Caroma Laundry Sinks

Caroma laundry sinks buying guide

The Caroma laundry range makes the choice in one move: stainless steel or ceramic. Stainless steel suits a modern laundry and is the lighter, more forgiving choice. Ceramic suits a classic, Hampton or farmhouse laundry and needs a stronger cabinet. The Urbane II, Luna and Single tubs are stainless steel. The Cubus laundry vanity basin and the Metro 35 utility basin are ceramic. Pick the material first, then the size and the fitting.

Caroma laundry sinks at a glance

The fittings that come with a tub differ from model to model, so confirm what is in the box before you order. The Luna, the Cubus and the Urbane II tubs come with a stainless steel basket waste. For the Single 45L and the Metro 35, confirm which fittings are supplied.

Stainless steel or ceramic

Stainless steel is the practical choice. It is light, resists rust, heat and stains, and handles a dropped bucket. Thicker steel dents and flexes less and sounds less tinny when something heavy lands in the bowl. Satin stainless hides scratches and water marks better than a mirror polish. For the full range of stainless steel sinks from every maker, see stainless steel laundry sinks.

Ceramic is the decorative choice. The surface is hard and non-porous, so it resists scratches and stains and keeps its gloss. It is also heavy, and the cabinet beneath has to be built to carry it. A heavy object dropped on the rim or the base can chip it. A ceramic sink such as the Cubus suits a Hampton, farmhouse or classic laundry. For the wider range, see ceramic laundry sinks.

The Urbane II tubs

The Urbane II laundry tubs carry the Urbane II look from the kitchen into the laundry, and the 35 and 70 litre tubs extend that look to an alfresco space as well. The 35 litre and 70 litre tubs have a flushline design with clean lines. All three sizes are 304 stainless steel, and all three are installed inset, so the tub drops into a cut-out in the benchtop. The 45 and 70 litre tubs come with no tap hole or one, and a tub with no tap hole suits a wall-mounted tap. See Caroma Urbane II stainless steel laundry tubs for the tubs on their own.

The 35 litre is the compact size, the 45 litre is the middle size, and the 70 litre is the largest, for soaking larger items. Check the cut-out size for the tub you choose before the benchtop is cut.

The Luna and the Single 45L

The Luna 45 litre is a stainless steel sink for a family laundry. It has a tap landing with one tap hole for a mixer, and the waste is in the centre of the bowl. The Single 45L tub is 650mm wide, 486mm high and 248mm deep, and it has no overflow. It is built to resist scratches, stains and finish decline over time, and its 45 litre bowl suits soaking and washing larger items while helping reduce noise during use. Both are 304 stainless steel. If a tub is going into a cabinet you have already built, check the cut-out size against the figures above.

The Cubus and the Metro 35

The Cubus laundry vanity basin is gloss white ceramic made in Italy, 627mm long, with soft rectangular corners. It holds 35 litres, it has an overflow, and it comes with one tap hole only. It is an alternative to a stainless steel tub, and its deep bowl takes a bucket. At 627mm it is close in length to the 630mm Urbane II tubs, but it is ceramic and heavier, so the cabinet and the fitting method differ even where the cut-out looks similar.

The Metro 35 is a vitreous china utility basin with smooth, rounded contours for easy cleaning. It holds 34 litres to the overflow, it is white only, and it comes with no tap hole, a left hand tap hole or a right hand tap hole. A remote concealed washing machine bypass is available. The rim is sealed to the benchtop with an acetic cure silicone, and epoxy glues must not be used. A template for the cut-out is supplied, and the basin should be installed by a qualified plumber. The waste suits a standard 50mm assembly.

Cutting the opening

Both the Luna 45 litre and the Urbane II 45 litre are overmount sinks, and each comes with a cut-out template. The Luna template is 634mm by 462mm with a 5mm corner radius, and the Urbane II 45 litre template is 610mm by 460mm with the same radius. Mark the opening with the template, check the dimensions twice and cut exactly, because the fit depends on a precise cut. Fixing clips lock the sink to the underside of the benchtop. A standard benchtop takes the clips supplied, and a thicker benchtop needs extension clips.

Check the tap position before you cut, so the tap hole and the cut-out agree. Put silicone between the waste grate and the outlet when you fit the waste.

Mounting and the benchtop

Most of these sinks sit on top of the benchtop. An inset sink drops into a cut-out with its rim on the bench, so it suits almost any bench, including laminate and timber, and the rim covers the cut edge. The silicone along the rim can peel over time, so check it when you clean. An undermount sink is fixed beneath the bench, so there is no rim, and it needs a waterproof solid surface such as engineered stone or granite. The Urbane II tubs are inset and the Metro 35 is sealed to the top by its rim.

The Urbane II tubs come with a fixing kit as well as a basket waste. Colour is simple: the stainless steel sinks are stainless, and the Cubus and Metro are white. Overflow varies. The Cubus and Metro have one, and the Single 45L has none.

Choosing the tap

The tap hole count differs across the range, so choose the tap and the sink together. The Luna has a tap landing and one tap hole for a mixer. The Cubus comes with one tap hole only. The Urbane II 45 and 70 litre tubs come with no tap hole or one. The Metro 35 comes with none, one on the left or one on the right, and the tap hole position follows the bypass position. The Metro is designed for a tap flow of up to 15 litres a minute. A sink with no tap hole needs a wall-mounted tap or a tap set into the benchtop, and laundry taps covers both.

What a laundry has to have

The National Construction Code requires at least one washtub in a house or apartment that has a laundry, and a kitchen sink or washbasin cannot be counted as that washtub. If you would like a tub that comes with its own cabinet, see laundry sink and cabinet units.

Caring for a Caroma laundry sink

On stainless steel, rinse with warm water after use and wipe with a mild detergent and a soft cloth, following the grain. Dry with a microfibre cloth to prevent water spots. Keep abrasive powders, bleach, chlorine-based cleaners and steel wool away from the sink. On a ceramic basin, use a non-abrasive cleaner and handle the surface gently. Look under the sink each month for leaks and moisture, and replace the silicone every three to five years.

Match the sink to the laundry

Before you order

Run four checks. Measure the cut-out against the overall size of the sink. Choose the mounting method to suit the bench. Confirm which fittings come in the box. The full range from every maker is in laundry sinks.