Laundry Drop-Off Ettiquette

orin · October 2005

Recently I've moved into an apartment building that has no laundry facility on site, and I hate lounging around laundromats for countless hours, so I've started dropping my laundry off at the cleaners in the AM/pickup PM.
Being new to this, I'm not sure exactly what's appropriate... are there any erm.. guidelines or unwritten rules somewhere, aside from laundromat specific ones.

Is there any sort of items you shouldn't take into a place like this out of courtesy? Large blankets/heavy quilts or extremely soiled items?
I'm speaking more in the terms of not outright filth, but just things that are generally unpleasant. For example: houseguest got ill this weekend and puked on some bed sheets. (Bad taco.. ) It's gross, and I feel bad about sending them off... I cleaned off most I could, but still bleh.. :oops:

Not quite sure what to do, I just don't wanna waste an afternoon watching laundry tumble for hours.

bluedove · October 2005

Ever read American Psycho? Hehehe...

We accidentally locked our cat in the bedroom when we went away for the weekend recently, and he used the bed as a litter box. I cleaned up the, um, solids, but we threw the rest in a bag and dropped it off on our way to work in the morning. I felt a little bad about it, I guess, but I wasn't about to let that marinate until the next weekend, and really didn't have much choice. They cleaned it nicely.

I think that really, I mean, feeling bad about dropping off something with a gross stain is about the same as feeling guilty about flagging a cab in Manhattan to get home to Brooklyn. You know they're gonna be pissed, but man, you gotta get home and that's what you're paying them for. You know?

orin · October 2005

Good point. Maybe I'll tip really well or something.
Still - the walk of shame is gonna be awkward, it looks *really* bad :P

But they're almost brand-new sheets, so I don't want to pitch them.

bluedove · October 2005

Maybe bring it to a different laundromat you'll never have to go in again :twisted:

I hear you, man--sheets are pricey.

jose · October 2005

Give them a tip? Really?

bluedove · October 2005

Jose wrote: Give them a tip? Really?

Uh, yeah I would never do that. Tipping is getting out of control in this city. I believe there was a whole thread on just that topic not too long ago!

Anyway, laundromat personnel definitely fall into my "do not tip" criteria (i.e. their pay is not contingent upon tipping. Unlike a bartender, waitress, or restaurant delivery person.)

lilbangladesh · September 2007

I tip if they give service above and beyond, but that's it.

lucille · September 2007

I always tip because I always use the same place. I want to ensure that my laundry is treated well and I have pets, so there's always hair involved. Also, I've watched the woman who works at my 'mat when I'm in there doing laundry myself, and she works really hard. Plus, I've noticed that even the guy who picks cans up off the street for a living gives her a tip if he drops a bag of laundry off. It's not much, so what the heck.

lilbangladesh · September 2007

Well, if I use a place regularly, I'll tip on holidays.

MOD · September 2007

Always tip if they are taking care of filthy stuff that you are too lazy,grossed out, or busy to deal with.
It's nasty work cleaning up after people.
TIP!

lilbangladesh · September 2007

When I drop off my laundry, I'm already paying $25 to $30 so it's not like they are being short-changed.

I do tip if there is something particularly nasty in my laundry (Read "service above and beyond") but usually I don't have that problem.

lucille · September 2007

Subject: tip

A-MEN, mamacita, I say, tip! If your'e already paying that much to have your laundry done, why not?

crownheightsproud · September 2007

Just because you are paying a lot to have your laundry done does not mean that the person doing it is getting well paid - they're probably getting minimum wage. If you feel that you are giving them something gross or above and beyond, then go ahead and tip them. I'm sure they will appreciate it. Often, it's not the money that counts, it's you noticing them as people and treating them with respect for doing something you didn't want to do. If you can, make sure the worker doing the laundry gets the tip, not management.

lilbangladesh · September 2007

That's another issue: There are laundromats I've used in the past where the manager would steal tips from the workers, so there was little point in tipping except to keep your laundry from being held hostage.

Generally, if I drop laundry off once in a while, I don't tip, but as I get to know the laundry workers, I'm more apt to tip.

Laundry Drop-Off Ettiquette

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