Wash U

In addition to their fancy $ 4-​$ 5.50 heavy duty front loading washers, they have $ 2.00 top loading washers. My clothes were clean after I used the machine. It takes about a dollar to dry your clothing in the regular dryers IF you don’t stuff the dryers full. The floors were a little dirty, but other than that, my hour and a half (nearly) was relatively painless.
I went on a Saturday afternoon and there were about 4 people in there, so there were plenty of machines available. Oh, and the Wi-​fi works!

When I didn’t have a washing machine this was the only place I would go. Its clean, the machines work, there are TVs, even pinball and WiFi. In the world of laundromats this is the best. The cleanliness alone makes it at least 4 stars. Most places are dingy dirty and make me wonder if the machines are just making my dirty clothes more dirty. Not here.

So, maybe there is laundromat etiquette that I have yet to learn. I only use laundromats when washing bigger items like my comforter, quilts, etc. I usually use an adorable place down the street, but found out I’d be having company last minute one night. I knew I wouldn’t have time the next day to take the comforter in, so I was in a rush to find a laundromat that would be open late and could accommodate my needs.
Enter Wash U. The hours posted are 6 AM to Midnight. There was a sign posted on the door that said the last load you could put in the washer is at 10:45.
I threw my comforter in the washer at 9:45. Because I live close and was prepping for unexpected guests, I set a timer on my phone so I’d have time to run errands and clean while it ran. I came in and out twice while the washer was running and the man who was working the laundromat said nothing to me. I walked past him several times and he never made eye contact or conversation. Totally fine, whatever.
I came back at 10:30 to switch my load from the washer to the dryer. Again, walked past the man twice– no conversation. I left again to run errands and set my phone timer for when I needed to be back.
I arrived back at 11:15. (Less than 5 minutes later than when the dryer stopped.) The man working unlocked the door that he had already dead-​bolted (understandable– no one else was there or could come into wash) and said, «You’re lucky I’m still here. I was about to leave and lock up your stuff. You’d have to get it later.»
I was baffled by this, and asked (nicely) why he would do that if the posted closing time was midnight. This set him OFF.
He began talking nonstop about how selfish it would be for me to expect him to stay until midnight. He talked about the posted sign (which again, said laundry had to be put in the WASH by 10:45), and then berated me for leaving my things, saying, «You would actually be mad at me for not staying until midnight? Oh, would you be mad if your quilt got stolen while you were gone too?»
At this point, I was pretty livid. He continued to go on and on (and on) about the injustice of my assumption, even while he unlocked the door for me to exit. At this point, I turned around, cut him off mid-​sentence and wished him a good evening. He was looking for a fight and I wasn’t going to give it to him.
Yes. I left my belongings. Yes, if they were stolen, it would be my fault. But to insinuate that I am selfish simply because I expect for your store to be open at the posted times is ridiculous. If he had any intention of leaving early, and he KNEW that I was in and out, he had plenty of opportunities to tell me.
So yeah. This place has nice machines, free soap during daytime hours, and seems pretty clean. Maybe their daytime service rocks. I’ll give them two stars and a little dash of hope to go with it.
But, I’m making note of their evening service, and will take my business elsewhere.

First of all, I have always been so hesitant about laundromats (I’m from CA, aka snob ville)… I found this one off Unilocal and was VERY impressed. It’s well kept and the people running the place were SO kind! I will certainly be returning and recommend this place for the best laundromat experience. I am no longer so hesitant about laundromats because this is a good one.

When I was a kid, my dad would take me to the tiny town laundromat that had pea-​green walls and old ladies who resembled that decrepit chick from birthday cards. I thought it was pretty luxurious, though, that we could bring all of our clothes and blankets there and wash them all at once.
Today, I don’t think laundromats are quite as awesome, but they still serve their purpose — to wash mounds of crap that you forgot to take care of during the past month. At least that’s why I end up at laundromats, even though I have a washer/​dryer in my loft.
Wash U is just fine. There are plenty of regular top-​loading washers as well as super-​sized front-​loading washers (These are what I ALWAYS end up going for, for three months of clothes plus two sets of sheets). There are enough large dryers to play counterpart, too. The large front-​loading washers in the middle are $ 4.25/load, and the dryers on the side are $ 0.25÷8 minutes. Wash U has those roller cart thingies with the hanger bar and lots of surfaces to fold stuff on.
The place is decently clean (though naturally, lint is rampant), there are change machines and laundry products to buy if you forget yours. And you won’t be bored — there are a couple of arcade games, several TVs, free wifi and a casino game. Yes, a casino game; Teh Oldz apparently dig this place, judging by the action it’s gotten during the past 40 minutes I’ve been here.
Laundromats always are great for people watching. Today, I’ve seen plenty of granny panties, kids fighting over the free driving game, and a guy who doesn’t appear to have any laundry but is there to watch the Cardinals game.
There’s a front and back entrance (That’s what she said. Maybe.). I started to park on the side by the front, but my friend directed me to the back to be close to the door I didn’t realize existed. Good tip. (That’s what she also said.)

How does one review a laundromat? Does it have coin operated washers and dryers? Yes. Lots. Even those big ones that can hold somewhere around 80 pounds of laundry and cost, like, 8 bucks in quarters. They have coin operated detergent dispensers and laundry bag dispensers. They have rolly carts you can move your stuff in. They have a few TVs with cable. They say they have wifi (though I didn’t test it). They even have a South Park pinball machine that’s loud, crude, and pretty fun. And they have change machines that accept bills as large as a ten.
Those are pretty much all of the things one would need in a laundromat. It’s fairly clean. It’s in a central location right off of Hampton. It’s well lit. There are chairs, but probably not enough.
It’s a laundromat. I didn’t go there to have a good time. I went because our down comforter couldn’t go in our top load washer. It was convenient. It was clean. At no point did I feel like a homeless person was going to shank me and steal my quarters.
Apparently it’s also a dry-​cleaning service and they offer a clothes folding service as well. I did not take advantage of either of these, so I feel unqualified to review them. But you should know they are available.

When I tell people I went to Wash U, it isn’t as prestigious as it sounds. The Wash U I went to is a laundromat.
I have a washer and dryer at home, but there times when size does matter and you just need something bigger. Those larger capacity washers and dryers come in handy when you need to wash quilts, comforters or rugs. Why put rough wear and tear on your own when you can use a commercial size down the street. In addition to 3 stars, I also give Wash U 3 C’s for convenience, cleanliness and cheap.
So the next time someone tells you they went to «Wash U», you can ask them do you mean the university or laundromat?