Public Laundromats

last year

last modified: last year

I don't have a washing machine in my apartment. When I went to public laundromats a while back, I would put everything in one washing machine regardless of what color it was or if it was a bed sheet. That is incorrect right? I would put white t shirts even along with other color t shirts and underwear and shorts and all those things. It would fit into the small washing machine at the public laundromat. Then put everything in one dryer.

Now the last few times that I did go to public laundromat, I would use 2 machines. One would be for my boxer shorts (underwear). I have about 14 of them. I sometimes would then put a few of my running shorts that I wear at home with it as well. The other washing machine, I would put my dirty outside clothes. By that I mean any khaki shorts or any t shirts. That would also include jeans as well. I would then put a powder detergent called FOCA on it and then after it is done, I would then put everything in 1 dryer. Is that the correct way? The thing is I don't want to put my dirty clothes with my boxer shorts because it's my underwear for washing. I'm a germaphobe.

The other thing now is I have to wash my bed sheet, the fitted sheet and like 2 pillow cases. These are cotton if it matters. Now when I go to the laundromat, with these items that I will list below... how many washing machines should I use and how many dryers?

14 boxer shorts (underwear)

5 running shorts (worn at home)

2 khaki shorts (worn outside)

6 t shirts (worn outside and home)

1 pair of jeans (worn outside)

bed sheet, fitted sheet, 2 pillow cases

None of my t shirts or anything is white. So I don't need to separate dark and white colors. Is it overboard to use 3 washing machines for this? Using 1 washer for 14 boxer shorts (underwear). Using a 2nd washer for running shorts, khaki shorts, t shirts and jeans. Using a 3rd washer for bed sheet, fitted sheet and pillow cases? I heard you shouldn't wash your sheets or even dry them with your clothes?

I can fit all my clothes in one small washing machine but because I'm a germaphobe, I haven't anymore. I always use 2 small washing machines at the public laundromat for this reason. They do have medium and large size machines but I don't use those normally.

There are 2 public laundromats near me. One has hot, warm and cold water setting so I used warm water. Is that the right thing to do? I heard warm is better because it kills germs and termites better? The other laundromat that I use to go to, I prefer that one because it's closer but I am not sure if it has warm water or not. Someone did tell me it has lukewarm water... so is that the same as warm water? So if it only has cold water, don't go there? The 1st laundromat costs more for washer and dryer but I went there the last few times because it had the warm water setting clearly shown on the machine. Do you use warm or cold water for bedding sheets or it doesn't matter? Thoughts on this?

Now I got to assume I have to use at least 2 machines and 2 dryers for this amount of clothes? Got to assume everyone would suggest 1 washer and 1 dryer for all my non bedding clothes and 1 washer and 1 dryer solely for the bed sheets? But would using 3 washers and 2 dryers be overboard? The thing is after you wash your clothes and bedding, they are clean so you could put them all in one dryer?

Featured Answer

dadoes

last year

This is what cold water does to a washer. The example is a old-school (1999) deep-fill toploader used by my parents. She still uses cold majority of the time after seeing what it does. SMH.

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Comments (6)

fillmoe
last year
The load you describe would fit easily into my home frontloader. I can't imagine why you would need more than one machine in a laundromat. In a frontloader, it is perfectly fine to fill up the washer with clothes. For a load as you describe, you would need just a few tablespoons of liquid detergent. Good luck!
dadoes
last year
Just pointing out on the germophobe angle ... consider that the condition of public coin-op washers is always suspect, far from pristine. There's no way to know what previous users have run through them, or how.

There are no socks, bath towels and wash cloths, or dish cloths/towels in the list of items ... ?

Foca powder detergent is high-sudsing in my experience with it ... not ideal for a frontloader.
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armjim
last year
last modified: last year
dadoes is right about public washers. I will always remember as a teenager taking a dog blanket that our dog had soiled when she got sick to a public laundromat. It left an impression on me, wondering how many other people did just that. At home for my entire life any time I have had to wash something heavily soiled like that the washer got a good bleach wash with hot water afterwards. I can not imagine a germaphobe using a public anything. Having one in my circle, I know how they react to things and how strongly it matters to them.
jhp1016
last year
Based on what you've said, using 3 washers works. Sheets ect, inside clothing and outside clothing can be seperate loads.
The clean loads can be combined into 2 driers.
With detergent today, cold is fine for your wash. I prefer to do sheets, towels in hot, but it's not necessary.
porkchop_z5b_MI
last year
I just went to the laundromat last weekend to run a quilt, comforter, and duvet cover through. The quilt was red so I put that in a separate machine by itself just in case there was any dye bleed that would ruin the other items, which were white. But the stuff you described? Just throw it all in the same load, with the exception of the bed linens -- I'd do a separate load with hot water. Some people wouldn't, though, and that's fine too -- it's not cheap to wash and dry at the laundromat.

Re germs: You're using soap, right? So what's the concern?