Laundromats: What to know before you go

I visited my local laundromat, Janice Laundry, early on a Thursday morning. Rows of washing machines flanked by industrial-sized dryers lined the walls. Far from the dingy laundromats of American sitcoms, Janice Laundry had WiFi and a little library. The laundromat has three Wellington locations, each open 24/7.

Janice Laundry is owned by Chris and Melinda Leatham, and it was set up to help give back to their local community, with 10% of profits going to the Cancer Society.

Chris said the laundry was also a way to honour his late mother-in-law.

“[The Cancer Society] helped my mother-in-law 20 years ago when she died in her early 50s of cancer. We named the laundromats after her as well.”

Chris and Melinda thought it was important to make the laundromat a place where people actually want to be, installing WiFi and charging ports.

“We’ve also got a mini book library in all of our locations as well. They’re a real sort of community. The regular customers know each other,” Chris said.

A range of people use the laundromats, and Chris said it might work out cheaper for some families.

“At the end of the day, you might not even have a dryer. You might have a washing machine and no dryer, and when you take into account how much a dryer costs, it can be cheaper to come to a laundromat.”

Even if you do have a washer and dryer at home, it can be helpful to do a big or particularly dirty load at a laundromat.

“A lot of people use it for just a quick weekly wash, others every now and then for sheets, or duvets, or a big load of football uniforms. Businesses use it too,” Chris said.

You don’t need to do anything special to use the machines, like purchase tokens or own a dedicated laundry card. You just need an Eftpos card.

“A lot of places use cards and we don’t because I think it’s just kind of easier for the customer. It’s probably a bit more expensive for us but it’s also simple. Rather than bothering with cards, it’s easy to set up.”

What to consider

Cost

Using a laundromat can be cost effective, depending on how you use it and your circumstances. Prices for a selection of popular laundromats are listed below, ranging from $3 to $5 for an 8kg washer load or a 14kg dryer load.

If you don’t have a dryer, the upfront cost to purchase one can be expensive. The top-scoring vented dryer in our dryer test cost $599. That means it’s significantly cheaper to head to a laundromat, at least in terms of upfront expenditure.

It’s also worth considering how often you’ll need to use a dryer. The more you use a laundromat, the more buying your own dryer makes sense. With your own machine, cost per use decreases the more you use it. Cost per use stays the same with a laundromat.

The cost of running a dryer at home might be more expensive than a laundromat, depending on the model you own, what you’re drying and your power plan. If you own an older or smaller model, it might be less efficient, and therefore take longer and use more power.

The same can apply to washing. The top-scoring top loader in our test cost $1,263. Check out our breakdown of appliance running costs to see how much washing a load at home might cost.

Detergent

Most laundromats we surveyed didn’t provide laundry powder or detergent, so you’ll have to supply your own. Unsure which is best? Our review of laundry detergents is worth consulting to see which detergent will give you the best bang for your buck.

Features

Your washing machine at home might have more features and functionality. Make sure to check the machine at the laundromat for spin speeds and cycle types like delicate cycles. You might find you’re better off washing woollen or delicate items at home, depending on the machine. Read our comparison of washing machine cycles to see which cycle best suits your load.

Efficiency and capacity

It’s more efficient to dry laundry at a laundromat. An industrial model dryer can dry laundry much quicker than a normal dryer and has a much larger capacity. The top-scoring dryer in our tests has a 5.5kg maximum capacity, whereas some industrial dryers at the laundromats we surveyed have a 34kg capacity and can dry loads in as little as 15 minutes.

If you live rurally, a laundromat can be a great way to save tank water you’d rather not use for laundry.

Home health

Depending on the kind of dryer you’ve got, it might be better for the health of your home and whānau to use a laundromat in the winter. When you use a dryer that isn’t properly ventilated, it pulls the moisture from wet laundry and releases it into your home. If your home is already damp, or you struggle to heat and ventilate it appropriately, running a poorly vented dryer indoors might make the problem worse.

Popular laundromats

Here are some pricing and other considerations to keep in mind when visiting the biggest chain laundromats across the country.

Liquid Laundromat

Liquid Laundromat is one of the biggest laundromat services in the country, with over 120 locations. Most locations are open 24/7.

To use a Liquid Laundromat, you have to purchase a Liquid Card. The Liquid Card costs $1 and must be topped up in $10 increments.

Prices can vary from location to location. You’ve also got to supply your own detergent. Here’s the pricing schedule listed on the website.

You can change the temperature to warm or hot for $1.00. A heavy duty wash costs $2.00.

The Laundry Room

The Laundry Room has 11 locations across the North Island. You’ll need a Smart Card to use some locations, and a Green Card to use others. Both are available for purchase depending on the location. Smart and Green Cards must be topped up, and any remaining balance is not refundable.

Opening hours are specific to each site.

Prices can vary between locations, and you’ll have to bring your own detergent. Some locations have a detergent vending machine where detergent isn’t readily available to buy elsewhere. Here’s a sample of pricing from the Main Street Palmerston North location.

A heavy duty hot wash costs an additional $1.00.

Both 14kg and 22kg cycles last for 25 minutes. For $1.00, you can get an additional 7 minutes for a 14kg dryer costs or an additional 6 minutes for a 22kg dryer.

Soap Laundromat

Soap Laundromat operates three locations in the North Island. Opening hours vary across locations, but each is open 7 days a week. You can pay with Eftpos and credit card.

You can also use Soap’s website to check the availability of machines at each location.

Upgrading to a warm, hot or heavy duty wash is free.

Burrell’s

Burrell’s have nine locations, two in the South Island and seven in the North Island. You have to buy a special card to use its machines, which needs to be topped up and is available at each location. In general, Burrell’s laundromats are open from 5am to11pm, 7 days a week, but this might vary for some locations.

Prices might also vary between locations. You can purchase detergent and softener (priced from $2.00) at the laundromat, but if you don’t want to pay, you’ll have to provide your own.