Laundry day is one of the most important days of the week, but not necessarily something that anyone really looks forward to. Dragging your laundry basket down to the laundromat can be a bit of a hassle—particularly if you’ve let your dirty clothes pile up! And, despite your best efforts, there are always little things that seem to go wrong.
Laundry accidents can be annoying, frustrating, and even costly. But there are plenty of things you can do to make your trip to the laundromat cheaper, faster, less of a chore, and even perhaps a fun activity! So, next time you think, 'It’s time to drag my clothes down to the laundry near me again!’, don’t despair! Take a look below at our comprehensive guide, and never dread laundry day again!
Getting In-and-Out Quickly
Speed in the laundromat is of the essence. No one wants to spend an entire day taking care of a single chore, but without the proper know-how, laundromats can take a long time to navigate. You don’t have to do it all yourself!
Visit during off-peak hours. Weekends are unsurprisingly the most popular times for laundromats, but some weekdays are busy too. Google is an excellent resource for checking the best time to visit. Just look up the laundromat’s business listing on Google Maps, and it will show how busy the laundromat typically is by the hour.
Not all laundromats are the same, and working out the different ways that machines work can take up a lot of precious time. If you are new to any attended laundromat, start off by approaching an attendant and asking them for advice on using the machines. You need to know where the soap goes, what options are available to customize a washer or a dryer, and even the basics like starting the cycle! Having this knowledge before you begin can be a great help in moving the process along.
Come prepared. As well as sorting and pretreating your laundry at home before you set out, preparation should involve having everything you need and in a suitable form. Head to the bank before you come down and change your money into useful denominations. At WaveMAX Laundry, we can convert $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills to quarters and $1 coins, and we even have an ATM! But, at the very least, break your $50s and $100s and change your massive jar of dimes to small bills at your bank ahead of time. You’ll be speedier, and the attendant will be grateful!
Passing the Time
Time spent waiting for your clothes can be dull...but not at WaveMAX Laundry! The best tip we have for passing the time while you are here is to enjoy the amenities we provide. We offer free Wi-Fi, an excellent set of arcade games, a TV, a phone charging station, and snack and drink vending machines. There’s no chance to be bored, and your laundry will be ready before you know it.
However, there is no harm in coming prepared, and waiting for your laundry to finish can actually be an opportunity in disguise. Bring your laptop and get some work done (see the free Wi-Fi above!), or bring a book and catch up on some reading. Your time at the laundromat can be productive, exciting, or relaxing; it is up to you!
Money-Saving Wash Tips
Detergent is like liquid gold, which means it is expensive! Wasting detergent is one of the cardinal sins of the laundromat, so avoid it at all costs.
The plastic cup that comes with your detergent is designed to go in the washer with your clothes, so don’t waste precious detergent by going to the bathroom and washing the cup out! You will be literally pouring money down the drain.
You also probably need way less detergent than you think. Today’s modern detergents are designed for high efficiency, and a little goes a long way. So, error on the side of caution.
If you use detergent pods, they go straight into the drum—not in the detergent cups. Pods won’t dissolve properly in the cup, so you’ll be wasting a wash.
Don’t overfill the fabric softener cup. The machine’s cups have a drain overflow safety, which opens the drain if the cup is too full. If your cup is at risk of overflowing, then your softener might just get washed down the drain!
Always choose the right cycle. Quick Wash and Delicate Wash, for example, do not include a prewash. Additionally, if you mistakenly choose to wash your bulkier items on Delicate, they will come out of the wash wetter, as the spin is slow and gentle. This means you will spend more money on the dryers.
Laundromat Etiquette
The laundromat can be a surprisingly formal place, with rules, regulations, and some crucial etiquette to follow. The rules and regs are clear, but the etiquette can be harder to grasp at first. Breach it, and you’ll be making enemies of your fellow launderers pretty quickly!
First things first: Never touch other people’s laundry. If a machine has been sitting full and idle for a while, and you need to use it, don’t be tempted to empty it yourself. Instead, let the attendant on duty know, and they can deal with it.
Following up on this, don’t be the one to leave your laundry sitting in the machine! It’s always a good idea to stay with your clothes, but if you do need to leave the laundromat, make sure you’re back in plenty of time to collect your things. The laundromat is not responsible for lost of stolen items, but someone else will probably need to use the washer or dryer after you as well!
There’s no reserving of machines or tables. Don’t attempt to jump the queue by putting your basket or anything else on folding tables or on top of a dryer.
Finally, rugs. You should never put rubber-backed rugs in the dryer. The rubber will eventually dry out and start to shed—coming off like sand in the washing machine and clogging the drain the next time you wash it. This makes a terrible mess and can cause huge delays as we clean the drain!
So, there you go! You are now a laundromat expert! For your next laundry day, there’s no need to search for the best laundromat near me. Why not come down to WaveMAX Laundry and see how we can make your experience even better?
