#1 Laundromat Etiquette Cardinal Rule: Never Leave Your Clothes Unattended!
A typical wash cycle lasts between 25-40 minutes. An average dry cycle can last closer to 1 hour. While that timeframe can seem like a good opportunity to knock out other errands, you really should never ever leave your laundry unattended - even if it's tucked away safely in a machine...even if you set a timer.
If you're the laundromat owner, you can discourage your customers from double-booking their laundry experience by posting signs throughout your business or finding other ways to remind them to stay put.
#2 Laundromat Etiquette: Be Respectful About Reserving Machines
"Reserving" machines is common practice in commercial laundromats, especially those that are heavily traveled. We often see customers "reserve" a machine by dumping their laundry bag or spreading their clothes across several machines (in much the same way that people might commodore a table at a restaurant or chairs by the pool). It's one thing to scope out a machine just before you put it into use, but it's another to hog a machine when you're still 40+ minutes from being able to use it.
When it comes to laundromat etiquette, pay attention to other customers in the laundromat. When in doubt, ask other patrons how long they'll be on a machine before taking over. Be respectful.
#3 Laundromat Etiquette: Use the Right Amount of Laundry Detergent
More isn't more when it comes to laundry detergent, and we find that so many customers aren't using the right amount of laundry detergent per load. In fact, they're often using way too much which can not only lead to residue on clothing, but it can create quite a buildup on the washer.
If you're a laundromat owner, getting a good ROI (return on investment) is important and quite hard to accomplish if you're constantly repairing your machines because of this buildup. Encourage your customers to use the correct amount of detergent by offering measuring cups or pre-measured detergent packages. You can also request that your customers use laundry pods in lieu of liquid or powder detergent.
#4 Laundromat Etiquette: Don't Overload Machines
Properly loading washers and dryers is crucial to maintaining your equipment if you're a laundromat owner. However, so many customers want to get as much laundry done in one cycle as possible, so you may find that many of your machines are constantly clunking. If you find that every time you do your laundry that your machine makes noise no matter how new or old the machine seems to be, then you may be guilty of overloading your washer. Try taking out a bit of the load and see if your laundry comes out any cleaner or less wrinkled.
If you're the laundromat owner, you can subtly remind your customers not to overload by providing obvious fill lines on the machine.
#5 Laundromat Etiquette: Double-Check Machines Before You Leave
We don't think anyone intentionally wants to leave their laundry behind, but just as socks can go missing if you do laundry at home - socks can also disappear at the laundromat. As such, if you're doing your laundry at a public laundromat, always always always make sure that you double and triple check your machines before you leave to ensure that you aren't leaving behind an article of clothing. Sure, your white socks probably won't do any harm, but what about a pesky red one?
On the flip side, before you start a load of laundry, always check your machines to make sure that the previous customer didn't leave behind anything. If everyone checks behind themselves, we're all less likely to cross-contaminate our loads.
Start practicing these five laundromat etiquette rules and you'll be off to a great start to create a more functional and peaceful laundromat facility. Come back soon as we discuss five more best practices.
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