Hyde Clay Laundry & Cleaners

I thought I’d give this place another chance, BUT
. It’s even dirtier than last time,
the medium size washers don’t load enough water nor do they spin fast enough (an old lady was going to put a warning sticker on it even!)
And the owner has jacked up prices about 15−20%
AVOID THIS OVERPRICED CESSPOOL

I wouldn’t have thought to review a laundromat but I’m traveling in SF and the other reviews were surprisingly helpful!
After running out of underwear and deciding it wouldn’t be economical to keep buying new pairs, I Unilocaled up some laundromats in the nob hill area. This one is up a hill (and after a month of being away from the gym, hills are not my friend) but is big, clean, easy to use (albeit with a little assistance from some friendly locals) and was kind to my clothes. I don’t use laundromats at home so it was a relief to find the whole process was so easy.
My nice, fresh clean threads were greatly appreciated post-​visit… I felt like shouting out to the world «Look at meee! i’m wearing 100% clean clothing!!»… and there was something enjoyable about spending 90mins being domestic in the middle of my crazy holiday…

You know what? Screw it. I’ll review a laundromat. I’ll do it. I’ll even give it FIVE STARS. Why? Because WHY NOT.
Things That Are Great About This Laundromat:
1. It is not sketchy. If there is one ironclad truth of San Francisco, it’s this: sketchy people don’t like going up hills. This laundromat is up a hill.
2. The change machine takes $ 20 bills. I don’t know if this is a standard thing or not. I don’t go to a lot of laundromats.
3. One time I left my backpack here. I only realized it the next day, and when I came back, the backpack was gone. On a desperate whim, I called the laundromat’s phone number. An incredibly helpful guy picked up; I described my backpack to him, and he told me that yes, he had indeed found it. We arranged to meet, and I retrieved my backpack the next day. So the moral of the story is: the people who run this place, though largely invisible, are awesome. (Incidentally, this is the primary reason I’m leaving a five-​star review for a laundromat on Unilocal.)
4. Totally unpretentious. Look, I don’t need my laundromat to be some hip joint with a clever name like «The Missing Sock» or «The Crumpled Sheet of Fabric Softener» or whatever. I need it to have: washing machines, driers, a change machine, and maybe a machine where I can buy detergent if I forgot my own.
Things That Are Not So Great About This Laundromat:
1. Yes, if you go in the afternoon, the seats on the west side of the shop can get pretty toasty. Sit on the wooden bench in the front or one of the folding counters, or go out and get a bite to eat or something.
And that is all I have to say about this INCREDIBLE FIVE STAR LAUNDROMAT.

I was scouring the internet and Unilocal for a laundromat with oversized washing machines large enough to fit a king size comforter. This place has one extra large washing machine that fits approximately 6 normal loads of laundry. It was more than large enough to fit my king sized comforter and even had room to spare. The extra large machine was only $ 6.75 per load and the dryers are 25¢ for 7 minutes. Sure beats what I would have paid at a dry cleaners.

first time here, $ 2.75 for reg wash, $.25 for 7min of drying. not bad, the dryers are large and they even have commercial style washers that handle 3 loads at once for $ 3.75, which is a good deal. placr is clean, safe neighboorhood and the ppl who come here keep to themselves. ill be a regular here.

This is now my local laundromat since it is on the same block that I live on. Everything is in working order, the prices are reasonable and it is never too crowded. I’ll break this place down into my classic Pros and Cons list…
PROs:
1. Clean
2. Affordable (2.25−2.75 for a regular load, ’bout 1.50 for dryer depending on how you gauge dryness)
3. Not crowded (more so on the weekend though)
4. Quarter and laundry detergent machine
CONs:
1. Not a whole lot of sitting space if you stay. Plus, the line of chairs are right in front of the window and EVERY time I sit there it feels like something is magnifying the sun straight onto my neck.
2. There is nothing particularly *cool* about this place. In New Orleans, some laundromats have bars in them. Seems like an awesome business idea… anyone down to quit their day job and start this with me? Cooome onnn, dream since day one, your very own laundromat.

It’s not the shiniest or hippest laundromat, but it is MY laundromat. They’ve got single loaders, triple loaders, and one SIX LOADER that is never, ever in use when I show up. Works out to $ 1.00 per load if you can stand to let your dirty clothes pile up that long. I’m sad the change machine doesn’t accept $ 20 bills, but that’s ok, it’s fast and never broken.
There is a lot of love in this laundromat. Everyone is quiet, respectful, and they don’t take or abuse your big suitcase when you leave it behind during your dry cycle. I never have trouble getting a big wheely basket.
This is my Hallmark card to Hyde Clay Laundry — heart heart heart!

I have to give this place props. While I don’t live by it anymore, this was sort of my first SF laundromat.
Things the place has going for it:
— The machines are reasonably priced and there are multiple sizes.
— There are lots of machines. Over about two years, I don’t think I ever had to wait. Or more importantly, I never had somebody dump my stuff in a pile on a table when it was done before I returned.
— It’s pretty clean inside (as much as a public area like this can be) and it is cleaned often.
— The people that work there and clean the place at night are really sweet, and they have been so accommodating when our clothes weren’t quite done drying and they were supposed to be closing.
— Most importantly, Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage speed by this place during the amazing SF car chase in «The Rock» (um, one of the top five awesomest movies of all time)!
Things not going for it:
— It’s not as cute /​new-​looking as some of the other laundromats nearby
— The change machine seems to be out of order a lot and it doesn’t take twenties. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to the ATM on the weekend and then had to trek up to Le Beau market to get a soda and smaller bills.
All in all, if you live nearby, make this your place.

Even though this laundromat is a bit of a haul for me because it’s a few blocks away, it’s clean and I never have to wait around for a machine or a dryer (knock on wood). There is a bill/​coin exchanger that has been out of commission once (blast!) but other than that, this place is pretty solid.
The regular washing machines are 2.25, or 2.75 for a SUPER (which I’m too cheap to get. I don’t think my clothes are THAT dirty to warrant a super wash…) and 25 cents per 7 minutes of dry time. I usually find that drying goes tons faster than washing, so a good 28 minutes does the trick.
There are a few rolling laundry baskets available and two tables where you can fold your clothes. I like to peruse the multiple postings on the wall for classes and workshops, and I recently discovered that some people like to leave books behind — very kind!
One day I’ll have have to also leave behind a good read and invest in the karma bank. Any requests?

Clean, no frills laundromat that recently moved to front loader washing machines, European style. Those are the real deal as they use way less water than the top loaders, don’t rip your clothes apart with a spindle and also get the clothes cleaner and whiter. At least that’s what my mom said when she saw my clothes after one year of top loading.
Good karma in this place. One day, when I didn’t know whether I could leave my clothes there without supervision, I brought my laptop and noticed a bunch of kids from the elementary school nearby pressing their noses against the window to see me typing in there. Another day, two guys from Peru named Luis and Luis were desperate for a good talk about soccer — dangerous half knowledge on my end since I usually only watch international tournaments. Last time, a lady brought a carbon monoxide detector that kept ringing and ringing and ringing — said that’s why she put it all the way into her laundry bag and forgot about it.
This place would get five stars if they offered cocktails and massages after extended clothes folding sessions. Hey, that’s actually a business model waiting to happen.