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Looking for a laundry pickup and delivery service?

Not sure what to look for? Here are four things to consider.

With other chores like grocery shopping, dog walking, and lawn care available at the click of a button, why not laundry?

Whether you’re a family-homeowner with a washer & dryer who needs a helping hand, or a young renter without access to a washer and dryer, The Folde’s laundry pick up service proves that laundry is another chore you outsource––to local experts like us. But with delivery laundry services becoming more mainstream, there are some considerations you should make before sending your clothes out for cleaning.

So, how do you find a reliable laundry service near you? Here are some tips to consider as you begin searching.

#1: Do you know who is doing your laundry?

Whatever you need – there’s an app for that. But, is that always a good thing?

While you might not care who is delivering your pizza, you should care who is doing your laundry. With the rise of middle-man apps that pair you with the closest, cheapest, (insert any other superlative here) service provider, you have no idea who is picking up, cleaning, and delivering your clothes. And, this likely changes order-to-order based on however the middle man app chooses to schedules your service.

These providers even opt to send orders to individuals to wash at their home instead of a professional company operating in a professional laundry facility.

Mark Vlaskamp, co-founder of The Folde explains “It didn’t exist! And, we wanted it – so we made it. An all-inclusive laundry service that at the click of a button could handle the abuse we put our clothes through on a daily basis. It needed to be somewhere between an old-school laundromat and the trendy, new delivery service apps you see everywhere these days.”

“We wanted it to be a quick & convenient service that we would use. But, we needed it to be the quality of service that our moms would use. So, we built a state of the art laundry production facility staffed by W2-employed, laundry care specialists – not independent contractors. We keep everything in house.”

#2: How is the laundry treated and packaged for delivery?

The traditional laundromat wash and fold service has two goals: clean the clothes as fast as possible and as cheap as possible.

This means that the intangible treatment that you’d expect from a professional service might be overlooked. Does the company offer customizations to their treatment? Can you select your detergent, softener, and bleach options?

In addition to additives, the packaging and presentation is a big factor when deciding on quality. At The Folde, we believe wash and fold doesn’t mean wash it, fold it, and stuff it back into one big wrinkled mess. That’s why we offer crisp and beautifully folded laundry service in drawer-ready packaging. This means your clothes are returned in individual drawer-ready bags aimed at getting your laundry organized and ready for the drawer. Saving two hours on laundry doesn’t mean much if you have to spend hours hauling a big bag around between rooms to get the clothes sorted.

#3: What is the average laundry pick up service turnaround time?

You’ll find a wide range of turnaround times when scouting potential laundry services. Traditional laundromats boast two-hour turnaround times while a dry cleaner usually asks for three-days with wash & fold laundry. We’ve found that good laundry services treat turnaround time like a pool cleaning or maid service – not an Uber ride. Scheduling it out in advance is important and you’ll find between one and two days is to be expected.

Laundry is delicate. And, we take it seriously at The Folde. From our drawer-ready packaging, stain treatment, hang-dry options, and complimentary steam treatment of collared shirts, dresses, and blouses, we know that doing it right takes time.

With a little bit of forethought and planning, our one-day turnaround is easy to plan for. And, it’s delivered straight to your door.

As a premium, all-inclusive laundry service, our goal is to bring you a premium laundry product at an affordable and predictable price. There are local, old-school laundromats that offer entry-level pre-pound pricing and there are other software companies out there offering quicker turnarounds. Be careful. Be sure you know who is doing your laundry when you order online and make sure to check the quality before dropping your clothes off at a low-cost or quick-turnaround provider.

The Folde currently offers a standard two-day delivery and an express next-day laundry delivery for an additional $5.

#4: Do they offer transparent, predictable pricing?

Conventional wash and fold laundry services are priced by the pound. This means prices can vary from a dollar per pound to well over a few dollars per pound – usually with peak pricing on weekends. If you’re having your clothes picked up and delivered, this means you have no idea what you will be paying until the clothes are returned.

Given the choice, do you think the service provider will weigh your clothes before cleaning – where dampness, dirt, and everyday-debris is included in the weight? Or will they weigh the clothes after they’ve been cleaned – usually resulting in a 7-10% weight reduction? Not to mention the sharp spike in pricing when you send your towels, jeans, and heavier winter clothing…

A good per-pound provider will include a photo of the scale as proof of your order totals – weighed after the clothes have been washed, dried, and folded. But that doesn’t fix the variability that’s hard to budget for.

At The Folde, our flat-rate wash & fold pricing makes laundry predictable and affordable. We’ve eliminated the hassle and sticker shock of per pound pricing. Stuff your bags full; it doesn’t change the price!

Ready to get started with delivery laundry service?

Wash and fold laundry and dry cleaning delivery in Austin & Houston, Texas.

The Folde offers a laundry pick up service in Austin and Houston, Texas.
The Folde laundry bags make laundry delivery easy for Austin or Houston, Texas residents.
Laundry services from The Folde delivers fresh, clean laundry right to your door.
The Folde takes care to clean and fold your clothes, or get them ready to hang in your closet.