Laundromat Vs. Laundry Apps: Which is better for you?

Doing the laundry is nobody’s idea of a fun chore. But it’s a must. Cleanliness and hygiene go hand in hand with good health. If you don’t have a washer at home, you have two options: either use a laundry app or take the laundry to a laundromat.

Each option has its upsides and downsides. So which one is better for you?

The laundromat offers high-capacity machines and dozens of washers available for you. But lugging the laundry to the laundromat takes time and effort, not to mention the health hazards inside the laundromat. Laundry apps are more convenient. They pick up the laundry at the time of your convenience, get it cleaned up, folded, and delivered to your doorstep at the time of your choosing.

It’s obvious that one of those options is better than the other. But this is not an open and shut case. There are other factors to consider, such as costs and the quality of cleaning you get.

Read more to find out which laundry option is good for you.

Why Would you Use the Laundromat?

For many people, the laundromat is the right choice when you want to do the laundry. It could be that you don’t have enough space in your apartment for a washer/dryer, or you just don’t like the hassle of doing the laundry at home.

If you have a laundromat around the corner from where you live, then you can enjoy the many benefits of the laundromat.

• Cost: The laundromat usually costs a few coins to use the washer and dryer. Compared to the laundry apps, you will save more money every time you wash in the laundromat than when using laundry delivery services.
• High-Capacity Washers: The laundromat has washers and dryers with high capacity that can handle all types of laundry and offer different programs and settings to deal with different types of stains and fabrics. Whether you have a heavy or a small load, you can rely on these washers.
• Different Options: The laundromat often has plenty of washers and dryers to choose from. Some machines are better than others. If you have more than one load of laundry to do at the same time, you can use more than one washer/dryer and save time.
• In-service Folding: If folding the laundry is a chore for you, some laundromats offer help with that. When the clothes are dry, the staff will fold them neatly and hand them to you in a plastic bag. 
• Space: the laundromat has more space to wash, dry, and fold the laundry. You can turn the task into a meditative process and get more out of it than just doing the laundry.

Why you Shouldn’t Use the Laundromat

But the laundromat is not for everyone. Especially if it’s too far from where you live or doesn’t maintain its machines. Here are some of the reasons that you wouldn’t use a laundromat.

• Inconvenient: To do the laundry at the laundromat, you have to free yourself for at least 2 to 3 hours, not to mention the time it takes you to go there and back. If the laundromat is crowded, you’ll have to wait for a machine to become available. And you have to carry the laundry back and forth.
• Hygiene: The machines in the laundromat handle all types of clothes with different germs and pathogens. You can’t trust the laundry detergents to kill all of the pathogens during washing. So there’s a chance your clothes might carry some.
• Coins: To use the machines in the laundromat, you need to carry coins on your person. Some laundromats will happily give you change, but that doesn’t happen all the time. If you don’t have access to coins, you can’t use the washers.
• Health Risks: A laundromat is a place where laundry detergents, fabric softeners, bleach, stain removers, and other chemicals are used freely. Fumes from these chemicals, especially in a crowded and enclosed laundromat, pose a health risk even when there’s no pandemic hovering like a dark cloud.

What Makes Laundry Apps Better?

Laundry apps, on the other hand, are designed for convenience and safety. You won’t have to worry about lugging the clothes to the laundry and back. You don’t have to allocate time for the laundry. And you don’t have to worry about choosing what detergent for what type of clothes or whether bleach is a safe option to remove stains or not.

This is all handled by professionals. Some of the benefits of laundry apps include the following.

• Saves Time: The laundry delivery service doesn’t require much time from you. You set the time to pick up the laundry and the date and time to deliver it. You don’t even have to be home for the pick-up or delivery. You can put the 3 to 4 hours it takes to do the laundry at a laundromat into better use.
• Convenience: The delivery service handles everything from washing and drying to folding and delivering. You hand them the soiled laundry in a bundle and get it back clean and folded.
• Quality Cleaning: Most laundry apps, especially small businesses, handle the laundry themselves. They provide better cleaning and high-quality service than what you get at the laundromat.
• No Risks: You don’t risk going to the laundromat and exposing yourself to chemicals and vapors. 

I have also written a comprehensive article where I compare all the best laundry delivery service apps available. Feel free to check it out to find what will work best for you.

When Not to Choose Laundry Apps

But laundry apps have their downsides as well. Here are some of them.

• High Cost: Laundry delivery services often cost more than the laundromat. But it’s a price you pay for your convenience.
• Outsourcing: Not all laundry delivery services handle the washing and drying themselves. Sometimes they outsource to third parties. 
• Quality of Service: Not all laundry apps adhere to the same standards. Sometimes the laundry is delayed, or the clothes come back without proper cleaning. 

Conclusion

If you’re looking for convenience and safety, then a laundry app is the right way to do laundry. These services come at a higher cost than the laundromat.

Next, you can check out my article on whether dry cleaning is worth it or not.