When I was in my 20s and living in California, none of us young, up-and-coming people living in apartments, had washers and dryers. We saved our dimes and quarters and on Sunday afternoons would spend a good bit of time at the local Laundromat. For a few years, there was a regular group of 5 or 6 of us who would hang out, wash our clothes, put all the nice, clean and folded clothes into our plastic basket, and when we were finished, go next door for pizza. I have fond memories of the smell of powdered soap and dryer sheets, and the warm hum of the dryers in the background, while we laughed and joked and caught up on the minutiae of our past week. It was a really big deal in our lives when the management raised the cost of a load of wash from 2 quarters to 2 quarters and a dime! We were all horrified! We dried our loads with one dime at a time put into the dryers, removing lighter fabrics as they finished first. $2.50 - $3.00 would usually get everything done. Splitting a pizza and a pitcher of beer was another $2.00 each. We could get home in time to watch "60 Minutes" and "Murder She Wrote", and our evening was complete.
This autumn, my husband asked me if I would please see if I could get his King-Sized sleeping bag washed in a heavy-duty washer and dryer at the local Laundry (they are no longer called "Laundromats"--who knew?) Since it has been decades since I used the services of a "Laundry", I figured I had better do my homework before just jumping in and going for it. One day I stopped by the newly remodeled and reopened Bitterroot Laundry for a bit of reconnaissance. I am so glad I did! The first thing I noticed was that there was only one person doing their laundry. The next thing I noticed was that both the washers and the dryers were all front-opening. And the third thing I noticed was a big sign that said, "Wash - 24 quarters", "Dry - 12 quarters minimum". For some unexplained reason, this would just not compute in my poor 1970s brain! The kind woman who worked there must have encountered lots of befuddled-looking 60-year old women before this, and stepped in to ask if I had any questions....
In the end, aside from the fact that I had to go to the bank and purchase 2 rolls of quarters --$20 worth!!-- I had a very peaceful and pleasant experience washing and drying the gigantic sleeping bag.
And I will continue to cherish my own washer and dryer and not complain when I have to pay $100 for the Appliance Man to come out and change a belt!
Haha what a polar opposite memory! I LOATHED going to the laundry mat! And that price is outrageous!!