entrance point must be transferred to a room or area where your washing and drying machine is present. Read more about our guide on washer dryer in garage here.

Can I Put a Chute for Laundry in my House?

If you’re able to find a suitable location for a laundry chute, then you are so free to install one. It’s a great idea to make cleaning tasks much easier and more convenient. 

However, you can only put one in if your house is at least single-story with a basement. Even so, it’s mostly suitable for 2 to 7-story houses.

If you’re living in a bungalow, putting a  clothing drop won’t be possible. Read more about our guide on bungalow-style house design here.

Are Chutes Dangerous?

Generally, well-designed and carefully-created laundry chutes are safe. But, all must follow these safety standards:

• Their door must have a handle that can be locked and unlocked
• Doors that do not have a lockable handle must have a 2-stage opening system so that the door won’t be easily opened especially by playful kids
• In general, the chute’s doors must be installed at least 3.28 feet above the finished floor level
• The pipework must not have sharp edges inside, otherwise, your clothing would get stuck halfway and some of them might get damaged.

See more related content in our article about the different basement laundry room ideas on this page.