3 Tips to Make Your Public Laundromat Experience a Little Bit Better
Doing laundry is just a fact of life. Not many people get super excited about heading off to the public laundromat, but it's something you have to do if you want to have a clean wardrobe. Things can be more complicated if the laundromat you use tends to be especially busy. That said, here are three tips to keep in mind that might improve your laundromat experience.
Get Organized Before You Get There
In order to minimize the amount of time you are fighting for space with other customers, sort all of your laundry before you get to the laundromat. Being able to simply walk in, throw in a few loads and walk out until everything is ready for the dryer can be a great help. Likewise, always check your detergent and fabric softener supplies before you head out. Some laundromats may sell supplies on site, but, if you are running low, it's probably less expensive to swing by a retail store and purchase some yourself before you get there. Finally, if you need to pre-treat a stain before it goes in the wash, careful dab some cleaner on the stain and just make sure it's covered by other clothing so it doesn't make a mess in your car.
Vinegar is Your Friend
Laundromats are designed to keep clothes clean but the washers and sometimes the dryers can pick up residue from other people's cleaning cycles over time. It's probably a good idea to give the washer and dryer you use a quick cleaning before you put any clothes in. Thankfully, this should not be a painful ordeal, you only need a paper towel and a small bottle of vinegar. A quick wipe along all sides of the inside of the machine will remove any residue and hopefully get rid of any smell that may be lingering.
Put a Note With The Time You Will Be Back On The Machine
The one sight everyone hates to see in a laundromat is all of their clothes lying on the floor because someone couldn't wait for you to return after the machine was finished. To avoid this problem, simply take a few sticky notes with you and write down the time that you will be back for the clothes. Always leave an empty basket behind, next to the note. Worst case scenario, if someone moves your clothes, they will hopefully at least put it in the empty basket instead of somewhere random.
Laundry isn't usually seen as fun, but it can be a tolerable experience if you go to the public laundromat already prepared for the job. Pre-sort your laundry before you get there, bring cleaning supplies for the machines themselves, and be courteous of other people's time, and your next laundromat experience should go off without a hitch. You can also talk to a laundromat like Indian Village Laundromat about other ways to make doing laundry easier.