The Cost of Using a Public/ Commerical Washer.

[toggleswitch2]

There was a little new-items ditty on 1010 WINS(AM) radio [a local NYC respected all-news station].

Intereviewed were a number of people, women in this case, who use public/commercial coin-operated washers. The location was the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York.

It seems the prices have jumped from $1.25 to $2.00 (a 60% increase) for the smallest sized washer. This is being blamed on the rising cost of energy.

Hopefully this is not the begininng of run-away inflation we saw duing the last "energy crisies".

 

[toggleswitch2]

with this

 

[toggleswitch2]

and this

 

[toggleswitch2]

I can avoid (ka-ching) this........

 

[launderess]

Mentioned the rising cost of laundromat use in another post.

To be fair, laundromat owners like all commercial laundries are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to fixed costs, especially ultilites. Margins on commerciallaundry are very low, lower for laundromats, IIRC,so what is a owner to do to make his or her monthly nut?

Local laundromat raised rates several months ago to .25 for 5 minutes - dryers (and reduced the heat), and all washers went up .25 to .50.

Thankfully have my own units, plus the Hoover Twin Tub.

 

[toggleswitch2]

Thanks Lady L. I saw that, which prompted this post.

I'm sure the cost increase is justifyable and necessary, but still painful to all.

A family member owns a multi-family home and I have been trying to get them to separate out the heat to the tenants' meter for years. This may be the necessary incentive. As you may know most apartment rentals in NYC include heat, so pricing a unit that does not is a bit more difficult.

I'm hoping the U.S.A will wise-up and get energy smart, and FAST!

 

[launderess]

More and more new construction of multi-family homes/apartments,condos in NYC are going with individual heating and or cooling systems built in. This way landlord or the building does not have to worry about balancing heating that is too hot on the lower floors, but chilly for those on higher floors. What happens in the case of the former is persons open windows simply letting all that heat out, a total waste of energy.

Back to laundromats:

If energy costs stay high, look for either more closings, and or price increases. However with the later there is only so much laundromats can charge, before customers start looking for alternatives. I mean when the cost of using a washer and dryer exceeds drop off service washes, then people start to think.

Times like these is what separates the serious professional laudry owner from the boys. One can make money without ticking off customers, it is all in presentation and being creative with pricing. Raising pricing but adding incentives such as giving the 15th wash free. It is also a good time to make sure the laundrymat is spic and span, up to date and looks like an attractive clean place to do laundry.

 

[frigilux]

You kept the Frigidaire, YAY!! Have you used it? Does it like having two of its feet on carpet?

 

[toggleswitch2]

I always thought that a cold wash (*SHUDDERS*) could be /should be priced less than a hot or warm wash.
In theory the cost of heating water is the largest (variable)expense.

Used a laundromat in Puerto Rico that had "Y" conectors to both the hot and cold inlets on Wascomat brand machines. The warm tropical climate meant you got "warm" no mater where the dial was selected/ placed!

That probably won't work as an energy saving measure in my area... *LOL*

 

[toggleswitch2]

Yes, I'm in rental HELL again! *LOL*

~You kept the Frigidaire, YAY!! Have you used it? Does it like having two of its feet on carpet?

Yes kept and used. Doesn't object to partial carpeting of the dining area/nook.

My lease is strangely quiet on the issue of W, D and DW-ers. The lack of adequate lelectricity here probably resolves that issue for most! *LOL*

With the Long Island Rail Road rattling by one block over, the whole place shakes and vibrates from that. (And believe me I don't even notice and find it quite comforting, actually). The neighbors can't say much about vibration.

As far as neighbors go the downstairs family (families?) 5 people in a one-bedroom apt keep geting certified mail notices from the landlord-- they can't complain about squat in that they appear to be doing SOMETHING wrong. LOL

The neighbor across the hall is a sweet-heart and she is probably mum/silent as well. YAY!

 

[frigilux]

I live only about 2 blocks from railroad tracks, and am familiar with the rumble. As you pointed out, one hardly notices after awhile. I'm up the hill from it, and during the winter, can look out my living room window and watch the train whiz by. It's obscured by trees this time of year, which also act as a sound buffer.

And I see you have the spin speed selector defiantly set at FAST, you rebel, you!
Do we get pics of the apt., eventually? Looks like a great place. Is it as hard to get an apt. in NYC as I've heard?

 

[appnut]

Yay Steve. Have you found a portable dishwasher yet? And no, I'm not talkin' about a certain Gadget standing at the sink in his little skimpy leather apron just barely covering up the front only!!, washing dishes and pots & pans. Although that particular portable model is easy to store and has several storeage optons--couch, kitchen floor, bedroom, ...;

 

[jetcone]

tell me about it

my heat is one system and the tenants want control but to do that would cost me another $10kilobucks to put in! I have always carried the cost but this year I just put it to them what heating is going to cost around here. They will have to pony up or move and I don't want them to have to move as they are good tenants of 13 years but reality has caught up with us thanks to the OILMEN of Amerikuh!

Toggles nice backsplash model there, those are rare around these parts!

 

[foraloysius]

Steve,

Congratulations on the new dwellings! At least I hope... ;-)

Great you have the Frigidaire back, wasn't it staying with the "maternal unit" as you put it?

I must say I love that drying rack! I have a few racks but those are all less wide so you can't hang t-shirts and polos at full width and you get wrinkles. I will have to study the drying rack market more.

BTW, tell us more about the apartment. How many bedrooms etc.

Best wishes!

Louis

 

[gadgetgary]

*SPANK*

LOL

 

[7080swashertalk]

Nice washer Steve. I too, was kind of concerned about how it functions (excessive vibration) during spin with 2 of its feet on a cushioned surface.
That is the only problem with Frontloaders, they are so picky about being level and have a solid floor.

Are you planning to use your recent find, the countertop DW? IT takes a good eye to spot those opportunities.

 

[panthera]

Essential service

An acquaintance of mine in Fort Collins has a laundromat and commercial laundry (makes sense, the off-peak time in the coin laundry balances perfectly with the high hot water needs for the commercial and vice-versa).
For the first time in over 20 years, he now has paid staff on duty in the Laundromat 24/7. Cut his losses to vandalism and in-duh-viduals too dumb to use a machine with three settings (normal, permanent-press, delicate) by several thousand dollars/month.
Still, there is only so much of the price increases he can pass on to customers.
There's an Obama sticker behind his service desk, right next to the "In God we Trust, all others pay cash" note. I've known the guy since high school; Junior Chamber of Commerce, always had signs for the Republicans in his front yard, only drives American cars...you know things are bad when the died-in-the-wool-knee-jerk-Republicans start thinking, really thinking.
Remind me again, please, why the Democrats' policy of a balanced budget was such a bad idea?

 

[sdlee]

steve

.......if that leather apron clad portable DW position is open count on my application!!!!!

 

[gansky1]

I haven't been to a coin laundry in ages as I have my own washer and dryer and access to a triple-load Wascomat (OPL = free) but I can understand that with the price of energy going up, so follows everything else. I found it highly amusing when this train-wreck of a president stated that other than energy and food, other areas of the consumer-markets were holding steady. Yeah, right. The price of everything is dependent on the price of energy, everything except a picture of GadgetG in that apron! ;-)