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[China: World Residence Tour] Why do they install washing machines in the bathroom or laundry area?

  • Release date: Jun 01, 2021
  • Update date: Sep 08, 2025
  • 11166 Views

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Because of the differences in room facilities and layouts between Japan and China, there are also differences in laundry, from where to put the washing machine to where to hang clothes. In this article, I would like to introduce the laundry habits of Chinese people.

Why do they install the washing machine in the bathroom or laundry area?

In Japan, washing machines are often installed in the washroom. By placing the washing machine in the washroom, it is possible to consolidate the water area in one place and put undressed clothes near the machine. In China, however, there are no dedicated places for washing machines, so where to put them depends on the layout of the home. Nevertheless, the Chinese consumers registered in Consumer Life Panorama have shown a certain degree of tendency in where they place their washing machines.

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An example of a washing machine in the laundry area
（Source: Lifestyle database (Consumer Life Panorama)） 

What is Consumer Life Panorama?


This is a website-type database that has accumulated visual data on more than 1,000 sei-katsu-sha from 18 countries around the world. The database includes many 3D models of living environments and 2D data of items owned by each sei-katsu-sha, and is useful for understanding overseas sei-katsu-sha, which is difficult to grasp using only letters and numbers.


Using visual data such as those cited in this column,
Compare the differences in the attributes of overseas consumers
To get a realistic understanding of the actual usage of each category
To understand the overall lifestyle of target consumers
etc., can be utilized as a “no-go” home visit survey.


 

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Overview

Demo Site

An analysis of the households registered in Consumer Life Panorama shows that there are two types of households: those that install near the bathroom and those that install in the laundry area. Installing them in the bathroom would make it more convenient to organize the water, while installing them in the laundry area would make it more convenient to do everything from washing to drying clothes. Each could have its own merits. In addition, balconies are often used as laundry areas in China because they are also private spaces.

Selecting a washing machine type and drying area

The choice of drying place depends on many things, but first of all, it is related to the type of washing machine used. The consumers registered in Consumer Life Panorama are divided into two groups: those who own top-loading washing machines and those who own front-loading washing machines. Top-loading washing machines do not basically have a dry function, so the clothes need to be dried somewhere.

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Example of top loading type （Source: (Consumer Life Panorama database)） 

In Japan, bathroom dryers are sometimes installed, and it is convenient to wash clothes in the washroom and then dry them indoors in the adjacent bathroom. This way, the line of flow from washing to drying can be shortened. Other than bathrooms, some families dry their clothes indoors or on balconies. On the other hand, in China, in many cases, bathrooms are not equipped with bathroom dryers. Also, there are limited places to hang laundry in the room. As a result, many families hang their laundry on balconies.

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Balcony as a drying place （Source: (Consumer Life Panorama database)）

I have already mentioned in the previous column about balconies that balconies in China, unlike those in Japan, are private spaces and are often made into indoor balconies. Such balconies have the advantage of allowing a lot of sunshine and drying clothes without being affected by rainy or snowy days. Besides that, one of the reasons why many people hang their clothes on indoor balconies is because of the expected disinfectant effect of the sun. When buying real estate in China, balconies are often set up facing south, except for some houses in large cities such as Shanghai. Therefore, many families hang their laundry on the balcony, hoping for the disinfecting effect of the sun.

  • Intage Inc

    Author profile
    (Mr.) Yang Yan

    A Chinese researcher living in Japan, providing information on the living conditions of overseas consumers, mainly of Chinese consumers. I bought a washing machine with a drying function because I found it troublesome to dry my clothes.

  • Intage Inc

    Editor profile
    Yusuke Tatsuda

    Responsible for building the Global Market Surfer website. In the laundry process, I mainly take in clothes.

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