NYC Love

The first two buildings I lived in in New York had coin laundry in the building. Finding time and change to do a few loads a week was never a problem.

With my most recent move, I am now in a building sans laundry. The first few months, I was good about keeping up with a once-weekly laundromat visit - there is one only about a block and a half away. But, I'm lazy. And busy. And really, the last thing I want to do on the weekend is spend a few hours in the laundry mat. So I finally caved recently and began to do the 'drop-off'.

I'm not sure if this exists anywhere else in the world, but in New York, there are about 2-4 cleaners on each block that you can pay, per pound, to wash and fold your clothes. I was a bit skeptical at first, however once I learned the 'system' I am a total believer - and it actually ends up not being that much more $$ than the laundromat.

The tricks:

1. Pick one cleaner, get to know them. They will remember and recognize you - it makes a difference.
2. Use your own detergent. I bought a good smelling and trusted detergent and keep it at the cleaners, and now that they know me (see #1), they use my detergent, so my laundry comes back to me smelling lavender-fields fresh.
3. They don't have to dry everything. This was my major hang up about someone else doing my laundry- I don't dry my delicates and most of my workout gear. So I figured I would have to keep going to the laundromat to do these pieces. NOPE! I just put them in a separate bag and when I pick my stuff up, my workout gear, bras and sweaters are on hangers, waiting for me.

But the BEST part about this system??? How lovely and wonderfully perfect your clothes are folded- even your socks and underwears :)