A utility room is a spare room that has been built into a home or business where laundry accessories are stored, as well as cleaning supplies and other home appliances, such as a hot water heater and furnace. It is commonly called a laundry room because it usually contains a washer and dryer, as well as various cleaning supplies. It has been modified from its original form throughout the decades from a basic scullery room to a mechanical room, and even an all around storage room for items not constantly used.
The main use for a basic utility room is as a common laundry room. It very often contains a washer and dryer, laundry soap and additives, as well as dryer sheets and a clothes hamper. This idea was to keep the dirty clothes separate from the rest of the house to keep them away from the common rooms, which are clean and inviting. Since all of the necessary items to do laundry are all in the same area, it makes this household task easier to complete.
Another use for this room is for the storage of items that are not commonly used. The utility room can contain cleaning supplies for the rest of the house, as well as kitchen appliances such as a blender and roasting oven. In this way the cleaning supplies, or spare household items, are not in the way in the main rooms, but they are easily accessible when needed. It can also allow the occupant to lock dangerous cleaners in one room to safeguard the house or business for smaller children.
The final task that the utility room is used for is as a machinery room. Many times hot water heaters and furnaces will be installed inside the utility room, allowing the machinery to be kept out of sight, but easy to access when they need maintenance. In some cases, the electrical panel will also be mounted on the wall in this room so that it is safe from being tampered with.
A utility room can basically be used for any type of job that is required. Since it is a separate room it can act as a laundry room, scullery room, machinery room, or for the storage of anything that needs a place. In buildings where storage units are not available, many people even store their tools and ladders in the utility room. As long as the main components, such as the washer and dryer, can be accessed, this room can be used for almost anything the owner needs.
