Changes at our Chinese Washateria

[whirlcool]

Yesterday we went to the local Chinese operated Washteria to wash our mattress pad, comforter and large bath throw rug. When we walked in we were the only ones in there! I guess because it was so cold outside. We've never had an opportunity before to have the pick of the entire place!

First thing we noticed was that the place had been repainted. From a cool blue to a light yellow. It was nice and clean as usual. But there was something different....Ah ha! No more top loading machines! They always had Wascomat FL machines before along with the same make of dryers, but the Maytag TL machines were all gone. They were replaced with very small Wascomat 720CC machines. They look to be about the same size as a home machine would be. And these were only $1.75 to use vs $3.50 for the large Wascomat 630CC machines we use.

So we loaded our items in three machines and started them up, hot wash and extra rinse. Then we noticed that even though the machines were set to hot wash, the door glass was only room temp. I was not happy with that. Before when you selected hot, you got hot water. Then we noticed a change in programming to the machines. They only seemed to do a low speed spin before the final rinse and drain and refills only between the wash and spin cycle. The final extract spin is now low speed and the clothes are very wet when they come out of the washer.

One thing happened that I was not very happy about. When the machine was in wash mode we started to smell fabric softener in the air. We were still the only people in the place. I looked under the cover and saw a pink residue in the bleach compartment! So someone had put fabric softener in the bleach dispenser for some reason. I don't like fabric softener being placed in the wash water with the detergent. Then Karen went over to an unused machine and found the same thing. Pink fabric softener in the bleach compartment of the machine. Upon further inspection we found that all the machines had this done to them.

We do remember the Chinese people that own the place walking around carrying a jug of "the pink stuff" and pouring it into the top of the FL machines that had been oversudsed to death by the oversudsing mamacitas. They are usually yelling at the mamacitas in Chinese while pouring the stuff in the oversudsed machine. So I would have to assume that the Chinese owners are now getting proactive and putting fabric softener in the bleach dispensers of machines to prevent oversudsing in the first place. Personally, I think that stinks. Plus I am allergic to softeners that have scents. Fortunately, we had a bottle of vinegar with us to compensate for this in the final rinse part of the cycle.

Maybe it's time to find a new coin op?

 

[tomturbomatic]

To quote William Bendix in The Life of Riley, "What a revoltin' development this is."

I would say that a new laundromat is in order.

 

[frigilux]

Allen-- From the tone of the first few sentences, I thought you were going to tell a story with a happy ending---new front-loaders; freshly-painted; clean....then things went downhill quickly. Sounds like the washers have dumbed-down hot water. The slower spin sucks as well, since it means more time in those oh-so-hot laundromat dryers. The owners of the Washteria can't possibly sneak softener into the bleach dispensers after every use. You must have arrived right after the place had been cleaned/serviced. And what if a customer wanted to add bleach to a load?

I drive by the local laundromat every once in awhile and have noticed that the Speed Queen top-loaders have been replaced with shiny, new Speed Queen front-loaders. It appears to be an all front-loading establishment, now. One of these days I'll have to go inside and check them out.

 

[logixx]

Lukewarm washes is all I got when I used a laundromat in NYC as well. The prewash left the glass cold and the main wash only warmed it slightly. Time for you to find a new laundromat.

 

[beekeyknee]

Laundromats using lukewarm plus low water levels equal other peoples dirt on your clothes. Not good for public washing.

 

[whirlcool]

The owners of the Washteria can't possibly sneak softener into the bleach dispensers after every use. You must have arrived right after the place had been cleaned/serviced. And what if a customer wanted to add bleach to a load?

That's what was so strange about the place, there is always some Chinese person on hand to "assist" you if you need help or they are there working on the "dropped off" wash & fold service. But when we went this time, there was nobody in the place, only us. Could it be that other customers have already found somewhere else to go?

The machines in this place used to use really hot water and high speed spins. But it seems that even the old machines have been programmed for "max" energy and cost savings. Plus it was cold outside. I know the comforter was damn cold when it came out of the washer when it was done. The Chinese owners really have a thing about oversudsing, at the slightest hint of an oversuds condition they start pouring the pink stuff in without consulting the customer. They've watched us wash there before with pink bottle in hand, but have never added any of the stuff to our load because we properly dose the machines.

The problem with finding another coin op is that this one is the only one nearby. And it's 8 miles from our house. There are others, but they are down in the Greenspoint ghetto. We have to find another one.

 

[alr2903]

Allen,  I had a similar experience at the coin op I frequent for the bulky bedding chore.  The spin is exactly as you described on the new coin op  Wascomats/Electrolux machines.  It is a slow steady rev.. up.  The days of  the whine and spin come hell or high water seem to be a thing of the past.  I also agree that owners seem to be turning boilers to much lower settings. I would agree with your assessment that  cooler hot water, possible ATC, and cold weather all combined to create the condition you described. One other thought the owners may have anticipated a "slow day" due to the cold weather and lowered the boiler even more to save a few buck$.  I started to ask, is there a minimum "hot water" temp that health departments consider safe?  I then realized the customer may select warm or cold.  I have selected hot for years in coin ops anticipating  little more than "warm". Since they eliminated the Top Load machines it would also be less obvious how cool the "hot" is.  Last but not least the "free" pink fabric softner would be a deal breaker for me.  I understand about the money for energy to heat very hot water,  I don't mind tossing in another 10 quarters.  I would like to have "hot" when I select it.

 

[whirlcool]

I agree with you. We may have to go somewhere else to rewash the damn comforter. Even though it rinsed well with extra rinses and vinegar added, I'm itching my skin off when I get in bed at night now.

We used the older Wascomat 630 machines (double loader) rather than the newer 730cc machines because we know those would do a hot wash and a high speed spin or two between rinses. But this time they didn't. I was thinking about that today, I didn't hear any "jet engine" sounding ramp up to spin speed noises at all during the entire trip to this place. So I have to assume that the owners not only added new machines, but reprogrammed the existing machines too.

I think it was a combination of cold weather and maybe a further decrease in the boiler temps as you said for the reason we only got a room temp wash. When we pulled the comforter and rug out of the washer, it felt like they were soaked in ice water. And the temp inside the place was about 65F. The outside temp was 34F. But then again we were the only ones in there until later when a few people came in to use the new smaller Wascomat machines.

 

[neptunebob]

Whirlcool, I knew of a couple of nice laudromats in our area but they are not anymore, maybe since there are so many large consumer machines now that laundries are no longer a viable business anymore? If I were you I might actually invest in the Samsung and just use it for comforters, although that's a very expensive idea of mine.

One of the worst coin laundries I have run into was last year on my first time in my life trip to Disney World. I would think a Disney laundry would be spotless. Not at All Star Sports! Not only were 3 out of 6 Whirlpools broken but the water was COLD!. I had to wash a load that I had not planned to because we were at Animal Kingdom and you need hot water to remove the odor.

I found a maintainence cast member who was outside and tried to tell him that he needed to light the water heater but there was a language barrier and he did not seem very intelligent and I finally told his supervisor through his microphone that there was only cold water. Then the cast member shouted "WHY DO GUESTS NEED HOT WATER?!?!? I finally just walked away from him disgusted that something like this could happen at the most magical place on Earth. At least the beat up dryer worked.

I am going to tell Disney about this, because even at a Value Resort, guests deserve hot water.

 

[launderess]

Welcome To Their World

Laundromat owners are caught between a rock and a hard place. On one end they often have high fixed costs (energy, supplies, labor, rent, utilities, etc...) versus prices consumers will pay. Usually somewhere something has to give.

Without a recirculation system of some sort you aren't going to get "hot" or whatever the heater is set to water for front loaders. Fill times are very short and if the hot water pipes have a long run the first water in will to warm to lukewarm if that. Add to this these units normally do a cold pre-wash unless the hot water for wash is >160F, it will be diluted to something around 120F or lower from contact with cold laundry in a cold washing machine.

In many parts of the USA laundries pay for water and sewage costs. This increases their incentives to choose stingy washers and cut back on cycles where possible.

 

[whirlcool]

At least the machines filled to a decent water level. While the comforter was washing the water level was about 1/3 up the glass door.

The area we live in is highly residential with very few apartments. I think this is the reason we don't have that many coin ops anywhere near us. I have found another one about 9 miles to the north of us. We'll try that one next time.

 

[logixx]

Time to get that new 5.6 cu.ft. Samsung washer... ;-)

 

[tomturbomatic]

Before you go, you might want to call and ask pointed questions about water temperatures for the HOT setting and what type of washers they have. You might almost be money ahead to send those items to a real laundry.

I used to think that when I retired, I would like to work at a small motel doing the laundry. Now, I'm not sure I'd have the energy and they would probably want it all done in cold water. But, if I could find a place that heated the water with the waste heat from the air conditioning, I could go in after dinner and wash through the night. I like staying up at night. When I was in the hospital nursery, the nurses called me the night watchman. I was not crying, but I was awake at night just watching things. OTOH, I might just have been coming down from all of the coffee my mother drank--Born Wired.

 

[whirlcool]

That's a good idea. The next time I am in that area, I'll stop in and see what the place looks like. I'll also checkout the water temps.

 

[launderess]

As the late Sudsman from Texas would probably attest to...

Today commercial laundry is almost a thankless business with very tight margins. No matter how good your work is the most common request (if not demand) is to bring prices down further. When you look at what it costs to run such places versus what they can charge local market, then you begin to realize how much long hard work is required. Only way to many any money is to do volume, volume, and volume.

A small motel or hotel laundry might be another story but more and more places are closing in house laundries and going with linen services. It just works out cheaper in terms of labour and other costs.

 

[circlew]

The washateria I go to is well kept, but as mentioned above, the water coming into the front load machines isn't very hot unless lots of machines are going. The place has two tankless gas water heaters. I sometimes run the hot water in the restroom until it becomes warm, if no other washers are running and set on hot.

The owner was planning on installing a solar pre-heat system, and has the storage tank in place, but is now seriously ill, so that is on hold.

I went yesterday and the place was quite busy. I prefer weekdays, as sometimes I am the only one in there for a large portion of the time I'm there.

 

[launderess]

Once Again It Is the Voltage/Self Heating Issue

In Europe Laundromat washers self heat either via steam or electric heating sources. American front loaders in such places still rely upon whatever water is in a central tank or whatever system. Unless an excellent recirculation system is in place it is going to be difficult to get anything remotely like a "hot" wash.

 

[circlew]

Launderess,

According to the owner, all the front load machines are 240 volt 3-phase. The place has 400 amp service.

 

[launderess]

IIRC Those Are Motor & Other Electrical Requirements

Wascomat, SQ, or anyone else sells Laundromat washers with self heating functions.

It is not exactly my street, but am guessing it would take quite a lot of power to be supplied for a Laundromat to run a bank of self heating washers if they used electric.

Steam is actually a better proposition for water heating in Laundromats, as it is or was with commercial laundries. However you are talking one powerful steam boiler and distribution system. Most states require certification if a boiler is to be operated over a certain PSI. Something your average local Laundromat owner is not likely to have nor wish to pursue.

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