Oliveri laundry collection buying guide
This page holds one Oliveri laundry tub: the Laundry 45L undermount tub, in 304 stainless steel with no tap hole. It is the right sink for a stone or solid surface bench where you want a clean line with no rim. It is the wrong sink for a laminate or timber bench, because an undermount sink needs a waterproof solid bench. The rest of this page sets out the size, the fitting and the care, and points to the right page if the bench or the plumbing calls for something else.
The Oliveri Laundry 45L undermount tub
| Detail | Oliveri Laundry 45L undermount tub |
|---|---|
| Sink size | 590mm by 470mm |
| Bowl size | 520mm by 400mm, 235mm deep |
| Capacity | 45 litres |
| Material | 304 grade 18/10 polished stainless steel, 0.9mm thick |
| Construction | Single piece |
| Fitting | Undermount |
| Tap hole | None |
| Waste | 90mm basket waste included |
| Minimum cabinet size | 700mm |
| Weight | 9.0kg |
The bowl is a single deep basin of 45 litres, which is the size that covers most laundry routines: soaking stained clothes, hand-washing, rinsing and filling a bucket. It is made as a single piece of polished stainless steel. The tub weighs 9kg, and the cabinet needs to be at least 700mm wide to take it.
Laundry tub, sink or trough
Laundry sink, laundry tub, laundry trough, utility sink and wash tub all name the same deep, heavy-duty basin. A laundry sink takes the jobs a kitchen sink or bathroom basin should not. Stained clothes get soaked in it, delicates get washed by hand, mop buckets get filled and emptied, and muddy shoes, pet gear and garden tools get rinsed. That is the difference between a laundry sink and a kitchen sink: the laundry sink is deeper and larger, because the work is bulkier and wetter.
The National Construction Code calls it a washtub and requires at least one in any house or apartment that has a laundry. A kitchen sink or washbasin cannot be counted as that washtub, so every laundry needs one.
How large and how deep
Laundry sinks are sized in litres. Compact tubs start at 16 litres, mid-size tubs run from 35 to 45 litres, and the largest hold 70 litres. Litres tell you how much the bowl holds. Depth decides whether a bucket fits under the tap and whether the water stays in the bowl while you work, so look at both. At 45 litres and 235mm deep, this tub sits in the middle of the range, and a single bowl in this size covers most laundry routines. The 70 litre sinks suit mop buckets, bulky bedding and washing a pet, but they need more bench space and a deeper cabinet.
Why undermount, and what it needs
An undermount sink is fixed beneath the bench. There is no rim, so crumbs sweep straight into the bowl, and the bench stays flat and easy to wipe. The fitting method decides what the bench can be, and it is the choice hardest to undo later. An undermount sink needs a waterproof solid bench such as engineered stone, granite, marble or concrete, and never laminate or timber. The sink is held by clips and adhesive, grime collects in the silicone join, and an exposed stone edge can chip if a heavy bucket is knocked against it. The sink is also harder to replace than a topmount sink, because it is effectively glued in, and a poor installation risks the sink coming away. Leave the fitting to a professional.
Bench thickness matters too. A bench thicker than 30mm needs its underside machined to take an undermount sink, so tell the stone supplier which sink you are fitting. The fixings for this tub are available on request, so ask for them when you order. Silicone around the sink needs replacing every three to five years, and it is worth checking the sealant, the clips and the screws each month.
No tap hole
This tub has no tap hole, so the tap goes elsewhere. A tap on the bench beside the sink needs a hole drilled in the stone, and a wall-mounted tap needs the wall plumbed for it before the sink goes in. Choose the tap before you order the sink and tell the stone supplier, because the number and position of the tap holes limit which tap fits. Laundry taps are the matching category.
Overflow and waste
The tub comes with a 90mm basket waste. It has no overflow as supplied, and an overflow is a special order option, so decide before you order if you want one. A basket waste is supplied with some sinks and sold separately with others, and this one includes it. Check the box contents before you order a sink from any maker, so that nothing is bought twice.
Grade 304 stainless steel
Grade 304 stainless steel is about 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel, which is why it is also called 18/10. That gives it corrosion resistance, though no stainless steel is completely rustproof. Stainless steel is light, it resists heat, stains do not take, and it copes with laundry detergents. Thicker steel dents and flexes less, and it sounds less tinny when something heavy lands in the bowl. The sheet figure for this tub is 0.9mm.
Polished stainless steel
This tub is polished stainless steel. Satin stainless hides scratches and water marks better than a mirror polish, so a polished sink shows marks sooner and rewards a quick wipe and dry after use. Sound-deadening pads under a bowl quieten the noise of a bucket or a tap.
Stainless steel, ceramic or stone
Stainless steel is the practical call for most laundries. Fireclay and ceramic suit a classic or Hamptons laundry. The surface is hard and non-porous, so it resists scratches and stains, but these sinks are heavy, the cabinet beneath has to be built to carry them, and a heavy object dropped on the rim or the base can chip the surface. A few stone and solid surface sinks are also made. Colour mostly follows material: stainless steel reads silver, ceramic and fireclay are most often white, and a black sink suits a darker laundry with more contrast.
Cutting the opening
All dimensions on a sheet are approximate, and they should be checked before installation. The actual sink is the best guide to its own size, so give the stone supplier the tub itself, and not the drawing, before the cut-out is made. Check the tap position against the opening at the same time.
Caring for an Oliveri sink
Clean every surface with a mild liquid detergent or soap and water. To keep the shine, use a non-abrasive stainless steel cleaner or a metal polish. Dry the sink with a microfibre cloth to prevent water spots, and keep abrasive powders, bleach, chlorine-based cleaners and steel wool away from the steel. A baking soda paste is a gentle option for stubborn marks. Look under the sink each month for leaks and moisture.
The best sink for a laundry room
For most households the right call is a single deep bowl in stainless steel. It gives one uninterrupted basin for soaking and hand-washing, with room to fill a bucket, and only one drain to plumb. A double bowl suits a laundry that runs two tasks at once, but the divider limits what lies flat in either bowl and the second drain adds plumbing. One large bowl is often a better answer than two small ones. Fit it undermount if the bench is stone or another waterproof solid surface, and topmount if the bench is laminate or timber.
If the bench or the plumbing calls for something else
If the bench is laminate or timber, choose a topmount tub. The full range from every maker is on stainless steel laundry sinks, and it includes sinks made for either fitting. For a classic or Hamptons laundry, see ceramic laundry sinks, and for a black sink, black laundry sinks. If you want a tub that arrives on its own cabinet, look at laundry sink and cabinet units. For a tight room, small laundry solutions is the page to start with.
Other makers have their own pages: Clark laundry sinks, Caroma laundry sinks, Fienza laundry sinks and Seima laundry sinks. The whole group is in laundry sinks, and the Oliveri brand is on the Oliveri page.
Match the sink to the laundry
| If your laundry has | Choose |
|---|---|
| A stone or solid surface bench | The Oliveri 45L undermount tub |
| A laminate or timber bench | A topmount tub from the stainless steel range |
| A wall-mounted tap | The Oliveri tub, which has no tap hole |
| A cabinet at least 700mm wide | The Oliveri 45L undermount tub |
| A need for an overflow | The Oliveri tub as a special order, or a sink supplied with one |
| A classic or Hamptons look | A ceramic sink |
Before you order
Run four checks. Confirm that the bench is stone or another waterproof solid surface, and that the cabinet is at least 700mm wide. Choose the tap and its position first. Decide if you want an overflow. Ask the stone supplier to cut for the actual sink.
