It happened at the Laund-ro-Mat

[iheartmaytag]

If you truly love your things, do your own laundry at home!

I couldn't. My washer isn't big enough to was the giant comforter. I only go in there about four or five times a year to use the tripple loaders.

 

[revvinkevin]

If you truly love your things, do your own laundry at home!

Yes while this may be true…. try to look at why these people go to Laundromats in the first place.

>> (I assume 97% or higher) of all people who go to laundromats do not have the option of doing laundry at home, or if they did, washing and drying 14 loads each week in one machine would take FOREVER! LOL

>> They neither care about, nor enjoy doing laundry as we (on AW) do and want to get it gone as quickly as possible. They only do it because it's something that must be done.

>> Doing this 14 loads of laundry can cost (here in the US) more then $25 - $30 each week, this is why they cram as much as they can into each machine, to cut down on the amount of quarters they must schlep with them.

>> As for using the copious amounts of detergent and softener, I repeat: They neither care about, nor enjoy doing laundry as we do (and they are simply idiots).

Of course there are those of us who do care about and actually know how to do laundry who on rare occasion, need to visit the afore mentioned establishment to launder those large and bulky items which cannot be washed in the machines at home. I actually went to a coin-op facility about 2 weeks ago because I had to wash my one of my car covers. I scouted 3 or 4 different locations before choosing one I was happy with.

 

[mixergal]

Wow, I had no idea

laundromats could be so bad! Here in Bay City I would take my large comforter to the laundry because it wouldn't fit in my filter flo at home. The facility I would go to was no far from my childhood home, so I was familliar with the local clientel - mostly blue-collar people. Some poor, some verging on poor, and a few "white trash" - but mostly lower middle class. Out of that mix I never saw anyone overload a machine or abuse the facilities in any way. The staff was always polite and helpful, and while the fixtures were mostly vintage fiberglass typical laundromat furniture (heck - there's even vintage Ms Pac Man and Dig Dug video games!) - everything was always clean and in working order.

But, again, I didn't go very often, and I always tried to go early in the afternoon before it got busy.

I'm surprised that people would be so blatently disrespectful of someone else's property!

I'm sure once my "new" frigidare washer gives up the ghost I'll be back at the laundry with my comforter - right now I'm enjoying the luxury of washing it at home

-Sherri

 

[abcomatic]

You will all love this one

When I was a student at Illinois State University in the late 60's early 70's, my roommate was laundry challenged; I mean really challanged. He was a great guy, pe major. He NEVER did laundry. November rolls around and our room was like a toxic dump. I told him that it was time to do his @#$%^&luandry NOW!
He takes all of his clothes, bed linen(hasn't been changed since school started that fall)and he and I head for the laundry room of Manchester Hall. There were 30 Whirlpool washer and non-commercial dryers. He said that he didn't have any detergent(quelle-suprise)so I went up to get mine, (Gain was brand new then so that is what I used). I came back down with the Gain and much to my dismay, he had started the washer. ALL of his everything was in there. Sheets, and a Chinele bedspread that he brought from home, shirts, pants,undewear,socks, pe clothes, jock straps(oh don't even go there)and towels. I knew it wasn't good when you could see the bedspread sticking out from under the lid.
I opened the lid, and guess what? WHERE WAS THE WATER? The machine was straining its best to wash, but the water was absorbed by the bedspread and towels,etc. Everthing was damp, but that's it. Well, I told him to leave and I would do his laundry for him. 10 machines later, things looked pretty good-well, not the sheets but at least they were clean. Have fun, Gary

 

[pulsator]

There are 2 laundromats in Ann Arbor, the very nice well cared for Mr. Stadium (voted best in Michigan) and then there is the run down Super Suds...

Mr. Stadium never has more than 2 washers or 2 dryer broken at a single time! The attendants go through and wipe down all the machines inside and out every hour or 2 including using stainless steel polish on the brilliant stainless Milnors! I have seen people overload the Milnors, but never the toploaders, and let's face it, the Milnors can handle being stuffed! The only real problem I see there is using the dryers, people will take a load from the 55-60lb Milnors and shove it in a 35lb dryer... The dryers all cost the same to run however... I will never understand people's logic! It is ALWAYS extremely clean there, if the attendant isn't wiping down machines they are vacuuming, mopping, emptying trash, or just straightening up in general. If there are kids there and they are being too loud and rough, the attendant will ask the parents to control their kids more, if someone obviously doesn't know what they are doing, the attendant will show up and ask if they need any help with the machine they are trying use! I LOVE this laundromat!!!

Super Suds however... More than half of the machines are broken!!! ALWAYS!!! They have 6 or 7 different kinds of toploaders, only 6 of which work, and 1 or 2 say "cold water only." Six of the 11 Milnors work, 2 of 5 50lb Huebsch washers work, about half of the dryers work, they have spare washers lying around in various corners of the building being stripped for parts, they have a spare centrifuge that they bought used and never installed. The place is FILTHY!!! I washed a rug there recently and it came out dirtier than when I put it in, I have sinced vowed never to set foot in there again! It's sad because that was the first laundromat I ever went to! I loved it there when I was a kid!

 

[vintagesearch]

LETS FLIP THE NEGATIVE INTO A POSOTIVE

while i tossed things in to dry i would watch the other *smart* users which did out way the imbeciles and mistakes of nature, anyway i would laugh at the people that would underload the frontloaders and toploaders. And ones that cleaned the washers before they used them (i did too). i was amazed to see that sometimes people would split one load into 3 dryers so "it will dry faster". or one couple would only use a dryer when someone else finished using it so the heat still in there will dry the clothes faster. there were some people there that use there brain and i used to be amazed just how nice some could fold clothes like it was to be out for sale! it was funny too when i would see a usual customer and you could chat with them they would watch your machine while you go get a quick soda or whatever there are some nice people there hell one guy gave me a half boxed used of dryer sheets because he didnt like them another lady gave me her barely used detergent because it didnt fit in her cart.
As far as neighborhood goes i live in what is clearly a borderline where upper and middle class meet lower income and some on fixed income its extremely mixed due to my block being exclusively residential and property owners but walk up one block and its the extreme opposite and obvious what it is. anyway its a shame sometimes because the laundromat is really nice has so many washers of all kind and dryers too!!! about 10 cable tv's a tv with a dvd player arcade games jukebox vending machines, dry cleaning service, as well as drop off service. its very well taken care of by staff but some users are just... well thats been discussed LOL i very rarely sometimes kind of want to go sometimes but, no.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I share an apartment with a co-worker for about a year and a half, and he would never do laundry. He would let it build up until he didn't have anything else to wear. I helped him once it took a whole Saturday, we only had four commercial Shredmore washer, and four dryers.

He let it get really bad again, and a friend of mine took us to the laundromat and it cost him over $30.00 to wash and dry all his clothes. He had mental dissability where his body aged but his mind didn't.

 

[toggleswitch2]

I'd pay big bucks if you could find me a way to mature my mind but NOT my body...........

 

[iheartmaytag]

Oh the maturing ain't so bad

It's that aging that's a B!tch.

You know what they say. Wrinkles is God's way of telling you he's walking on your face.

And Medicare will pay for Viagra but not Alzheimer's drugs. So now you have a bunch of men running around with hard-ons and can't remember what to do with them.

 

[butch-innj]

I remember when.........

It was my first experience at a Laundro-mat.
(I think it was my last one too)
I had this HUGE comforter that I needed to wash.
I went to the Laundro-mat very early on a Saturday morning thinking that no one would be there. Only because I had no idea what I was doing and didn't want others to see my stupidity. I found the biggest front loader they had in the place and stuffed my 2 comforters in it. Seems like I put about $10,000.00 worth of quarters in it but it did do 2 wash cycles and 3 rinses.
Then I put the detergent in the top of the machine.
I had no idea how much to use but I remember thinking that this machine is huge so it must require alot.
So, I put in....alot !
It wasnt long after that that I was handed a mop to help clean up all the suds on the floor that was pouring out of the machine. It looked like Niagra Falls....sorta.
The owner didn't seem to think it was very funny at all.
She requested in no uncertain terms that I not come back there.
I wasn't about to anyway, I didn't like her machines !!

 

[toggleswitch2]

I remember someone throwing a comforter in the extractor right after I had spun a load in there.
I guess they mised the part of putting a towel or some such large piece over the top to hold in one's articles.
Well, there was this awful smell of heat and plastic burning emanating from the extractor. Didn't sound to good either.

The patron's comforter had shifted o that the corner had flown out and was rubbing along the stainless steel lid. WEEEEEE at 3,000 miles per hour!

So I hit the "emergency stop" red button and the lid properly popped open (once motion completely stopped) only to find a big hole and burnt spot.

I said not a word to the brain-surgeon. I was temepted to say "Get that cheap-sh_t polyester thing out of here", but I was very lady-like and shut my hole. They were embarassed enough, I'd say.

Fumb Duck.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Oh-Crap

Toggles, that was you???

Ok, no I didn't do it with a comforter. It was throw rugs, and I melted the tub guard as well as a hole in the rug. But I was you, and stupid. Everyone get's a do over.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Sorry, that should read "I was Young, and stuid." Darn keyboard, battery is going dead.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Live and learn! DO-OVER GRANTED! YAY!

Only if you were in New York City!

Actually I don't remember if it was a guy or a lady, so I tried to steer clear of such pronouns.

 

[polkanut]

I have never needed to use a laundromat in my life. Am I deprived or what?

 

[toggleswitch2]

Monsier, j'ai besoin de beaucoup d'assistance, s&#39

...is exactly what I did not hear.

*LOL* met some Michigan girls in a laundromat in Paris, France.

Beyond being cluless as to how to use the Metro (Subway)....

They had never seen front-loaders.
Had never been to a laundromat.
Probably had never done their own laundry.
Exepected everyone to speak English.

I kept quiet and out of their way until they approached me.

It was comical to say the least.

Tim you have to say 10 "oh Marys" and as penance go to a laundromat with a a roll of quarters (coins, for our international friends) huge comforter or bedspread or large throw-rug and bing it home clean without flooding the place or burning it down!

Tell us how it works out!

 

[toggleswitch2]

... and it was SOOOOO hard to keep a straight face as they were discussing using their North American 110v hair-dryer in France on 220v, with only a pin/prong adapter.

I nearly PEED myself when they said it popped and burned and melted and they saw the 4th of July right before their eyes.

LMAO.

 

[sudsmaster]

Next time I'm in downtown Berkeley I'll have to remember to bring my camera and snap a shot of the most picturesque and compact laundromat I've seen in ages. Still has the enameled steel and neon art deco signage up front, although I believe the machines are all modern now. As I recall, the name is "The Central Laundromat". Looks great at night. I used to go there when I lived a couple blocks away. Used to find some interesting magazines there... one was a vintage one with a cover that featured "Doris Day in Her Picture Perfect Pink Kitchen". I gave that away to someone who appreciated it more than I. Probably would be a hit here!

 

[whirlcool]

When I was in college most of the guys I knew were from around the state and would go home on the weekends and bring their laundry so Mama could do it. One roommate I had never took his bed sheets home until Thanksgiving break.

There is a relatively new coin op laundry that opened nearby in the newer part of the sub division. It has a Korean woman that offers a wash & fold service within. She makes change, keeps the place tidy. Think of Margaret Cho's impersination of her mother.
"You Clean After!", "You no leave basket with table!". The place has Wascomats (the new digital ones) and Maytag Commercial units.
But this lady keeps the place spotless.

 

[toggleswitch2]

I got such a kick out of "Mary's Coin Launtry" on Queen Street In Canada. I want to say it was Toronto, but it may have been in Motreal.

Great photo-op but I didnt have a chance to get off the bus!