Do Laundromats have detergents?

I know, you’re probably tired of grabbing the large bottle of liquid detergent in your pantry for a trip down to the laundromat. So you’re wondering if the laundromat makes provision of detergents in the first place? So you don’t have to carry any detergent any more! 

And guess what, some do!

Some laundromats do sell detergent, but the price of the detergent is typically higher than if bought in a grocery store. It’s also a common problem for laundromats to fall short of the specific type of detergent you need, and if that’s something that bothers you, you want to ensure you always bring your laundry detergents along with you.

Below, we’ll discuss more on washing clothes at the laundromat. You’ll learn more on what’s best between bringing laundry products from home and purchasing at the laundromat. At the end are tips you can adopt to ensure your trip to the laundromat always turns out worthwhile.

Some have, some don’t, some give free

There are three types of laundromats when it comes to the provision of detergent. There are laundromats that make detergents available for customers on a payment basis, some provide for free and some don’t even provide at all.  

And typically, the quality of laundromat is tied to this factor. Laundromats of higher quality (and therefore those that charge higher) are usually the ones that offer detergents for free, while mediocre businesses may offer detergents and other laundry products for free or many not even make provision for them in the first place, making it the sole task of the customer to bring laundry products from home! 

When to always take your detergents

Sensitive

Relying on laundromats for your detergents leaves you at the mercy of whatever they give you. Study your laundromat well and when you discover that they only provide detergents you’re sensitive to, ensure to always bring yours from home! 

Don’t like the detergent

You may not be sensitive to the detergent, but simply dislike certain elements of it, for instance the scent, or the feel it leaves on your clothes, or the way it makes your cloth look faded and dull. 

If that’s the case, Then always ensure to bring your laundry detergent from home and avoid relying on your laundromat.

What else to always carry from home?

Your laundromat may or may not provide you with laundry detergent, and so also fabric softeners and fabric sanitizers. 

If you have them at home, the best option would be to bring them along so you don’t make trips back home, in instances where your laundromat doesn’t offer them for free, or doesn’t even offer them at all. 

Another good reason why you want to always bring your products from home is because buying things at the laundromat is way more expensive than buying it at grocery stores. I mean it’s business right? 

If the bulk of the load you’ll be carrying is the issue, you can always quantify and measure the exact amount you need for your laundry, then pour it in a small container to reduce the bulk. For detergents, the alternative is to use pods which are very convenient and easy to carry.

Which is better? To carry detergent or not?

If you’re pretty torn between bringing your own detergents to the laundromat or not, know that your laundromat will charge you more for the detergent than if you bought it from the grocery store. So effectively, the cost of laundry increases.

If you find it difficult to transport bottles of laundry products, always extract the right amount you need into small containers and bring those containers along instead.

What are some tips for going to the laundromat also?

There are little tips and tricks that would help make your journey to the laundromat worthwile. Here they are.

Carry change

Most laundry machines at the laundromat are coin-operated, meaning that you have to insert coins into them to be able to do your laundry. So make sure you bring along sufficient change so you don’t have anything to worry about, should you need to run more cycles! 

Sort clothes by color and weight

Prior to bringing clothes to the laundromat, make sure to do the assignment of sorting your clothes by colors, and then colors by weight. 

Sort laundry into lights and darks (that do not bleed) and then whites. For clothes that bleed, try to wash them separately, preferably at home, by hand, to minimize the time and money you’ll have to waste at the laundromat.

Check up on your laundry using a smart app

You may not always want to sit down and watch your timer tick all the way till it triggers the buzzer, so if you’re leaving for a short duration, use the laundry smart app to know when it’s time to retrieve your clothes from the machine otherwise there’s a high chance you’ll meet them on the floor! 

Always empty the dispensers especially the one that carries bleach

One thing you want to make sure you’re doing before you put your clothes into the washing machine is to inspect all the dispensers on the machine. 

There are customers that use bleach during their wash sessions, and if your clothes are those that do not require bleach, running a cycle without emptying the dispenser of the remnants can ruin your batch or clothes! 

So always make it a habit to check the dispensers and flush out any remnants to prevent any possible issues form cropping up. 

Final Thoughts

Laundromats may or may not offer detergent, but when they do, the price is typically higher compared to if you brought the detergent form a grocery store.

Laundromats might also be limited in the types of detergent they have, and if you happen to be sensitive to the detergents your laundromats provide, or simply don’t like the varieties they have, then you’ll have to always make sure you bring yours from home. 

If it happens that bringing bottles of laundry detergent is the problem, or the reason why you want to consider buying detergents from your laundromat, there are things you can always do to make carrying them easier. 

If you’re using a liquid detergent, pour the appropriate amount you need into a small container, and bring that container along with you. You can also substitute liquid or powdered detergents for pods which are the most convenient way of doing laundry nowadays.