Laundromats suck. Washer/Dryer Combos that don't need hookups?
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As a recent visitor, I was surprised there were no do-it-yourself laundrymats anywhere to be found. It seems like the city would support that and that people would want it. I don't get it.
Escalating rents have driven a lot of laundromats, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. out of business.
An older woman I know has someone come do laundry for her. Think of a maid service. That may end up costing more then the dry cleaners service, I'm not sure but could look into it. Pay someone $15 an hour to come to your place, cart your laundry to the laundry mat, do it,bring it back folded and put it away.
Let me break this down for some of you like a fraction.
Laundromats, dry cleaners, laundries, etc... are all businesses that run on tight margins. Thus they are highly affected by even small changes in costs of doing business (rent, labor, utilities, etc...).
Many self-serve laundromats survived previously due to low rents, now that has changed they simply cannot make money because costs overall are just too high.
All laundries have insane utility costs (gas, water, sewer, electricity) which again factor into their operating costs. In NYC laundries pay for water twice, once as fresh (out of the taps), and again for waste (sewer).
Self-serve laundries have always been in competition with laundry services (pick up and deliver, drop off), and that competition has grown.
Basically all laundries run on two basic models; doing a small volume of work for higher prices (French hand, personal, private, etc... laundries), or large amounts of it for very low rates (every one else).
Your average local laundromat neither has the labor, equipment or other things to process huge amounts of laundry per day. That is where wholesale laundries come in and always have.
Almost now wholly run by Asians (Chinese or Korean), these storefront laundries can take in huge amounts of orders per day, far more than a laundromat, because work is sent off to some wholesale laundry elsewhere. Down side to this is your shirts, linens, clothing, and whatever are washed together with scores or hundreds of other people's things.
Those who want a more "personal" or at least less commercial process often opt for local laundromats with their "drop off service".
Today apps like Cleanly are coming to dominate NYC and other urban laundry scene. But these places are merely fronts for wholesalers. In short they simply save you from going to the local storefront, but never the less your laundry is done not by "Cleanly" per se, but any of their contracted laundries.
In Manhattan at least most people don't like local laundromats because they are small, cramped, dirty, etc.... There are a few large places left in Manhattan, and certainly in the outer boroughs where rents are cheaper.
While historically many Manhattan apartments (rental, co-op, condo) didn't have and or outright forbade laundry appliances, that is changing and fast.
To people buying or looking to rent today a washer and dryer is like a dishwasher, they must have them or deal is off. People spending two, three, or more million for an apartment, or > $2500 per month in rent don't want to hear they cannot have a washer/dryer. If not in their unit, the things at least had better be somewhere in building.
Americans finally caught up with Europe in giving moving to front loading/compact washing machines. These are ideal for tight living quarters such as most NYC apartments. Modern heat pump condenser dryers means you don't need to run a vent, and they are remarkably energy efficient.
Ventless w/ds are sloooooooooooooooow though. Takes mine 1:12 to do a wash and like 1:30 to do a dry.
Don't get me wrong, it's fantastic having the hookup in my apartment, but just be aware. Each load will take more than twice as long.
Those cheap Asian or bottom shelf combo units do take ages. New separate washers and condenser dryers not only have greater capacity, but can finish job faster.
As a recent visitor, I was surprised there were no do-it-yourself laundrymats anywhere to be found. It seems like the city would support that and that people would want it. I don't get it.
Most good sized buildings have a laundry room on premises. We have two HUGE laundry rooms, both on the second floor. Cheap, too.
When I was a kid, we had a full size washing machine in our kitchen. We didn't have a hookup. It used a connector through the faucet. That worked just fine for us. The only down side is you can't use your kitchen sink for a few hours.
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