Quarters, anyone? Part II

I was definitely out of my element. The place was hopping and bustling with people getting their wash done. It was mostly filled with families and little kids in tow. Definitely not the scene you see in the movies when young, hip, single New Yorkers are at the laundromat, getting their wash done and flirting with one another. :)

I was the only Caucasian girl in the place and in the minority by not speaking Spanish. Since I only had HE detergent at home, I needed to purchase some regular tide and of course get enough quarters to do the job. Part of me thought that maybe the machines would be able to operate by credit/debit cards, but that was not the case. The machines still took only quarters and lots of them!

I wasn't sure exactly where to start. There were rows and rows of machines and they all looked a little different. I went to the front and introduced myself to the woman who was in charge. She was doing all the drop-0ff laundry. She was so incredibly nice and helped me get my bearings. She told me the differences in the size of washing machines and how much each cost. Yowzer! The washing machines ranged in cost from $2.75 up to $6.75 a load. The difference in price was determined by how big of a machine you are using. I had 4 loads of laundry with me and combined two loads in each machine. I went with a $4.75 washing machine and it seemed to fit the clothes nicely. 24 minutes later it was done! The dryers cost .25 for 6 minutes of drying time. Each of my two loads took 42 minutes to dry.

I kept myself busy with a People Magazine (Kate Gosselin now has extensions; It's a new Kate for the new year -- whatever!!! How can this woman still be making headlines and why do I still care to read it?!?!?).

Once the wash was done (I decided to do all the folding at home, although it seemed like the popular thing to do was to fold on-site), I packed up the clothes and headed home. I felt victorious!! Within 2 hours, I got 4 loads of wash done and went a little beyond my comfort zone by doing it in a laundromat. Go Robyn!

The new part should arrive by Tuesday and the technician is scheduled to come on Wednesday. Regular washing should be able to commence at home and my time at the laundromat very short lived. If the washing machine were to break again, Jeff and I agreed we will go out and replace the washer immediately and not even consider repairing this one. Obviously Consumer Reports was wrong about this one. Ha!

Looking back at the scene at the laundromat on Friday night, I feel for those who have this as their only means of getting their clothes clean. Obviously over the long term, spending $19.00 each week to do your wash is not cost effective. I figure these people could've bought a decent washer and dryer free and clear in about a year and a half and not have to drag the kids to hang out at a laundromat while it is getting it done.

In my effort to not take for granted all I have and am blessed with, I went to sleep on Friday night so incredibly grateful for having the means and opportunity to do my wash at home. It is something I have taken for granted and never realized what the alternative is. I appreciate knowing that if necessary we could go out and get a replacement washer in 5 minutes without worrying too much how we'd pay for it.

And, the next time I have stop everything to put the clothes from the washer into the dryer, I will not look at it as an inconvenience, but will happily do it with a smile on my face.