Can Washing Machine Be Kept Outside? (Solved!)

In small apartments and houses, keeping electronic appliances like washing machines is a big problem.

Usually home rental apartments are based on several rooms having attached bathrooms and a balcony. There is certainly no space to keep the washing machine.

In this situation, the only question that arises in mind is, can a washing machine be kept outside?

To which the answer is, Yes! But under some conditions.

What are those conditions, how a washing machine should be kept outside and what precautionary measures should be taken if you are keeping it in your balcony?

All these questions will be answered in this article. Give it a read for a quick insight on this topic.

Can You Keep Your Washing Machine Outside?

Yes, you can keep your washing machine outside provided all the electrical elements and cords are protected.

Moving the washing machine where the sunlight and rain could not reach is not a problem. However, it is not ideal for placing the machine outside.

When there is no laundry room in the house, there are certainly two places left where a machine can be placed. Either a bathroom or a kitchen.

But sometimes, these places are either too small or people do not like the washing machine to be placed there. The last spot is the balcony.

When you are forced to place the washing machine outside, you should take some precautionary measure to protect it from direct sunlight and rain.

Although there are some machines that come with built-in features, which will protect the machine if placed outside, still outside conditions can worsen the look of your washing machine.

Also, an ideal place is where the socket and plumbing system are readily available. If there is no plumbing system outside, just do not place the washing machine there.

However, we can compromise on the socket as the extension lead can be used.

How Can You Keep The Washing Machine Outside?

Suppose you are going to keep the washing machine on the balcony or in your garage. This demands that the machine should be protected from external conditions.

You can follow some simple measures to make the outdoor spot the right place for keeping the washing machine.

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You can get the washer cover  customized for your machine. There is a variety of them available.

Some of them are even fire-resistant that also protects your machine from oil, rust, and precipitation.

This is an excellent idea to build a cabinet around your washing machine.

A cabinet build on the floor with sliding doors will keep your machine protected from any sort of damage.

Also, you can build some drawers on its side to keep the laundry supplies.

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If you want to place the machine outside, it is essential to take good care of it. By placing a canopy over the machine, you can protect it from direct sunlight and this way your washer will last longer.

Another idea is to buy a vinyl tarp . It will appropriately cover the machine, thus protecting it from rain, snow, and direct sunlight.

How To Protect The Washing Machine On The Balcony?

If you intend to store the washing machine on your balcony, you will need to follow some protective measures to prevent your machine from outside conditions.

You should keep these two points in consideration before storing the washing machine in a balcony.

Storing

Always cover the machine with a thick sheet. Do not use a plastic wrap as it will trap moisture resulting in corrosion and peeling of paint.

But make sure the sheet you are covering your washer with, is breathable. This will allow the constant airflow.

Secondly, keep the doors of your washing appliance slightly open. This will dry the moisture inside the machine if there’s any.

Sunlight

Balconies are usually at a place where the sunlight is direct. Direct sunlight is not only bad for your health, but for the electrical appliances as well.

If a washing machine is exposed to the direct sunlight, its motor may overheat and might get damaged.

Similarly, the knobs and buttons on the front panel of the washer are at a high risk of getting impaired. Sunlight also turns the white appliances yellow. As most washing machines are white, direct radiation from the sunlight can cause damage to its colors.

This can be prevented by keeping the washing machine in a shaded place. If there is no shade in your balcony, you can set up a canopy.

For extra protection, cover it with a thick sheet to avoid direct contact with the outside environment.

Rain

Another threat to the washing machines that are stored outside is rain. Some washing appliances have plastic bodies, which are safe from the rain.

In the case of metal bodies, the washer can get corrode easily. The metal body of the machine is coated with a special paint that prevents it from water.

However, this protection is for a little while only. After some time, the paint will start to peel off and corrode the machine.

Sometimes, the water droplets get inside the washing machine, resulting in fire and shocks. An easy way to prevent this is by using a waterproof cover for your washing machine.

Do not ever go for a plastic cover as it traps moisture, which causes corrosion to the machine.

Insects And Rodents

Storing the machine for a long time might become the home for several insects. Although they do not damage the inside of the machine, still it is essential to keep the machine hygienic.

Another threat to your machine is rodents and rats. Some machines are anti-rats and provide protection against them, they can reach the inside of the washer anyway.

Having sharp teeth, they might gnaw at the innards of your machine.

You need to keep the machine neat and clean. Clean the area around the washer every other day to prevent anything from getting inside of it.

Also, it is good to do the dusting of your washing machine regularly.

How To Winterize Your Washing Machine?

Before understanding the process of winterizing the washing machine, you should understand why a washing machine should be winterized?

If you winterize a washing machine, it will prolong the lifespan of your appliance. Also, if you are keeping your machine in an unheated part of the house, it is necessary to winterize the machine.

Even if washing machines are not in use, the water will be still present in the pump and hose of a washing machine.

As the winter approaches, this water will freeze if you are living in a really cold climate. As the water freezes, it expands, which might burst the hose and pump.

Also, the warranty for this machine becomes invalidated as you had not winterized the washing machine.

Winterizing the machine can be done by either mixing the residual water with RV antifreeze or by removing the water.

Winterizing The Washing Machine By Removing The Residual Water

Before winterizing the machine, it is good to clean off any dirt and debris from the machine. Adding almost a gallon of vinegar would help.

Run the machine on a hot water cycle after adding the vinegar in an empty washing machine. This will eliminate the odor or any other debris from the appliance.

Begin with shutting off the water faucets. Next, you will need to disconnect the hoses and drain the water in it.

To get your washing machine appropriately winterized, it is necessary to pour RV antifreeze in the machine. For that, you will need to pour the RV antifreeze into the basket of your washer.

After that, select the rinse and spin cycle and start it. You will need to run this for about 30 seconds.

This will mix the RV antifreeze with the water that is remaining. Then pause the washing machine and unplug the switch to disconnect the power.

Reusing The Washing Machine

To reuse the washing machine, you will need to remove the antifreeze prior to adding clothes in it.

You will need to start flushing the pipes and hoses by connecting them to the spigot and running the water through them.

After which you have to reconnect the water inlet hoses. And then turn on the water faucets. Reconnect the power and run the washer once without clothes to get the antifreeze removed.

Conclusion

In small rental apartments, there is usually not a separate laundry room. One could think of a balcony to keep the washing machine, and at the same time, the question arises, can the washing machine be kept outside?

If you are running out of space in your house, you can definitely keep the washing machine outside. However, it is not an ideal place, yet you can follow some precautionary measures and go for it.

Also, keep in mind that placing the machine outside will void the warranty. Therefore, you must be watchful of the place where you are going to keep it.