Laundry day at the laundromat can get a bad wrap. Some people think making the trip to their local laundromat can be a pain. Trust us, as a laundry delivery service with a new spin on laundromats, we know the hassle of taking loads of laundry to a laundromat – only to be disappointed by the facility. The strain some laundromats can take on your time, money, and comfort is something we want to help you with. We think trips to the laundromat should be enjoyable!
To lighten this “load,” read on for four important tips to make your laundromat trip as smooth as possible!
1. Separate Your Load Before Your Trips to the Laundromat
By pre-planning and sorting your laundry loads before your trips to the laundromat, you will save time and energy compared to doing it on the spot. If you are washing at peak laundromat times, you might not have enough space to comfortably spread out to separate all of your laundry loads.
We recommend separating your whites, light colors, and dark colors before arriving at the laundromat. It’s easier to do this in the comfort of your own home than it is to do at a public laundromat. Within the whites, lights, and darks color groups, as Russian nesting dolls, sort by fabric; heavier materials such as towels and linens should not be blended with delicate blouses, slacks, lingerie, etc.
To save even more time prior to taking the trip to the laundromat, this step can be done at the same time you and your family throw items into the hamper on a daily basis. Do this by simply using labeled or sectioned hampers to differentiate between piles. As carrying loads to and from the laundry can be tedious, try to find an easy-to-carry laundry bag such as The Folde’s laundry bags or rolling baskets, which can also double for storing dirty laundry during the week. Most laundromats will have rolling laundry carts for you to use while you are using the machines. However, you can’t always count on this during peak laundromat times.
Presorting allows sufficient time and space to avoid mixing the wrong garments together, preventing the surprise of having your favorite dress shirt discolored or a brand new pair of pants shrunken.
2. Double-Check the Machines Before Loading Your Laundry
Before throwing your load into the washer or dryer, double-check inside the machines for leftover clothing, detergent, bleach residue, or other unwanted substances that could potentially damage your load.
We recommend carrying a towel or rag for a quick wipe-down of the machine inside and soaking up residual bleach from automatic dispensers, especially if the load is non-whites. Be extra cautious and do a quick machine inspection before placing your load inside, and be sure to notify an attendant if something is working improperly or stained dirty.
For the dryers, you’ll want to make sure the lint filter is clean prior to starting the dryer to prevent fires and speed up the drying process. For this reason, it may be useful to carry a soft cleaning brush and scrubber on your trip to the laundromat to make any last-minute clean-ups easier. However, most modern laundromats that are staffed during business hours have the laundromat employees cleaning machines regularly in between customer loads.
3. Trips to the Laundromat: Bring Hangers to Avoid Post-Laundry Wrinkling
Thinking ahead, if you’d like to avoid ironing after the washing and drying process, bring hangers with transportable clothing bags to immediately hang clothing after being removed from the dryer. Another tip to prevent wrinkles is by fluffing clothes after they are washed before being put in the dryer. Additionally, bringing hangers to your laundromat trip allows you to also get one step ahead for prepping your clothes to return to their home – your closet – by separating folded and hung items.
If you choose to fold your clothes at the laundromat while they are still warm, be sure to do so in a manner that prevents wrinkling, like how The Folde utilizes individual drawer-ready bags aimed at keeping laundry ready for the drawer.
4. Choose a Laundromat Wisely
Lastly, be sure to choose a laundromat with plenty of amenities such as high-speed WiFi, refreshments or vending, on-site attendants, modern machines, etc., for your comfort and enjoyment if you choose to wait for your load.
If you don’t want to carry quarters around, be sure to find a laundromat with multiple payment methods. Machines that only accept coins tend to be outdated and less efficient. Most modern laundromats offer payment by cash, credit card, or internal laundry card.
If you would like to multitask during your laundry, using a timer can allow you to return without letting your laundry linger unsupervised at the laundromat. It’s also common laundromat courtesy to not leave your laundry in a machine for too long. This prevents the next customer from having access to the machines necessary to clean their laundry.
