I've been using the laundromat...

[delmar411]

there is no way I could handle dragging all our laundry to the laundry mat but I would love to get it all washed/dried at the same time.

 

[threeboysmom]

Wow, ladies! You have given me something to think about...

I'm currently shopping for an apartment and the one thing that I really wanted was a washer/dryer in unit, and let me tell you, it's hard finding an apartment that doesn't cost an arm & a leg that has laundry inside the unit! I've had to eliminate a LOT of places and it's been getting frustrating.

Now I'm wondering if I should revisit some of these places that didn't have washer/dryer in unit. Perhaps visiting the laundry room on-site wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. I never even thought of being able to run 3-4 loads all at one time. Hmmm...

And if I'm paying for my own gas heat and hot water and electric, perhaps using onsite laundry instead of my own washer/dryer could save money in the long run?

I need to choose an apartment already! LOL! I hate making decisions...

 

[TxRabbit]

Momtolots - That's what I'm talking about!

OP here...

I just have to address the issue of taking the laundry back and forth...

I'll start by saying that I have a two story, all bedrooms up with the laundry down. I walk past the garage door on the way to my machines (when the machines were there, anyway!). It's the same distance to the trunk of my car parked backward as it is to my machine location.

A system really helps. I used to try to sort laundry as I got undressed. It took a while but I was able to find some inexpensive (around $2.00) but sturdy laundry baskets in white, blue and red, all the same otherwise. I have two in each color. Now I don't presort, I just stuff into the hamper. The baskets are stacked and I get them out when I sort. Depending on how laundry is going, I'll use the white for, duh, whites; blue for cold loads, red for warm/hot loads, or whatever makes sense. I also have a bigger, more sturdy laundry basket that I use for linens, towels, etc.

It's pretty easy to stack the baskets at least two tall for carrying out to the car.

I back my car in to park at the mat. I grab one of the baskets on wheels from the laundromat, and then I stack as many baskets on top of each other as I can and wheel the laundry in. I turn my baskets upside down on top of the washers that I am using so that it is very clear which ones are mine.

I have been resorting the laundry for drying as it comes out of the washers. All the baskets are really handy for doing this.

At the end, when I fold the laundry, I designate at least one basket for DH, one for DS, one for me, and I separate our clothes to make putting them away easier.

My mat has a hanging bar across the top of the wheeled baskets, so I bring my hangers and hang whatever I need to as I go also. I just lay the hangered clothes across the baskets for the ride home.

Tools. Tools always help get the job done right. DH always tells me that I need the proper tools to do my job. I definitely think having all the baskets helps a ton. I've had these baskets now for 4 years.

To the PP with big front loaders...THAT is what I want when I replace my machines. My washer was a little over 3 ft capacity. It says Extra Large Capacity on it. A great machine. Has given me no problems at all. I got it new and it was one of the biggest ones I could get at the time... Thick queen-sized comforters don't even fit well in it, and my son sleeps on a queen-sized bed...

To ThreeBoysMom, check out the prices and the sizes of the machines at the apt laundry. The beauty of the mat that I go to is that it has 3 different sized front load washers. A single (which handles WAY more than my top loader ever could), a double and a triple. Mine cost 1.50, 2.50 and 3.50 respectively. Drying is 0.25/10 minutes. FYI. If you find an apt that has hook ups but no machines, you will LOVE the extra storage space that gives you. Especially in an apt.

 

[Mskanga]

I will only go to the laundrymat in extreme circumstances. I hate having to wait for the loads and carrying back and forth to and from the car.....not for me.
I put on my one or two loads a day and I am perfectly happy that way.

 

[DMickey28]

Before we closed on our house a few weeks ago I was staying at my parents house with DS for the summer. Their washer and dryer was starting to die and would only work sometimes for about two - three weeks. DS is not potty trained yet and leaks through his diapers almost every night which results in lots of laundry of both sheets and waterproof pads as well as PJ's. I went to the laundry mat a few times in those weeks. I admit that I also liked it. I didn't do it enough to get a method going so it was a little awkward but I loved the few minutes of down time I got without having my toddler with me. It would be reasonable for me to do it now though ... IT would not be worth it if I had to bring him with me!

The house we just bought has an older washer/dryer unit in it. I am surpised that it seems fairly efficient though. My parents replaced their 12 year old units with new LG front loader ones and I LOVED them. I'd like to get new ones for this house in the next year or two ... nothing crazy but just better than these.

 

[Floridagal23]

Wow, ladies! You have given me something to think about...

I'm currently shopping for an apartment and the one thing that I really wanted was a washer/dryer in unit, and let me tell you, it's hard finding an apartment that doesn't cost an arm & a leg that has laundry inside the unit! I've had to eliminate a LOT of places and it's been getting frustrating.

Now I'm wondering if I should revisit some of these places that didn't have washer/dryer in unit. Perhaps visiting the laundry room on-site wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. I never even thought of being able to run 3-4 loads all at one time. Hmmm...

And if I'm paying for my own gas heat and hot water and electric, perhaps using onsite laundry instead of my own washer/dryer could save money in the long run?

I need to choose an apartment already! LOL! I hate making decisions...

You need the in-unit dryer. I have lived in 3 apartments with laundry rooms downstairs. I now have the in-unit. It is so nice to be able to do a load whenever you want, to not worry about waiting to do all your laundry until you have enough to do, to not worry about whether your favorite jeans are dirty but you wanted to wear them out..

Plus, all the up and down in the apartment is annoying. Think about it - a load of wash is 26 minutes. Then, downstairs to switch it over. Then back upstairs. Then back down to grab the stuff. I am soo happy with my in-unit stuff now.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I just had a new one open a block from me last week. open 24 hours and free wifi.

I am tempted to go also.. it takes so long for me to do laundry.. and my water and gas bill. Even if I break even if I can get everything done in one shot in 2-3 hours versus the whole weekend it will be worth it.

 

[mom3sonstt]

With 3 boys our laundry is never done. Especially when the seasons change. When the weather starts getting cold I don't worry so much about making sure all the shorts, etc are clean. Every so often I used ot load up as many clothes baskets that I could fill, grab a couple kids and head for town. We'd run through McDonalds then to the laundromat. I would load as many machines as I could without inconveniencing other washers then we'd munch on our food. When the washers would start ending the boys would help empty the washers and fill dryers. When the dryers were done we would sort - clothes were folded and put back in to a basket for each person, plus we had a garbage sack for clothes that were ruined, and a box for clothes that just didn't fit anymore. We'd throw away our ruined clothes there, then swing by Goodwill on the way home to drop off the ones that don't fit.

Haven't done it lately - now that the boys are older they don't think it's as much fun as they used to and it hurts my back too much to try to do it all on my own.

 

[DisneyDazed]

The laundry mat sure is conveinant and I LOVE getig several loads done at once. I dont like lugging the laundry to and fro though. I was there one day and a guy came in and just stuffed his clothes in several washer and as he did hay and sow poo fell off of them. Blech. I guess he worked a farm. When I asked him he said "This is wehre I come and wash all the clothes my wife wont let get washed in her new washer at home!" Ugh thanks mister, shake them out first at least.

My dream would to have a basement with a huge laundry room with multiple machines. My own personal mini laundry mat

 

[TxRabbit]

The laundry mat sure is conveinant and I LOVE getig several loads done at once. I dont like lugging the laundry to and fro though. I was there one day and a guy came in and just stuffed his clothes in several washer and as he did hay and sow poo fell off of them. Blech. I guess he worked a farm. When I asked him he said "This is wehre I come and wash all the clothes my wife wont let get washed in her new washer at home!" Ugh thanks mister, shake them out first at least.

My dream would to have a basement with a huge laundry room with multiple machines. My own personal mini laundry mat

My parents live in Scottsdale. Pretty swanky homes out there. One model we went to had a DREAM laundery room. It was the size of a good sized master bedroom. They had two sets of washer/dryer hook-ups. The floor was all tiled and there was a corner where the tile was dipped down and had a drain. It was a mini-shower area for washing a dog/rinsing feet etc. There were cabinets and countertops all around the room perimeter. There was a big island in the middle. I think some cabinets formed a desk in there. And it had double French doors that opened into the private front entrance courtyard. Windows above the base cabinets along the same wall, and windows overlooking a side yard on the opposite side. I think there was a sewing station in there as well. It was INCREDIBLE.

 

[TxRabbit]

Haven't done it lately - now that the boys are older they don't think it's as much fun as they used to and it hurts my back too much to try to do it all on my own.

I remember when I used to BEG my mom to let me help with the dishes...

 

[MariDisney]

Wow, ladies! You have given me something to think about...

I'm currently shopping for an apartment and the one thing that I really wanted was a washer/dryer in unit, and let me tell you, it's hard finding an apartment that doesn't cost an arm & a leg that has laundry inside the unit! I've had to eliminate a LOT of places and it's been getting frustrating.

Now I'm wondering if I should revisit some of these places that didn't have washer/dryer in unit. Perhaps visiting the laundry room on-site wouldn't be such a bad thing after all. I never even thought of being able to run 3-4 loads all at one time. Hmmm...

And if I'm paying for my own gas heat and hot water and electric, perhaps using onsite laundry instead of my own washer/dryer could save money in the long run?

I need to choose an apartment already! LOL! I hate making decisions...

Definitely reconsider some of the places you've crossed off your list. We live in an apartment complex that has a laundry room on each floor. There are 8 apartments on our floor, but I almost have to wait. So, it's not in my home, but it's down the hall just next door. There is one front loader and one top loader. The front is $2 per load the top is $1.75. There are 2 dryers that are $1.75 for an hour. Usually we get away with 2 loads per week (one in each). Then today, I'm going to throw in some towels and stuff, but usually I just put those with the clothes. So, we spend $7.25 per week most weeks. It's not too bad at all.

 

[dyna]

Did the laundry mat thing with mom as a kid in the winter every saturday not fun to get up at 6 am to make to laundrymat soon as the doors opened...

Used laundry mat a few times as a newlywed....then there was the short while I had washer but no dryer an put all my pants in washer an had no pants to wear to laundry mat to dry clothes ended up tying on a pair of dh's pants on with rope.

Years later I tried laundry mat again after a week long camping trip used the only laundry mat in my town an was there for 6 hours waiting for clothes to dry mostly an many dollars poorer than when I went there. To go to another laundry mat I'd have to drive at least 30 miles.

I've went from average of 30 full loads a week down to 3 or 4 small loads a week all the DD's are grown an do their own laundry. Funny I now got 1 of the super large machines largest I've ever had do the less laundry now. Clothing gets tangled in washer because there so few clothes in there yet all my panties an socks is dirty.

OHHHH an I live in a house with basement but washer an dryer thankfully is in the main house not in basement an I never had to carry laundry up an down steps a big plus esp as I have gotten older an I'm sure the older I get the more problem it would be.

 

[NYCDiane]

Look for laundromats that offer free dryers w/wash. The one I go to uses a card --- You put your $$ on the card, use the washer and you use the dryer for free (unlimited time). People can't use the dryers unless they've washed their clothes at the laundromat (the card has a computer chip that keeps track)

 

[NeedaVacation03]

We live in the country and have a septic system. In the last month I have started using the laundry mat to cut down on the water going into the septic. I have to agree with the op, I love the laundry mat. I pay $4.50 for a triple and use 3 at once. Then drying takes less than 30min, which is $1.50. I drive about 50min, and combine it with a trip to town for Costco,etc. I also get it done in about 2.5hrs, and then I don't think about it again for 8-9days, which in our house is amazing!

Glad to know that we are not the only ones in this spot. Our use of the laundrymat is basised on the septic also. It does not bother me to go at all. The past few weeks have been bad due to everyone being sick, including me so we are way behind. Usually it goes pretty smoothly and is always combined with another errand, so it does not waste gas. I can get the laundry done while the kids are at soccer practice etc and be ready to go. i do agree though that it is not for everyone.