Wringing out laundry day drudgery

No matter how improved the laundry room, it has the same basic function: to clean and dry clothes. Front-loading washers are today's most popular way to take the drudgery out of laundry day. The front-loading washer makes for easy access to the clothes; no more leaning over and into the machine. Most major appliance manufacturers also offer pedestals that raise the height of the washing machine in order to reduce the bending to retrieve clothes. Another benefit: controls on the front of the unit, where they're more accessible for short people, even to someone in a wheelchair.

Blankets and rugs fit more easily in most front loaders and use up to 75 percent less electricity. Front-loaders use less water, and their higher spin speeds extract up to 35 percent more water. They're gentler on clothing, cleaner, and typically have a longer life expectancy than top loaders.

That said, GE's new Profile Harmony washer and dryer with electronic controls has a swooping contemporary curve that matches the washer to the dryer. In the Todd Johnson Manchester model in Lakewood Ranch, the modern washer/dryer fits beautifully into the elegant color scheme in a deep charcoal gray shade. This points out the more sophisticated color palette for laundry equipment, in which biscuit, black, pewter or charcoal gray and stainless steel models compete with the traditional white.

Space for everything, and everything in its place.

Whatever the size room, to avoid the clutter of dirty socks and plastic laundry bottles, storage is essential. Bill Tidmore of Tidmore-Henry & Associates likes to incorporate sorting bins, hampers and wastebasket space into the laundry rooms he designs. "Everything is going under-counter to create more folding and work space," he notes. "That's why front-load machines are used, especially in smaller rooms."

David Wentzel is also a fan of organized storage. He's done several laundry rooms that incorporate work baskets for each child and lockers next to the pool. The result is "definitely killer looking."

The ironing board is frequently hidden behind a door, folding down into position for use. Supplies must be easy to reach, making an array of different types of cabinets de rigueur. They hold detergents and bleach while taller units hide vacuums and brooms. Even better, the room itself can be closed off when necessary. Even though her laundry is elegantly appointed, one owner also uses hers as a craft room, so "it's nice because you can close it off if you have a project going."

Take these new laundry tools out for a spin

The combination machine that both washes and dries your laundry. Just put the dirty clothes in and take them out clean and dry; there's no need to move wet clothes from the washer to dryer. Several manufacturers make them.

The jetted spa sink. It handles hand washables and other small cleaning jobs by swirling water under and around delicate washables. The action adjusts from gentle for lightweight items to vigorous action for heavier ones.

The new low, shallow curb with drain. "They're great areas to wash boots or the dog," says designer Bill Tidmore.

The drying center. Maytag's Neptune Drying Center tops a traditional tumble dryer with a drying cabinet, which uses warm circulating air to eliminate shrinkage and damage and hides drying clothes. Whirlpool's DryAire Cabinet circulates air in a range of cycles to quickly dry everything from sweaters to shoes. Fold-down shelves permit flat drying or hanging, while door racks hold gloves, socks and scarves.

The deep mister. The Whirlpool Personal Valet is a chemical-free system housed in an armoire-style cabinet that steams and freshens most fabrics, including machine washable and dry clean-only items. The deep-misting process smoothes wrinkles and cleans odor from clothes. It fits in a room or in a closet.