When You Have to Use a Laundromat

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We have all been there– the washing machine breaks and we decide that before the mountain of laundry piles up to the ceiling you have to make the grown up decision to just pack it up and take it somewhere to be washed. Luckily here in Virginia we have great places such as The Clothing Spin where you can comfortably do your laundry when using a machine at home is not in the cards.

There are several things I look for when using a laundromat. First and foremost I am thankful that I have not had to use one in quite a few years but I always always ALWAYS look for one that is clean and tidy. I don’t want to take my clothing somewhere to be washed that is dirty when the entire point of going is to get my laundry clean.

• Free Wifi– Yes, I am that person. If I am sitting around with idle hands I get very bored. I look for places that have free wifi so that I can bring a tablet or my phone and if nothing else answer emails or work on some blogging. I also like to read books on my phone, so having the ability to download new content is always a plus without blowing my data plan through my cell phone provider.
• Security- Facilities that are secure mean a lot to me. I make sure that there are cameras on the premises. No one wants to think the worst, but in this day and age anything can happen.
• Flexible Hours- I love a laundromat that offers 24 hour service. Sometimes the normal 9-5 hours do not work for people and having a laundromat that is open at all  hours is perfect. My husband used to work night shift and anyone who has ever been married to someone who did knows where I am coming from when I say that you tend to model the same schedule, especially since I worked from home while he was working those insane hours.
• Ability to Bring Your Own Detergent- I love a laundromat that allows me to bring my own detergent. We get used to certain brands and ways of doing things and having to break away from that can make an already stressful situation even more so. We use scent boosters on our blankets and towels quite often and the ability to bring those make things really nice.
• Ability to Buy Detergent on Site- Lets just say you forgot your dryer sheets. The lovely scented Bounce ones! I love that some laundromats have the ability to buy commonly used items on the spot. Granted sometimes they will cost a bit more but paying a tad more instead of having to go all the way back home is often worthwhile.
• Multiple Machines- Growing up I remember our little town had several places to do laundry. Most only had a hand full of machines and a line of people waiting to use them. That is not my idea of fun. I remember one instance of sitting with my mom for hours waiting for the laundry to get done. It was an all day affair and one that wasted more time than anything. These days laundromats are a little more equipped to handle larger crowds and offer more machines to minimize wait times.
• Friendly Staff- There is no worst feeling than going somewhere that the staff is rude. I love going somewhere that I get to know the staff and often form friendships. It makes things less awkward sometimes, too.
• Change Machines- I absolutely love a laundromat that has a change machine. Toting sacks of laundry along with sacks of quarters is not fun. I like being able to take dollar bills or even five dollar bills and make change on site. This makes things even more convenient as often people would have to stop by a bank to get rolls of quarters.
• Adjustable Machines- I do not like to dry my clothing on really hot settings, so I love a facility that allows me to change the temperatures to what I am comfortable with. Just a little thing that I prefer while I know others who prefer to dry on hot.

I hope that this post covered all of my favorite tips about using a laundromat. Please feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and mother to two amazing little boys named Jack & William. A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 8 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.