We need a coin-op laundromat

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I know a person on the Village Board and have brought up the need for a laundromat several times to her. She says there isn't a need. There is a building that used to be a convenience store that I can see from my house and last year a developer was going to put in a laundromat, but the Village shot down that plan. When I have to do laundry, I have to lug the basket to the next town, then usually have to wait for an available washer (fortunately, I still have a working dryer at home).

If you ask, "Why don't you get a new washer?", I will say: 1) my basement is much more damp than it used to be and would cause the washer innards to get rusty which is what happened to the one that is there now, 2) by the time I pay for a new washer and have it installed, the cost would exceed what I would pay to do it at a laundromat for the rest of my life (I estimate it costs me around $20 a year to do it at the laundromat).

I just wonder what the Board has against having a laundromat here?
 

debodun said:
If you ask, "Why don't you get a new washer?", I will say: 1) my basement is much more damp than it used to be and would cause the washer innards to get rusty which is what happened to the one that is there now, 2) by the time I pay for a new washer and have it installed, the cost would exceed what I would pay to do it at a laundromat for the rest of my life (I estimate it costs me around $20 a year to do it at the laundromat).
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Are you including the mileage costs on your car and your time in that $20? I'd have to go to the laundromat at least twice a week. What a PITA that would be.
 

I'd get a new washer anyway. For me, the hassle factor of going to a laundromat would FAR outweigh the cost of the washing machine. You can still get a simple washer for not too much.

$20 a YEAR seems awfully low to me. How much does it cost to do a load of wash at that laundromat?
 
Driving to another town to wash clothes.

And bringing wet things home to dry......ick.

No friends or neighbors who will let you use their washer 3/4 times a yr?

$20/yr.... must not wash clothes, etc. very often.

And you feel the town should accommodate you, debodun, by opening up a coin laundry?

Wow.
 
I think if it were me and there was enough moisture to cause a washer to rust I'd look into whether or not that dampness could cause me health issues.

What Causes Mold in Houses and Homes
What Mold Needs to Grow
Mold needs these conditions before it can begin to grow in a home:


Mold spores
A food source (eg wood, drywall, cotton)
Darkness (mold can't grow under ultraviolet light)
Warmth (mold can't grow in freezing temperatures)
Oxygen
Moisture (eg water leaks, humidity)
Enough time (most molds can begin to grow in 24-48 hours if the conditions are right)


Moisture is really the key cause of mold growth since the other conditions on the list are always going to be present in homes.


So, essentially, the difference between whether mold grows in your home or not comes down to whether you have a moisture problem.


https://moldpedia.com/what-causes-mold-grow
 
Yes, at the very least I would put a dehumidifier in that basement.

I'm very spoiled by having a washer and dryer. I don't think I could be talked into giving up that much convenience. I bought my set used from a co-worker; I always see used washers and dryers advertised for sale.

When I went to a laundromat I know it cost me a lot more than $20/year.
 
$20.00 a year can't be possible.

An average load varies depending on where you live but even at the low cost of $3.00 per load x 2 loads per week is 312.00 per year. So ok, you don't wash often, even at $100.00 that's a far cry from $20.00. At that rate, let the clothes walk themselves to the laundromat. :)

Did you mean $20.00 per month?

I agree, get a de-humidifier, that wet cellar sounds like a mold-danger.

In my condo, the washer/dryer is upstairs, behind bi-folds near the bedrooms where I change clothes and bedding- no dragging laundry downstairs then back up. If you have a bathroom upstairs large enough for a machine, they may be able to install it there using the same water pipes.
 
You do not want to go to a laundromat!!!! They have rules, secret rules, undocumented rules!!!!
We were without a machine at home for almost a year. Our new machine broke and it was a tribulation.Lowes and Samsung fought over the repair for months.

First time I went to the laundry, there were just a couple of people and plenty of open machines. I selected 3 in a row and started my wash. The other patrons looked at me strangely and then started talking among themselves. Soon the doors opened and in walked "Celeste", she walked over to my machines and stared at them. "Who is using my machines?" she demanded while staring at me. "Everyone knows these are my machines!" She then sat on a bench watching every move I made until the machines finished. Once I had emptied them she made a big show of wiping them down and "sanitizing" them.,

I found that there was a regular set of customers that all had an unspoken schedule of the day time and machines that were theirs,and woe be to the interloper that disrupted the flow.

You are single living in a large house. Could you not find a room on the main floor in one of the baths or the kitchen where you could install a new machine?

Your math has to be wrong. Back when we were first starting out we bought or first set on time,because even with the astronomical interest in the '70's it was still cheaper to buy than to schlep to the laundry.
 
I think that some communities see themselves as upscale bedroom communities and feel that a coin operated laundry sends a low rent message. I think that is nonsense but I would be willing to bet that all of the folks on the village board have laundry equipment at home and at least a few of them would agree with the notion.

At this point in life I would focus on my comfort and convenience not on how much money I could save by trudging to the coin laundry.

Maybe one of these little portable machines that connect to the kitchen sink would be a good compromise.

1b36e8e7-9427-4f4a-8683-bc4a3b7d06bb_1.57ae57759e4b1f2a109c713dd47fcc2c.jpeg
 
debodun said:
...If you ask, "Why don't you get a new washer?", I will say: 1) my basement is much more damp than it used to be and would cause the washer innards to get rusty which is what happened to the one that is there now...
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This would really worry me. I'd be doing my best to find out why this is happening and how to reverse it because it's abnormal. Call a plumber for starters. Do it today.
 
Butterfly said:
$20 a YEAR seems awfully low to me. How much does it cost to do a load of wash at that laundromat?
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It's $2 a load and I do laundry ever 6 weeks, so that's 9 loads a year. Being single and not going out very much, it takes me that long to get a full load and that includes outerwear that gets too soiled, bed sheets, nightgowns, towels and misc.
 
The convenience of doing laundry at home would be worth paying a premium to me. The "cost" of a laundromat isn't measured in dollars as far as I'm concerned.
 
Knight said:
I think if it were me and there was enough moisture to cause a washer to rust I'd look into whether or not that dampness could cause me health issues.

What Causes Mold in Houses and Homes
What Mold Needs to Grow
Mold needs these conditions before it can begin to grow in a home:


Mold spores
A food source (eg wood, drywall, cotton)
Darkness (mold can't grow under ultraviolet light)
Warmth (mold can't grow in freezing temperatures)
Oxygen
Moisture (eg water leaks, humidity)
Enough time (most molds can begin to grow in 24-48 hours if the conditions are right)


Moisture is really the key cause of mold growth since the other conditions on the list are always going to be present in homes.


So, essentially, the difference between whether mold grows in your home or not comes down to whether you have a moisture problem.


https://moldpedia.com/what-causes-mold-grow
Click to expand...

My washer and dryer are in the basement, which is accessible only through a pair of Bilko doors from outside.

The basement is totally unheated and uninsulated. In fact, there are spots where you can see daylight. As a result, there is black mold growing on the garbage the previous tenants left down there, which the landlord never cleaned up.

I won't even mention the spiderwebs hanging down from the unfinished ceiling.

Herman Munster, or perhaps that guy from The Silence of the Lambs ("It puts the laundry in the basket ..."), might enjoy doing their laundry there.

I don't.
 
Hey, why buy new? Go to an auction and pick one up for maybe $50.00 a little more or less. It should last at least a few years, provided that it is working when you buy it
 
@ SifuPhil

Herman Munster, or perhaps that guy from ​
The Silence of the Lambs
("It puts the laundry in the basket ..."), ​
Click to expand...

You know I'm a smart-ass, but I don't think you're one of the overly-sensitive members who will forever resent me correcting you. :wink: You can take it.

"It rubs the lotion on it's skin, or else it gets the hose again..." :laugh:

 
911 said:
Hey, why buy new? Go to an auction and pick one up for maybe $50.00 a little more or less. It should last at least a few years, provided that it is working when you buy it
Click to expand...

Heck yeah. There are used appliance stores that sell washers, dryers, stoves, etc. dirt cheap. Have someone with a truck help you out by getting it and hooking it up...pay them another $50. Problem solved. Debodun if you don't know someone, ask around....the folks at your church probably do.

While others "might" use a laundromat, it's not enough to justify the space rental, equipment, utilities, and salary for someone to manage it, clean it, and collect/deposit money.
 
RadishRose said:
Only 1 load every 6 weeks! :what1:
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Yes, why is so hard for people to accept this? I'd probably do it more if I had a working washer. It's only because I have to carry and travel now to do it. Like I said, sometimes being single has advantages. No other person's clothes to wash and I can let mine get as dirty as I want. However, I do keep a few sets of clothes clean clothes to go in public.
 
applecruncher said:
And you feel the town should accommodate you, debodun, by opening up a coin laundry?

Wow.
Click to expand...
That is a bit unfair to Deb. I am sure she would not be the only person using it. In my opinion, Deb, if getting yourself a new washer is not in the cards, then that is your business. It is not up to us here to judge your decisions when all you are doing is asking for input. You know what is best for you

What do you need to do to get the town to reconsider a laundromat? Why do they not feel one is needed?
 

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