Would anyone pay me to do this?
By Fleur
@Fleura (34927)
United Kingdom
October 19, 2022 6:08am CST
We have a washing machine at home which is practically a necessity for a family. But now that the weather is cooler I changed the beds to thicker duvets and then I thought I would wash our summer duvet before putting it away. Since it’s a super-king size it wouldn’t fit in our washing machine, so that meant a trip to the laundrette.
Luckily the local laundrette isn’t too far away. We went for a walk on Sunday and detoured past that way so I could check out how it all worked. Glad we had decided not to take the duvet with us as it was really busy, all machines were in use, a couple of people were reading magazines while they waited and one lady who claimed she ‘no speak English’ was bringing in bag after bag of laundry. But at least I was able to see what facilities were available and how much they cost.
So this morning I went over there with the duvet to try it out. I didn’t know whether the place would be busy or how long the wash would take, so I went equipped with a book, laptop and travel cup of coffee.
As it turned out the place was deserted on a weekday morning. I put the duvet in to wash then settled down to wait. There was a small table there with a couple of chairs, plus a few more chairs and a bench at the side. It was warm and reasonably quiet. I could watch the road outside through the plate glass window – not that there was much happening.
All in all it was quite a pleasant way to spend half an hour. I started to wonder if I could get paid to bring other people’s washing to the laundrette while they were at work. It would save them having to waste their weekends sitting around watching a washing machine, while for me I could just do my usual work in a warm quiet place!
Would you pay someone to put your clothes through the laundry routine for you?
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2022.
15 people like this
14 responses
@LadyDuck (502148)
• Italy
19 Oct 22
@Treborika You are right many prefer to pay and do nothing.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
19 Oct 22
I wouldn't either, but then I'm constantly surprised at the jobs that people nowadays get someone else to do for them... clean the house, even specific tasks like clean the oven or wash out the bin, vacuum the car, iron their clothes, care for the children, walk the dog...
1 person likes this
@Treborika (18194)
• Mombasa, Kenya
19 Oct 22
Men young women nowadays don't like doing household chores by themselves
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
19 Oct 22
Honestly, no. I bought a machine big enough to handle anything we have and just stick laundry into it while I'm doing other things around the house. When the washer says it's done, I put stuff into the dryer and continue with what I'm doing. Things like towels and washcloths I wash and dump onto the sofa when they're done. When Pretty isn't busy, we both fold them and put them away. *shrug*
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174208)
• United States
19 Oct 22
@Fleura Yeah, people "waste" money on things I definitely wouldn't. Even when I worked two jobs and had a little girl to take care of, I still did my own laundry. I'd just start it at night before I went to bed, put it into the dryer the next morning while getting her ready for school and then pulled it out and had her help me fold it when we got home in the evening.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct 22
@DaddyEvil Around here there is a business purely cleaning ovens, and another just washing bins! Both of those seem very strange to me. I virtually never clean the oven, because it isn't really dirty in the first place, I put covers over anything that's likely to splatter everywhere. And the bins don't need cleaning because only clean stuff goes in the recycling bin, and for the rubbish bin everything is bagged so that doesn't get dirty either!
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
21 Oct 22
It seems to be the first time you washed your duvet there.You are business-minded ! You never know,there might be many people who are at work pay you to do it if you like.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (17239)
• China
22 Oct 22
@Fleura It is also a great place to read and relax ,if the washing machine doesn't make much noise.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
22 Oct 22
@changjiangzhibin89 That's very true, and nice and warm as well!
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (56195)
• Canada
19 Oct 22
The only time that I have had to use a public laundry mat is when I do extra large items as you did.
I do not think that I would want to do anyone else's washing, nor would I seek out anyone to do mine.
You might find that others would pay people to do theirs.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (56195)
• Canada
20 Oct 22
@Fleura Our daughter-in-law used the wash and fold service from a laundry mat when their washing machine broke down and the new one was on back order for a few weeks. They both work full time, so had limited time to spend at the laundry mat and like you indicated, they would have had to go during the busy times on the weekends.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
20 Oct 22
I had to use the laundrymat a few times last year. when my washer was broken. It wasn't bad going, something different, but I was amazed at how much the machines cost!
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34927)
• United Kingdom
20 Oct 22
They are shockingly expensive, at £6 a wash or £9 for the bigger machines (although they are bigger than domestic washing machines). But then buying a washing machine is also even worse! I was horrified at the price when we needed a replacement a couple of years ago - £900! Luckily I managed to find a bargain second hand one - as for almost everything in our house! But for a single person one weekly wash would probably be enough so it would make more sense to pay the weekly price, especially if you weren't sure of staying in the same home for the long term.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
20 Oct 22
I never use the machine for bed linen. I give it to the laundry close by. No waiting as you guys do but the maid will take it there and after a few days get back there and collect. We also give clothes for ironing to the same laundry
I do not think anyone would pay for someone to watch their clothes being washed in a machine.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (153544)
• India
20 Oct 22
@Fleura In your case no one man's those machines except those whose clothes are getting washed but in my case there is a guy who is doing business and does the cleaning for us and yes may be he is using machine but I have not checked.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (135583)
• Marion, Ohio
19 Oct 22
My washer will handle my extra large items. But a busy person with a job might.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (59105)
•
20 Oct 22
There is a place not far from where I live that is a dry cleaners plus they have a ''drop off your laundry by 9AM, pick up after 4PM'' thing. And then it's right next door to a coin laundry. I do my own and always have, here at my home. But they do a huge business in doing people's laundry.
