I just did exactly that with a non-flimsy splitleaf louvred closet door (hinges on both sides) that was preventing me from opening chests of drawers inside the closet. Don’t know what I’ll do for a permanent solution, but I need the full width of that closet doorframe space dammit.
And yeah, if there’s a washer-dryer stack in a closet right next to garage entrance, that says “utility room” to me and I don’t need it hidden behind a closet door.
If it were me, I’d start with @bobsmom101 says in very first reply, and look for a smaller drain pan. Take a tape measure to the existing one, then spend 10 minutes on the web and see if you can find one that is enough smaller for the doors to close, but still big enough to go under the washer.
It will probably take 3 adults to swap out the drain pain, but if it works is going to be very inexpensive.
While down there with the tape measure, I’d also shine a flashlight into the pan and look for evidence of dried water stains or fresh water. If either of those exist, then you’re down a path that could be as simple as slightly tightening a hose, to new hoses or appliances.
Standing water will damage those floors, but something breaking will overflow the drain pan very quickly. It’s really only good for slow leaks, which probably should just be fixed.
If you do want major renovations. My laundry setup looked very similar to yours, with the cupboard and hanging bar. I stacked the full size washer and dryer which cleared up lots of floor space to hold a vacuum or whatever.
I think we maybe noticed something was off with the left closet door, but it didn’t seem disastrous, and even if it had been this bad then, it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. I have to assume this issue can be fixed with a little ingenuity.
I’m not sure what a subfloor is, but I reckon that the washer is directly over the utility room in the basement. Or pretty close to it.
This place was built in 1996 if it matters.
I suggested this to my husband (we are hurting for closet space) and he found the thought of it overwhelming. In all fairness, we have a lot going on. Still unpacking and all that.
We did it several months after we moved in when we replaced the very old washer and dryer with new front loading models. We did shop with the explicit plan of stacking them, which made sorting it out much easier than trying to fight with old ones that might not even be stackable.
Hah, as soon as I saw your thread title I knew what kind of door design you were dealing with. We have similar closet doors at our house, and I hate them. When they work properly and stay in their grooves, they look nice, but they are a PITA and have a tendency to derail.
Anyway, one option would be to remove them, and instead of tacky looking curtains, buy a pretty screen.
I’ve linked to pictures of Egyptian ones, simply because we have a Mashribeya screen identical to one of the photos, and it makes an excellent substitute for a door - it’s easy to swing one of the panels open as needed and it is insanely beautiful. But if you don’t like that style or can’t find something that swings out as needed in a Mashribeya style, a simple Japanese or Chinese-style screen might do the trick. (They also make fabulous carved wood screens in Indonesia, but we ended up selling ours because it was too unwieldy.)
I’d trim the bottom of the doors down like others suggested. If they come off the track easy enough you just need somebody with s couple saw horses and a circular saw. The ends where the bottom of the doors attach at the bottom brackets would have to stay full length however. It would take someone 5 minutes to do this.
If they are wooden. Cutting will work.
I would be very leery of removing the drain pan, myself - as others have suggested, find one that fits. As much of a nuisance as it is, there’s a good chance that it’s there because there has been flooding in the past.
These appear to be hollow core doors and if so be aware, if you aren’t already, that should you decide to cut them down to size that there’s only so much actual wood in the top and bottom rails.
While my first thought would be to get rid of the “over flow” pan (it’s not deep enough to make an actual difference) but the picture does seem to show evidence of water pooling. Given that, and those hardwood floors, I agree with echoreply, look for a drain pan that fits.
The solenoid valve for our freezer’s ice maker failed and fortunately all the damage was behind the freezer, but one soaking was enough to permanently damage the oak flooring.
Start there. Also, is the pan is dimensioned such that you could turn it 90 degrees?
It does look like there’s enough room to rehang the doors but none of the pictures show if that would be enough to make any difference.
Since I know nothing of any condo regulations or building code you may have mandating the drain pan, or whether the drain pan might be part of a system that’s actually plumbed to a drain, the following is just personal opinion.
The drain pan seems to be causing all sorts of major issues. FWIW, in my two-storey house the laundry room is on the second floor, which I find extremely convenient. There is no drain pan under the washer and personally I see no need for one. The real risk is a burst hose, which happened to me a great many years ago and completely flooded the basement, but that was just a cheap rubber hose. You absolutely must use armoured hoses, and even if the current ones are armoured, as @Chefguy says it wouldn’t be a bad idea to replace them with high quality new ones.
The frustrating thing to me about that stupid drain pan is that if a hose did burst, or the washer suddenly sprung a major leak, it would be about as useful as trying to stop Niagara Falls with a child’s toy bucket. It’s really only good for small drip leaks and in my entire life I’ve never had a washer do that.
I’m not saying you should just remove the drain pan, just expressing my surprise that there is such a thing. Finding a smaller one that doesn’t interfere with the doors may be a good compromise. As for what to do about the broken doors, yes, a local handyman with good reviews is the way to go.
Ask one of your neighbors with a similar unit to show you how they solved the problem. There is most likely lived experience wisdom all around you.
For instance, those drain pans are available in various sizes. Maybe yours can be exchanged for a slightly smaller one in the front to back dimension.
…. Common sizes include:
How to Choose the Right Size
To find the perfect fit, measure the width and depth of your washing machine’s base and add at least 1 to 2 inches to each side. This extra clearance ensures the machine fits comfortably inside the pan. For instance, if your washer measures 27 × 29 inches, you would want an inside dimension (ID) of at least 29 × 31 inches.[1, 2, 3, 4]
We’re in the midst of a stagnant heat wave that is covering the state, with humidity up around 70. And more to come. And yes, drug stores routinely give Covid boosters. I wasn’t aware that I implied otherwise.
One thing to consider, vis-a-vis the drain pan, is that not all washing machine leaks are catastrophic.
Some things are as relatively minor as a leaky door gasket (primarily on a front-loader), or a bad “washer” (ie, the gasket/seal at a fitting, a pump, etc). A drain pan isn’t going to do much if there’s a 20 gallon drum failure or a burst hose/failed valve, but it may buy you a lot of time in a slow leak situation.
Much like seat belts, air bags, motorcycle helmets, or N95 masks … it’s basically about shifting the odds in your favor.
It’s a classic passive solution. I like passive solutions 
I’m here to endorse the idea of replacing the bifolds with a curtain.
Noren is a Japanese style of door curtain, often screen printed or solid colored. I would use them with an adjustable swing arm curtain rod bracket to open the space when needing to do laundry.
ETA: Congratulations on your new home!
I hate bifold closet doors for just this reason. Without reading the thread, I think your best solution would be track mounted sliding barn doors. Downside: one side of the closet will always be closed, so if you can’t fit them past the washer tray it would limit access to the other side of the closet. Upside: they will never block access to the garage door. Also, if the tray interferes you may be able to close that side by only using the top track and pulling the bottom of the door out. Not the cleanest solution, but probably your best bet without removing the doors entirely.
Two great points here:
and
Speaking from my former life as a condo prez / de facto manager … Both these things are key ideas you should take to heart.
Don’t remove the pan until you know, by searching your condo docs and asking your management company property manager, that it isn’t required. Lest you invalidate your insurance and pick up personal liability for any other units you damage.
Likewise you really need to know if it’s plumbed into a drain or not.
I looked at the photo album of pictures. A hanging sliding barn type door wouldn’t work in that space.
I like the idea of it. But I don’t believe it’s an option.
Ok. It’s determined;
First, need to check Condo rules and regulations.
Need to check if the drain pan is plumbed in.
What the sub floor is. What’s directly underneath the utility closet.
What the door is made of.
Is that all?
I looked at the pictures too. Yes it would if a double rail was mounted to the outside of the wall above the door. As I said though, one side would always be closed because there’s no room on the sides.
As for removing the drain pan - I wouldn’t if this is not on the ground floor, and especially if someone else owns the unit below it. Insurance might not cover any damage or liability if the drain pan is removed.