Using a public laundry is probably one of the things I dislike most about being away from home. It is a necessary evil and laundry is something that I do weekly, rain or shine, load or no load. I cannot stand the smell of dirty clothes nor of them piling up in an unmanageable heap.
While talking with another driver she mentioned a really nice laundry mat near where we were located in Las Vegas. That led to discussion of laundry mats all over the United States that are located inside truck stops.
One of my favorites is the laundry at the Jubitz in Portland, OR. It is a bit over priced, but they have large machines and I can get our bedspread and blankets washed. The laundry is spotless, the machines are in good repair, and there are enough machines I can get everything done at once without waiting. Just outside the laundry is a large commons area that is perfect for waiting for the washers and dryers to finish.
I like another one down in Wildwood, FL located inside the I-75 Chrome Shop. This is also a clean, large laundry with plenty of room to fold clothes and places to hang our clothes as they are removed from the dryers.
Walcott, IA at the TA has another large laundry room with plenty of washers and dryers and is located on the second floor. What I don't like about this laundry is the fact there is no place to sit and wait. There is usually a group of drivers washing clothes and the discussions can get lively!
The East TA in Ontario, CA has a large laundry that is usually clean with well-repaired washers and dryers. The room has a large folding table and a bar to hang up clothes. The acoustics in this room are not good and everything echo’s and the conversations get louder and louder.
The typical truck stop laundry we see is a small room towards the back of the building with 6 washers and dryers, a small folding table, and not much room to maneuver around. The average price this year is $2.00 to wash and $2.00 to dry. The TA/Petro's have added a great debit card reader for the washers and dryers. We no longer have to carry change into the truck stop to feed the washers and dryers.
New feature I like is the TA/Petro's have added to the laundry room is text messaging. I enter a code that is posted on their wall and when the machines I am using are finished, I receive a text when the machines are done. This works great!
My ideal laundry would be well-ventilated, well-lit, large windows, have clean working machines, a large table to fold clothes and hang them, an area to sit and wait, and also be air-conditioned. The laundry that use stack washer and dryers work very well as we do not have to carry wet clothes around looking for an empty dryer.
I am always glad when I am done with this chore; the sleeper is back to clean sheets, clean clothes, and ready to start a new week!