LAUNDRY | 4 JUNE, 2024

12 MIN READ

Stacking kits – How to organise your washer and dryer

No room for a dryer in your laundry? Think again.

Image featured in the Appliances Online blog

Do you need a stacking kit? How do they work? What laundry appliances can you stack? Can you stack different brands of dryer and washer together? And, perhaps the most common question of all, what actually is a stacking kit?

If you find yourself asking these questions, you’re in the right place. Here, we'll answer your questions and look at everything you might want to know about stacking kits.

What is washer and dryer stacking?

Whatever size your home, odds are that your laundry room got the short end of the stick from the architect. Even if your home has been blessed with a sizeable laundry, it’s still nice to make the most of the available space.

One great way to make the most efficient use of your laundry room is to stack your dryer on top of your front loading washing machine.

By making smart use of vertical space, you’ll leave more room for organising the rest of your laundry - or if you’re like me, cluttering the place up with junk you don’t want to store in the house (Googles 'wall mounted bike rack').

What is a stacking kit and what does it do?

A stacking kit is a laundry accessory that fits between a front load washer and a dryer. It ensures your two appliances sit safely as one fixed unit.

Stacking kits are designed to distribute the weight of a dryer on top of a washer, and to absorb vibrations from both appliances while they’re running. This ensures your dryer remains on top of your washer and not on the ground, which of course, would be disastrous for both the appliance and your laundry room floor.

Are there other benefits to a stacking kit?

A lot of stacking kits come with a handy slide-out shelf that can be very convenient when you're juggling laundry baskets, detergents, and bundles of dirty or wet clothes. Strongly built to take the weight of a damp load of washing, they can generally support around 16kg.

These shelves also come in handy if you’re the type of person who likes to fold your laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. If that's you, hats off to you.

Not every style of stacking kit has a retractible plastic shelf. For example, the ESK from Euromaid consists of a set of clips designed to be fitted to the corners of the appliances, securing them together.

Can stacking kits be used with any model or brand of washer and dryer?

Unfortunately not. A lot of stacking kits are designed specifically to be compatible with selected washer and dryer models from a specific brand – typically a matching washer and dryer from the same brand. This is great if you're renovating your laundry or setting up home for the first time and want a matching laundry pair, but that's not always the case of course.

Always check which laundry appliances are compatible with the stacking kit you have in mind. If you can't find a stacking kit to connect two incompatible appliances, all is not lost!

Can I use something else instead of a stacking kit?

You can! Appliances Online sells the Enviro Rubber APL600 as a laundry accessory. This simple rubber mat can absorb any vibrations between a washer and dryer, so even if you have a washer and dryer from different brands, you can still stack them and save space in your laundry.

Plus, the APL600 can also be useful in the kitchen or in other areas of the home.. Place it underneath your fridge or other similar appliance, and it will help absorb vibrations to reduce noise, and adds some extra stability on an uneven floor – something that’s not uncommon in laundry rooms and bathrooms, where a gentle slope in the floor can help water flow down to a drain.

How do I know if my washing machine and dryer can be stacked with one another?

The best way to be sure which laundry products match well is to visit the manufacturer’s website or contact the Appliances Online team. As a general guideline, you can usually stack any washer and dryer if the width and depth measurements are equal, or if the washer’s footprint is larger than the dryer’s.

Unfortunately, you can’t stack a bigger dryer on top of a smaller washer – it’s just physics!

Imagine a set of children’s building blocks. Now imagine trying to balance a bigger one on top of a smaller one. Even if it can be done, imagine those blocks about a hundred times bigger, and both of them vibrating. Now imagine running out of that laundry as quickly as you can before you end up in the Emergency Department.

Can I stack my washing machine on top of a dryer?

No, you can only stack a dryer on top. Washing machines are too heavy, especially when full of water and wet clothes. They also vibrate more during operation as their spin speeds are higher, increasing the risk of accidents if stacked. Never even think of attempting to do it this way around!

How do you stack your washer and dryer?

1. Check and measure your space

Measure the space in your laundry where you want the appliances to be stacked to ensure they will fit. Remember that you’ll need to combine the height of the washer, stacking kit and dryer to give you the total stacked height. Allow a few centimetres either side of the appliances for ventilation, and a few centimetres at the back for hoses, piping and power.

2. Make sure the appliances can be stacked together

You’ll need to ensure the dimensions of the dryer are the same or slightly smaller than that of the washer underneath.

3. Buy a stacking kit

As discussed above, it’s generally recommended that you stack appliances of the same brand together, as their stacking kit will be suited to brand-specific dimensions. Some stacking kits will fit all models of washer and dryer from the brand's range, while others may not. For other brands, meanwhile, models of different ages or from different ranges, may not be size-compatible.

Always read the stacking kit's specifications sheet (available as a PDF on the product page of Appliances Online) to ensure compatibility, and if you can't find the details you need, call or message our Customer Support team at any time, 24/7.

4. Stack your appliances

You’ll need at least two able-bodied people to lift the dryer and place it onto the stacking kit. Heat pump dryers and other condenser dryers can weigh upwards of 50kg, so don’t attempt this alone.

At Appliances Online, we offer a range of paid installation services, so you can get your washer and dryer stacked by our professional team. They can even conveniently deliver and install the dryer at the same time.

Our installers also test the stacked appliances to ensure the structure is stable and safe, to give you added peace of mind.

It’s as simple as ticking the 'Installation' box in the checkout stage of your purchase, or giving our helpful customer service team a call on 1300 000 500 at any time after purchase (and ideally before delivery) to arrange installation.

5. Run a test cycle

Once everything is set up and fixed together, run a test cycle and keep an eye on it while it's on, to ensure the units are stable.

Can I stack onto my top-loading washer?

No – absolutely not! Stacking only suits front loading washers and dryers, as it requires the base of a dryer to be fixed to the top of a front-load washer. Top loading washers need a minimum lid clearance to open and use it.

Fear not, though! There's still a way to save space on your laundry floor. See the section 'Is there an alternative to stacking a washer and a dryer?' below for other options.

How do you stack a washer and dryer without a stacking kit?

You can place a rubber mat, such as the Enviro Rubber APL600, between your washer and dryer. This simple rubber mat can absorb any vibrations between a washer and dryer, so even if you have a washer and dryer from different brands, you can still stack them and save space in your laundry.

The rubber appliance mat can also be useful in the kitchen or other areas of the home. Placing it underneath your fridge or freezer, for example, can help absorb vibrations and reduce noise. It also adds some extra stability on an uneven floor – something that’s not uncommon in laundry rooms and bathrooms, where a gentle slope is often engineered into the floor to help water flow down towards drains.

NOTE: Rubber mats are generally designed for use with a vented dryer and front-load washer. Stacking a heat pump dryer or condenser dryer on a front-loading washer without a stacking kit is dangerous, so for your safety, this is not recommended.

Can I stack my washing machine and dryer without a stacking kit OR rubber mat?

Erm, you can, but it’s not recommended. Even though a dryer doesn’t vibrate as much as a washer while in use, there’s still a risk that if it jumps around while running it could fall right off the top of your washer… which won’t be good for you, your appliance, or your floor.

There’s also a small risk that if you pull hard on the door of an unsecured stacked dryer, it could be pulled right off the top of the washing machine.

So stack your appliances bareback if you want, but at your own risk!

Is there an alternative to stacking a washer and dryer?

Yes there is – wall-mounting.

Rather than precariously balancing your dryer on top of your front loader, you can use a bracket to attach your dryer to a wall. Not only does this make efficient use of vertical space, but putting your dryer up high means less bending over to add and remove clothes.

This is also a great arrangement if you prefer a top-loading washing machine. Obviously you can’t stack a dryer on top of a top loader – you couldn’t open the washer lid! – but you can still place your dryer out of the way while leaving it easy to access.

Two important things to remember when it comes to wall mounting a dryer:

1. You can only wall mount vented dryers

Vented dryers blast out the moisture they remove from your clothes in the form of hot steam. Heat pump and condenser dryers, which collect the moisture in a tank of condensed water, are too heavy to wall-mount safely, though they can be stacked.

2. Vented dryers can often be wall mounted upside down

This has the advantage of keeping their controls within easy reach without needing to stand on a stool. Models that can do this typically include a set of stickers or decals that can help to re-label the controls so you don’t have to stand on your head to understand what you’re doing. To confirm if a dryer can be wall-mounted upside down, check the specifications sheet or manual on the product page of the Appliances Online site, or contact the Customer Support team at any time.

Also, keep in mind that wall mounting a clothes dryer does require a bit of work in the laundry, and if you’re a renter, your real estate or landlord may not approve of you drilling holes for a wall-mounting bracket without their permission.

A word about pedestals

Aside from stacking kits, another accessory that can come in handy in the laundry is the pedestal.

This raised platform sits underneath a washer or dryer, lifting the appliance to a more accessible height, so it can be loaded or unloaded without you having to bend over or crouch down. They also sometimes have integrated storage drawers, which, like stacking your washer and dryer, can help you make the most of limited space in your laundry. Pedestals are low to the ground, though, and require bending over to access them, so you'd probably want to use it to store items that you don't need to grab on a daily basis.

If you’re considering adding a pedestal, like the Electrolux PDST61, to your laundry setup, remember that all of the same principles apply as when stacking a washer and dryer: you can’t stack a bigger appliance on top of a smaller pedestal, and pedestals manufactured by major appliance brands are usually only compatible with specific models from that particular brand.

It’s also important to note that you can’t stack two appliances onto a pedestal. Doing so will put your dryer too high out of reach and can make the arrangement potentially unstable.

We can help you get your laundry in order sooner!

If you have any more questions about stacking kits, pedestals or mats, or you simply have a question that needs answering, our friendly team are waiting to hear from you. Whether it’s midnight or lunchtime, with our 24/7 customer service you can call when it suits you on 1300 000 500, or message us via the chat icon at the bottom right of your screen.

Once you've decided on the right fit for your laundry, you can get your new stacking kit, pedestal, washer or dryer sooner, with Appliances Online's legendary FREE delivery to 95% of Australia's population. Plus, we can usually get it to you by the next day (Mon-Fri) as long as it's in stock. If it's really urgent, we even offer paid Same Day Delivery in NSW, QLD, and VIC metro areas if you order before 12pm Mon-Fri.

Krissy Davis

All the way from the land of the flightless bird, Krissy's 'sweet as' passion for her Kiwi slang is matched by her love for sharing news, hacks and buying tips for all things appliances! Her favourite appliance is the Tefal Cook4Me multi cooker, as she believes it's OK to let an appliance do all the work for you.