7 Tips for Using a Laundromat

Using a communal laundromat has some obvious challenges.  After a year and a half of dealing with the laundry monster via a laundromat, I’ve come away with some tricks up my sleeve.

Today I’m sharing 7 tips for using a laundromat.

1. Use a Timer. At times I’ve left laundry in the machines too long after the cycle was done. A timer (or phone reminder) is the perfect solution. That or a sticky note on your machine in case someone is waiting on your machine.
2. Clean the Machine. This may seem like overkill and it can be, but if a washer is noticeably grimy on top or inside the rim, I wipe it down with a dirty towel that has been soaped up. Towel goes in the wash and my clean clothes don’t get dirtied up when I take them out of the washer.
3. Avoid Bleach Machines. This is not pleasant but after having a load of darks ruined by a machine, I recommend it. To determine if the last load had bleach in the dispenser, simply smell. Avoid that machine or run your whites through it instead of your darks.
4. Fight Mold and Mildew. We do our best to let towels dry out between laundry days. At times I just can’t seem to stop the mildew smell from infecting our towels though. Adding 1/2 teaspoon of tea tree oil to the washer when towels are included helps to keep the mildew at bay.
5. Use a Detergent Pod. I switched over to the pods because I got tired of lugging my big detergent jug to the laundromat. I love them. Now I recognize these pods are more expensive, but I’m no longer using too much detergent and the convenience is pretty sweet.
6. Use or Make Color Catchers. To keep colors from bleeding on other clothing, I highly recommend Color Catchers. These are also handy when we have 1 1/2 loads of darks and only 1/2 load of whites, (we mix if necessary – I know – that’s a no-no!) You can buy Color Catchers or check out One Good Thing By Jillee and her instructions on how to make them yourself.
7. Keep Clothes Dry in the Rain. Unfortunately, laundry day doesn’t always fall on sunshiny days. For those days, bagging folded laundry in a garbage bag makes sense.

So those are my tips to tackling the laundromat. Any you care to add?