What Is a Utility Room?
A utility room (called "cuarto de lavado" or "lavadero" in Spanish) is a space in your house where you often do laundry, store cleaning supplies, and sometimes even fix things. It might have a washer and dryer, an ironing board, cleaning products, and other items needed for household tasks. In this tutorial, we'll introduce you to the vocabulary related to this room in Spanish.
Basic Vocabulary for the Utility Room
Let’s start with the basics. These are the key items you’ll find in most utility rooms. Below, we’ll provide the Spanish word, its pronunciation, and the English translation.
Common Utility Room Items
Spanish |
Pronunciation |
English |
El lavadero |
[lah-vah-DEH-roh] |
Utility room/laundry room |
La lavadora |
[lah-vah-DOH-rah] |
Washing machine |
La secadora |
[seh-kah-DOH-rah] |
Dryer |
El detergente |
[deh-tehr-HEN-teh] |
Detergent |
El suavizante |
[swah-vee-SAN-teh] |
Fabric softener |
La plancha |
[PLAN-chah] |
Iron |
La tabla de planchar |
[TAH-blah deh plan-CHAR] |
Ironing board |
El cesto de la ropa |
[SES-toh deh lah ROH-pah] |
Laundry basket |
El tendedero |
[ten-deh-DEH-roh] |
Clothesline |
La escoba |
[ehs-KOH-bah] |
Broom |
El trapeador |
[trah-peh-ah-DOR] |
Mop |
El recogedor |
[reh-koh-heh-DOR] |
Dustpan |
El cubo |
[KOO-boh] |
Bucket |
Laundry-Related Vocabulary
When doing laundry, there are specific tasks and items you'll encounter. Let's learn the words for these in Spanish:
Spanish |
Pronunciation |
English |
Lavar la ropa |
[lah-VAHR lah ROH-pah] |
To wash clothes |
Secar la ropa |
[seh-KAHR lah ROH-pah] |
To dry clothes |
Planchar la ropa |
[plan-CHAR lah ROH-pah] |
To iron clothes |
Doblar la ropa |
[doh-BLAR lah ROH-pah] |
To fold clothes |
Colgar la ropa |
[kohl-GAHR lah ROH-pah] |
To hang clothes |
Detergente líquido |
[deh-tehr-HEN-teh LEE-kee-doh] |
Liquid detergent |
Polvo de detergente |
[POHL-voh deh deh-tehr-HEN-teh] |
Powder detergent |
Cleaning Supplies Vocabulary
Utility rooms often double as a storage area for cleaning products and tools. Let’s look at the names of these items in Spanish.
Cleaning Tools
Spanish |
Pronunciation |
English |
La aspiradora |
[ahs-pee-rah-DOH-rah] |
Vacuum cleaner |
La fregona |
[freh-GOH-nah] |
Mop (used in Spain) |
El paño |
[PAH-nyoh] |
Cloth/Rag |
El plumero |
[ploo-MEH-roh] |
Duster |
El limpiacristales |
[leem-pee-ah-krees-TAH-les] |
Window cleaner |
El jabón |
[hah-BOHN] |
Soap |
El líquido limpiador |
[LEE-kee-doh leem-pee-ah-DOR] |
Cleaning liquid |
La esponja |
[ehs-POHN-hah] |
Sponge |
Household Maintenance Items
Sometimes, the utility room is also where you keep tools and items for household repairs. Here are some of the most common words you might need:
Spanish |
Pronunciation |
English |
El martillo |
[mahr-TEE-yoh] |
Hammer |
El destornillador |
[dehs-tor-nee-yah-DOR] |
Screwdriver |
Los clavos |
[KLAH-vohs] |
Nails |
Los tornillos |
[tor-NEE-yohs] |
Screws |
La llave inglesa |
[YAH-veh een-gleh-SAH] |
Wrench |
La cinta adhesiva |
[SEEN-tah ahd-heh-SEE-vah] |
Adhesive tape |
El taladro |
[tah-LAH-droh] |
Drill |
Useful Verbs Related to the Utility Room
Now that you know the objects, let's go over some useful action verbs that will help you describe what happens in the utility room. Here are some common verbs you might use when talking about the tasks you do in the utility room:
Spanish |
Pronunciation |
English |
Limpiar |
[leem-PYAR] |
To clean |
Fregar |
[freh-GAR] |
To scrub/mop (used in Spain) |
Barrer |
[bah-RER] |
To sweep |
Lavar |
[lah-VAHR] |
To wash |
Secar |
[seh-KAR] |
To dry |
Planchar |
[plan-CHAR] |
To iron |
Guardar |
[gwahr-DAR] |
To store/put away |
Organizar |
[or-gah-nee-SAR] |
To organize |
Describing the Utility Room
Once you have the vocabulary, it’s important to know how to describe the room itself. Here are some phrases that might be useful when describing a utility room in Spanish:
- El lavadero es pequeño – The utility room is small.
- Hay una lavadora y una secadora en el lavadero – There is a washing machine and a dryer in the utility room.
- Guardo los productos de limpieza en el armario del lavadero – I store the cleaning products in the utility room cupboard.
- El tendedero está en la esquina del lavadero – The clothesline is in the corner of the utility room.
Example Sentences Using Utility Room Vocabulary
Here are some practical examples of how you can use the utility room vocabulary in sentences. Try to practice these sentences and use them in your daily conversations:
Voy a lavar la ropa en la lavadora.
I’m going to wash the clothes in the washing machine.
Después de lavar la ropa, la voy a secar en la secadora.
After washing the clothes, I’m going to dry them in the dryer.
Necesito más detergente para lavar la ropa.
I need more detergent to wash the clothes.
Voy a barrer el piso del lavadero con la escoba.
I’m going to sweep the floor of the utility room with the broom.
Guarda el detergente en el armario, por favor.
Put the detergent away in the cupboard, please.
Additional Tips for Learning Spanish Vocabulary
When learning new words, especially in a new language like Spanish, it’s a good idea to follow some simple tips to help you remember:
- Practice frequently: The more you use the words, the easier they will be to remember.
- Label items in your house: Put labels on things in your utility room to help reinforce the words.
- Use apps or flashcards: There are many language learning apps where you can create flashcards for vocabulary practice.
- Speak out loud: Practice saying the words and phrases out loud to build your confidence.
- Watch videos or read books: Look for Spanish-language videos, tutorials, or books that mention household tasks and items. This will help you hear the vocabulary in context.
Quiz: Test Your Utility Room Vocabulary in Spanish
To wrap things up, let’s test your knowledge with a short quiz. Try to answer the following questions and see how much you’ve learned about the vocabulary for the utility room.
Multiple Choice Questions
- ¿Cómo se dice "washing machine" en español?
- a) La secadora
- b) La lavadora
- c) La plancha
- ¿Qué significa "el cubo" en inglés?
- a) Mop
- b) Bucket
- c) Broom
- ¿Cuál de estas palabras se usa para "to sweep"?
- a) Limpiar
- b) Barrer
- c) Fregar
- ¿Qué es "la escoba"?
- a) Duster
- b) Broom
- c) Iron
- ¿Cómo se dice "laundry basket" en español?
- a) El cesto de la ropa
- b) El tendedero
- c) La secadora
Fill in the Blanks
- Uso la ________ para colgar la ropa después de lavarla. (Hint: It's used to hang clothes.)
- Después de planchar la ropa, la voy a ________. (Hint: What do you do after ironing clothes?)
- Necesito más ________ para limpiar el piso. (Hint: You need this for mopping or cleaning floors.)
True or False
- El "detergente" se usa para secar la ropa. (True/False)
- "La secadora" se utiliza para lavar la ropa. (True/False)
Answers to the Quiz:
- b) La lavadora
- b) Bucket
- b) Barrer
- b) Broom
- a) El cesto de la ropa
- Tendedero
- Doblar
- Detergente
- False
- False
By learning the vocabulary for the utility room in Spanish, you've gained essential words and phrases that can help you navigate conversations about household chores and tasks. Keep practicing, and soon enough, you’ll feel comfortable using these words in everyday conversations. Don’t forget to review the quiz and challenge yourself regularly. Happy learning!