Washing upstairs

SIR – Shane Watson (Features, July 15) joined the discussion about the best place for a washing machine. In 1975, I located ours outside our bedroom, next to the linen cupboard.

As long as you use a dryer – who wants to carry a heavy tub of wet washing downstairs to hang it our to dry? – this works very well. Nearly all the washing is generated, or dumped, in the bedrooms and nearly all is stored upstairs.

If the machine is upstairs, it is a good idea to provide for overflows. I built a waterproof tray underneath it with a drain to the outside. Dr Michael Blackmore

Midhurst, West Sussex