LPT Request: new apartment without a washer

Submitted by Ready-Pay-137 t3_11bqx72 in LifeProTips

Wife and I are moving from a new built luxury apartment complex with all of the amenities to a beach front apartment that does not have a washer and dryer.

We're totally fine with going to a laundromat, BUT we both work pretty demanding jobs so we were wondering if anyone had some tips for increasing the amount of time between trips to the laundromat. Right now we need to do probably two loads of clothes per week plus a load of towels.

I'd like to get to the point where we can get away with only going to the laundromat once every other week for all of our laundry needs.

Anyone have any tips on reducing usage, things we should wash in the sink, or how we can make the most out of trips to the laundromat?

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keepthetips t1_j9zaalg wrote

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bigby2010 t1_j9zanek wrote

Many laundromats have wash and fold service. Sure, it costs more than doing your own but it’s totally worth it

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Witchdoctoractual t1_j9zapok wrote

Hand washing and hang drying is surprisingly easy and stress free especially if you just do your shirts, socks etc. Stuff easy to dry. Often times with you can just leave it in the soap solution so not very much labor.

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leyland_gaunt t1_j9zapvq wrote

This might be coming from a non-US perspective but why don’t you just buy a washing machine?

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bex811 t1_j9zchps wrote

See if you can wear things more between washings. Most jeans I wear 3 or 4 times. Sweater and hoodies 2-3 times. Shirts 1-2 times ect ect. Towels can be hung amd dried between showers/swims and reused 3-4 times.

Baby wipes or just a washcloth with some gentle soap to spot clean items. A garment steamer is awesome for not only wrinkles but freshening amd sanitizing fabrics.

Invest in a simple folding drying rack and hand wash things like bathsuits and unders (an old salad spinner is great for getting out excess water). Placed in a sunny window and it'll help with stains as well.

My sister has a portable washer that she runs in the bathtub for most things and then uses the laundromat for towels and sheets every couple of weeks (for her and her 8 year old).

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Loplo_Fox t1_j9zdee6 wrote

What runs out first? Underwear? Buy more. Or hand wash it. Shirts? Buy more. Have 2 weeks worth of everything.

Also wash and fold service is awesome if you can afford it. I was using it in NYC for about 50 cents a pound I think. We could do two huge bags for about 40 bucks if I remember correctly.

Or buy a washer/dryer combo. They make them that will wash and dry in one machine that was drain the water out of a normal drain so no need to exhaust. Not sure if that is preventing you from having one or space but could solve the problem. These things can take a long time to wash and dry (4+ hours) because I think it has to condense the steam back to water and drain it out.

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TheVudoThatIdo t1_j9ze7e6 wrote

Have at least two weeks of underwear or more. (For ladies, having extra is always good.) You can look into laundry services if you can afford it and if it's available in your area where they wash and drop it off for you.

If at all possible, try going to the laundromat at odd times. When I had to go to the laundromat, I was lucky and had Mondays off and would go at around noon, and it was so much faster because no one was there.

It's a weird thing, but don't fold your clothes at the laundromat. Do that at home, It lowers the risk of bedbugs and lowers the risk of lossing clothing.

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calguy1955 t1_j9zepfu wrote

Replying to leyland_gaunt (#1,999,705)

If you’re in an apartment that doesn’t have the water and drain hookups and the physical space it’s hard to have a washing machine. For a dryer you’ll also need a vent to the outside and probably a 220v electrical service.

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Mcshiggs t1_j9zggba wrote

Look for a laundry service with delivery, they usually aren't that much, and it saves tons of time.

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Extreme_Today_984 t1_j9zoiwn wrote

This may have already been listed below. But I'd definitely recommend reusing bath towels. They're not really supposed to be single use. After you use it hang the towel up. Bacteria doesn't grow on dry things, so they won't smell if they get fully dried out after each use. You should get at least 2 uses out of a bath towel. I don't see anything wrong with getting 3 uses. As for your other clothes, underwear and undershirts should be washed after 1 use, but everything else can be worn again without washing. Same concept, hang them up after wearing them. That should cut your washing trips in half, at least

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gxbcab t1_j9zv7mi wrote

Find a large laundromat with extra machines and then just do all your loads at once. I used to go to a laundromat that had about 50 machines, and I could usually do 3 loads at once and get all of my laundry done in a couple hours. Just know it gets expensive. I believe they charged me $8 per load pre-COVID.

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rxptjw t1_ja0jaly wrote

Just do all your laundry when you go visit your parents for holidays. Buy value packs of underwear and socks, multi wears for everything else. Method worked flawlessly for me for the first few years of college

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lemon_balm_squad t1_ja0pw6w wrote

You should be already clean when you're using towels, so as long as you have sufficient towel bars that let them get dry after use you can use them for at least one week - we do two weeks because the towels dry very quickly, my husband and I have four bath sheets for the month so there's always two already clean in case of guests or issues.

I use jumbo flour sack towels for drying my hair and housecleaning, I also use washcloths for bathing and cleaning, but having 40 of each takes up barely any space in the towel wash - I have a small mesh hamper where they get draped over the side for a day or two and then I push them in when they're dry so there's not a pile of them getting moldy in there. I do have "nice" hand towels for if there's guests, but we mostly use the flour sacks as bathroom hand towels.

Sheets will depend on use and showering. If you put a towel down before special use, they stay cleaner longer. But I'd suggest if you want to wash every two weeks have three sets, so you can change weekly and have an emergency clean set, otherwise you can change to the third set the day you take the other two to be washed (if you change them right then you don't have to do that chore after you're tired from all the folding and putting away).

Clothing is up to you and your jobs and what you do. I work from home, so I only have a minimal wardrobe of "nice" clothes and basically ~14 sets of WFH Uniforms that are sturdy but fairly lightweight and I can do pretty much all of them in one large load. If you work in public, I would say really critically go through your work wardrobes to make sure everything you've got is really working for you, ditch and replace anything that isn't, and consider just using wash-and-fold services for work clothes if you don't want to do it all that way.

But honestly, consider the value of your time when doing the math here, and the efficiency/expertise of people who can do it for you. Include the costs of tipping well, or paying fairly if you want to pay someone to do it privately, because honestly it's a valuable service that has a lot of quiet costs if you do it yourself.

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Ha0225 t1_ja0t2l6 wrote

Get a portable washing machine from Amazon. It’s a bit more labor intensive, but better than going to a laundromat. That’s what I did in apartments without washing machines. You can fill it with a bucket/hose and empty it the same way. I just let everything air dry.

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bigassbiddy t1_ja0tsz5 wrote

I’m curious where is this apartment building? I am very surprised a brand new residential building would not have washer and dryer connections in its units.

Unless it’s an old 60s/70s building that was rehabbed?

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Dopingponging t1_ja0ulmg wrote

This is not what you're asking, but...

There's such a thing as a small "portable" clothes washer for people who live in dorms and small apartments. It hooks up to the sink. Some are like, $90. Just FYI.

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Buick6NY t1_ja0z0oy wrote

When I did the laundromat I would take a book or work and enjoy my time while doing the laundry. Sometimes you can go later at night if needed.

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BouncyDingo_7112 t1_ja12ru1 wrote

Replying to calguy1955 (#2,000,394)

OP describes the building as a “new build luxury apartment complex with all the amenities”. I’m not a real estate expert but I don’t understand how something could be listed as “luxury” and “with all the amenities” without having washer/dryer hook-ups. It almost sounds like it should have the hook-ups and OP just hasn’t bought a washer/dryer pair yet. But I do agree with others that OP should purchase one of those small countertop washers that drain into the sink or bathtub.

Edit: apparently I’ve completely misread that that they were moving from a new build luxury apartment complex with all the amenities. Hopefully OP did not edit it without telling us. Not sure how I misread that like 4 different times but apparently I did. I’m still leaving this up because I still think it might be beneficial if they buy one of those small countertop washers, either a plug-in or completely manual, depending on what might be allowed in their new complex.

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kfischet t1_ja13gp3 wrote

Whw I was in a similar situation, I bought a portable washer and hung clothes to dry (outside whenever possible). When I ran out of bath towels.i went to laundromat..I have 4 pets so fur is a nightmare and hanging bath towels dry crunchy.

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lissalissa3 t1_ja16nw0 wrote

When I lived in an apartment building with a shared (and frankly, ridiculously expensive) laundry room, I bought myself a “portable” washing machine for like, $100 on Amazon. It had two sections - one where you filled it with water, and one that was a spin dryer (no heat). The thing was tiny, but I could do a weeks worth of clothes laundry in two matches. It also held a queen size bedsheet set in one go, and my body, face, and kitchen towels all in one go. Stuck it in my bathtub so it could easily fill up and drain and got a good drying rack. That thing was great.

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LadyOfHouseBacon t1_ja1bnb1 wrote

Wear things more than once. Change out of your work clothes as soon as you get home, turn them inside out and hang them in a well ventilated space (this only works if they are not visibly dirty of course) and rotate through a few outfits over the week. As long as you're careful with personal hygiene, you can get two or three wears out of a shirt/dress and a couple more out of pants/skirts with this method.

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llvllooshainBolt t1_ja1er9j wrote

Load up on socks and underwear. The rest can typically be worn more than once before washing.

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Mermaid629 t1_ja1gm7x wrote

Not sure if these have been mentioned already, but I have 2 suggestions:

  1. You might consider purchasing a small portable/compact washer and dryer. They can be plugged into a regular socket and the water can be drained into your bathtub. We used one in our old apartment, and it was very helpful with smaller clothing items.

  2. You might also consider a mist that deodorizes work clothes after one wear. If your clothes don't get dirty after one wear, you can turn them inside out, spray on the mist all over and let it hang overnight. Usually it can be once more before washing, and it helps to maintain the quality of your clothes over time too.

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ifiwasinvisible8 t1_ja1imcq wrote

There are portable washers that hook up to the kitchen sink. I had one for about 9 yrs. I love it.

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PositionTop5045 t1_ja1smsd wrote

It sounds like you and your wife are looking to make the most of the situation by reducing the amount of trips to the laundromat. It might be helpful to invest in some items that can help make washing clothes by hand easier and more efficient. For example, a collapsible laundry bag or a portable drying rack can make the chore of washing clothes by hand much simpler. Additionally, you can also look into buying a portable washing machine or a washing machine that hooks up to your sink. This could help you save time and energy when it comes to doing the laundry.

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greyest t1_ja23z5v wrote

Scope out all the laundromats near you and plan out productive things to do while you're there. If you find a laundromat that happens to be near a gym, grocery store, clothing store, bank, bakery, restaurant you two like, auto shop, etc. then great--make it a laundry date (I'm serious) or get some of your shopping needs done at the same time. Or actively budget, call parents, make productivity lists, etc. during that time.

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Chemical-Star8920 t1_ja28c24 wrote

Try to get more wears out of your clothes between washes. This helps with laundry but also with making your clothes last longer. Hang stuff up if you plan to wear it again instead of just tossing it into a pile on a chair (....everyone else also has The Chair for the not-dirty-but-not-clean clothes right?) and make sure it's not like jammed packed in a closet so it can air out a little. You can also spray with something like Febreeze or a wrinkle releaser when you hang it up so that the stuff has time to work before you need to wear the clothes again. A clothes steamer is also great for "refreshing" clothes that don't feel just washed but also aren't actually dirty and you can get a small portable one if space is an issue.

For professional/business attire, or things like jeans, change as soon as you get back home. For things like swimsuits or work out clothes, rinse them if they're really sweaty or dirty and then hang them up to dry. If you're just going to work out in something and get all sweaty in it again, it doesn't need to be super clean when you start as long as it's not like disgustingly smelly and you're going to change/shower soon. You can wash smaller items or more delicate items like bras, gym shorts, blouses, etc in the sink. Baby shampoo works well as detergent for more delicate things (silk, satin, other delicate fabrics) that aren't that dirty but you might need to try out some speciality detergents for hand washing to find something that doesn't feel like it leaves a residue without the rinsing power of a machine.

For things like underwear that you really want cleaner than what you're going to get with a quick sink wash, either buy more underwear ...or just wear underwear less.

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Rkins_UK_xf t1_ja28mog wrote

I always dry after a shower with my hand towel, then just wrap myself up in my big fluffy bath towel. The big fluffy can easily last one or two weeks. When I was at university the big fluffy managed to last all term until I took it home for mum to wash.

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wicked-valentina t1_ja34md0 wrote

sorry for the question but why can't you just buy a washer/dryer for the beach abode? That you were living in a lux apartment and now have a beach place sorta implies to me you make pretty good $$?

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tech-priestess t1_ja37yju wrote

We bought a mini/compact washer and drying rack. They come with the hookups to attach it to a sink and a drain hose. Most people seem to put it in their bathroom, but I connect ours in our kitchen. The weight is manageable for us to move it out of the way once we’re done but some people put them on lockable wheels. More than paid for itself after a year considering the cost of laundry in our apartment building lol.

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medusa_medulla t1_ja3w7p2 wrote

I bought enough underwear and socks to last me a month and have enough jeans and tee to rotate for a month a half. Idk if it saves on laundry though cause I have to do now 6-8 loads of laundry

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Longshot_45 t1_ja5idzb wrote

Replying to klughn (#2,038,915)

Rinsing with water gets a lot of the funk out. Detergent isn't good on your body, but if you wanted to get something like a shirt clean and smelling better a little laundry detergent to finish it off is fine. Sink is best place for smalls.

Body soap may have other additives depending on what you use that you don't want in clothes. Dr. Bronners is a pretty good all in one product for cleaning. People hiking the often use Dr Bronners for everything, including brushing teeth. check this article out

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