Comments on: Declaring laundry bankruptcy: How to use the laundromat to get your laundry routine under control

By: LRZ

LRZ — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:42:46 +0000

Interesting reading. What I can’t believe is how few people use an outside line. I don’t have a dryer, well I do but I’ve never really used it as it was 2nd hand and dosn’t work anymore. All my clothes are hung outside to dry. I have a husband and two children but I do a weeks washing in half a day. I have a twin tub washing machine and I usually wash Mon morning and have it all done and hanging outside by lunch time. Then by tea time it is dry, folded, and put away. The ironing is done Tuesday. Yes it is labour intesive but guess what? I only use 1 scoop of powder for a whole weeks washing and only use about 200 litres water max. That is what some automatics use for 1 load!!!

By: MSJNT

MSJNT — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:39:09 +0000

About a year ago, my apartment complex went to wash cards. These are like cards that you load with money. It did away with the hunt for quarters every time. I spend $1.25 to wash and $1.00 to dry. Our laundry room is not the best. It is moldy, full of cobwebs, and one of the dryers is broken in a good way. It works without using your wash card. My problem is that the washer don’t accommodate big items. I am planning to take my comforters and blankets to the laundromat. Plus, since it is the summer season, I am going to for go the dryer on my uniform and hang them in my bathroom. I am trying to save money than to dump so much on my wash card every month.

By: Greg

Greg — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:52:23 +0000

I appreciate the view of Louise, the curtailed laundry rogue. Like her, I feel that it is unnecessary to launder clothes so often. We tend to wear until dirty or smelly, make sure to give the sniff test, and proceed as needed.

Granted, depending on where you live, your diet and your choice of attire, this may vary. For example, if you eat highly processed foods, your body will excrete more oils, toxins, urea and lactic acid through sweating. The latter two are more commonplace for everyone regardless of diet, but certainly the quantity of these will increase with a poor diet.

If you live in New York and sweat a lot, you probably should change your undergarments daily, but perhaps not your trousers. You might think about purchasing clothing that breathes a bit better, effectively evaporating excessive sweat and in turn keeping your attire more fresh.

If you live in Washington, Alaska, or perhaps winter has rolled around, you can easily get away with laundering less often, saving yourself money and saving your clothes from wearing out so quickly.

My point is, don’t wash your clothes arbitrarily after wearing them only once. Think about it before tossing it into the hamper. Perhaps its not as as bad as you think.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:18:53 +0000

I will have to agree as well. I find that the laundromat services offer faster, larger machines. and you can do all your loads at the same time.

10 times better then the apartment washers, which in every apartment I have lived in has been old, slow and dirty. plus you get the rude tenants that take your loads out the minute they are done, not giving you the courteous 10 min to come get them.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:44:35 +0000

Erin,

This is a great post! Most people living in apartments don’t understand how much easier it is to just get all their laundry done at once at a Laundromat. I personally on several Laundromats, and my customers love the fact that they don’t have to wait in line at their apartment to use a small washer, or take all day to do the wash.

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 11:10:38 +0000

I’ve been living in an apartment with a laundromat for just over a year. I detest the laundry arrangement, but refuse to let it get to me as it would only make matters worse. To make it all livable, I’ve done the following: First, I found a small cart (the kind little old ladies take shopping). It is approximately 18″X22″X30″ deep, and has four wheels, and it beats the heck out of lugging a “too small basket” around. I sort my laundry in the apartment, then throw it in the cart in layers. I put my detergent bottle on top of the mess, dryer sheets for each load in my pocket, quarters (which I buy by the roll) in a quart size zip lock bag, and roll on down to the laundromat 140 yards away. I do all of it at once, usually four machines, using warm water on the energy saving cycle. This allows the process to take less time because it fills water faster and the energy saving cycles are slightly shorter. I return to my apartment while it cycles. There I set my oven timer to go off about the time the wash will be done, and I can accomplish other things without having to watch a clock. I then return to put it all in the dryers. Again, back to the apartment and my timer’s set. I gather as many hangers as I think I’ll need, and head back down about about 5 minutes before the drying is done. When the drying cycle ends, I pull all those hanging items first to avoid wrinkles. I then fold T shirts, jeans, and towels and stack them in the cart. Underwear and socks go back in the cart in a heap, and I organize and fold them in the apartment. I Strive to get it all done as quickly as possible, and avoid ironing, period. I figure that items really needing ironing will get it when it’s actually needed–the day I wear it. I don’t do all this because I’m analytical or even really organized. I do it because I want to avoid prolonging the suffering, and because it allows me to multitask by getting other household chores done while doing laundry. Things that don’t get quite dry enough go onto the retractable clothesline I’ve installed on my little patio. It all works out pretty well, and I probably do it about every two weeks. The cart’s a lifesaver.

By: hiccup42

hiccup42 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:21:17 +0000

I’m a student living in a flat with three friends. We have a washer, but no dryer, but I don’t like using it because its connected directly to our hot water tank, so it doesn’t do cold washes. I’m fortunate enough to live in the same city as my parents, so I take a load of lights or darks or reds or sheets or something with me when I go visit on a weekend. Sometimes I’m doing other things on weekends and don’t get anything done. I don’t change my clothes every day, and I have a lot of underwear. I change my bed sheets every 2-3 weeks (I’m not a sweaty person!), although sometimes I have to take both sets home with me the same weekend so I can have clean ones when I get back.
I can’t remember the last time I used a dryer for anything – my parents don’t have one either.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 00:48:43 +0000

Doesn’t anybody have a clothesline?

By: Charity

Charity — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:46:15 +0000

I am absolutely terrified on the laundryroom in my new building. Outside access only, light in an akward place, etc. So, i wake up, wash before i go to work, then hang everything to dry around the apt. Added bonuses – put a fan behind a wet sheet and it cools down the apt in the summer. In the winter air drying clothes in the house help with the humidity and good moisture means less sickness.

By: Beverly

Beverly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:31:24 +0000

Ironically, we just had to replace our dryer (it puked on Memorial weekend). Picked out a new one the following Friday and it was delivered yesterday afternoon. Yes, I’m still doing laundry today. But it’s worth it to me even if it takes longer to do it at home. The local laundromats (only 3 within 25 miles of where I live) are hot, dirty, grungy, full of screaming kids, etc. There’s no place like home.

By: Kitch

Kitch — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:44:23 +0000

I just recently posted something similar to this article. Although I am forced to the laundomat I am happy to be back for the very reason that I can get it done much faster. I will totally look into the fluff-and-fold though. That is genius!

By: NH Mom of 3

NH Mom of 3 — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:11:34 +0000

We are waiting for our new washer and dryer to be delivered, and will need to make a laundromat run this week. We just moved into our new home, and the prior owners took their washer/dryer with them. I actually don’t mind doing laundry, it’s the putting away that gets me every time! I am actually contemplating the start of a personal laundry service for others as a way to earn a little extra money. I will be doing my “research” at the laundromat this week. LOL

By: chzplz

chzplz — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:17:48 +0000

I used to live in 6 unit walkup with one public washer and dryer. It was never available, so I turned into a “two hours once every two weeks at the laundromat” person. It was great except – putting away all the clean clothes suddenly became a chore! Or ironing everything in one shot! Blegh.

For me, small batches works. I *LOVE* my clothesline. I have a microscopic backyard in my tiny townhouse, with a single strand of clothesline running from fencepost to fencepost. Being able to put a load of whites out on a sunny morning before I go to work is cathartic.

By: Erin Doland

Erin Doland — Fri, 16 May 2008 03:44:49 +0000

@jgodsey — My assumption is that you are the only member of your household. The same does not hold true for me.

By: jgodsey

jgodsey — Fri, 16 May 2008 02:30:35 +0000

MOST PEOPLE OWN TOO MANY CLOTHES.
if your clothes is in mountains, you have too many.
cut down on the number and you cut down on the laundry.
I do 2 loads a week, a white and a dark. then hang everything up. the only thing dirty are the clothes i am wearing while i do it.