Boise, Idaho

I spent much of yesterday evening sitting in a laundromat washing bedclothes that have been in storage for a year.

We’re still living in Homer until Tuesday. That’s when the movers will move all the heavy furniture and appliances including our washer and dryer.

Homer has a small washer and dryer. It’s my favorite feature in the motor home. (Well, maybe second favorite after the fridge that keeps my Diet Pepsi cool. 🙂 )But it’s too small to handle the blankets and comforter for our king sized bed.

So that’s why I was sitting in a laundromat last night thinking about the history and future trends of laundromats…

The Birth of a Laundromat

It turns out that I was thinking of laundromatic history two days before the 81st anniversary of the first laundromat in the US.

On April 18, 1934, the first laundromat (called a “Washateria”) was opened by John F. Cantrell in Fort Worth, Texas; four electric washing machines were rented to members of the public on an hourly basis.

Washing machines had been around for a while. The first washing machine was invented in 1858 by Hamilton Smith, and the first unit invented specifically for the household use was introduced in 1874 by William Blackstone from Indiana, which he built as a present for his wife on her birthday. (Bet she would have preferred a box of chocolates!)

The Great Depression made owning a washing machine a huge luxury, so entrepreneurs bought machines and set them up for public use.

Recent and Current Trends

According to the US Census Bureau in 2007, there are over 10,000 coin-operated laundromats which do a combined $3.4 billion in business each year.

Recently laundromats have begin adding other ways to their shops to make money.

Laundrobars which include beer breweries and wine bars serving gourmet grilled cheese are popping up in college towns and places where rental population is high. I just love their names: Bar of Soap, Wash House, Harvey Washbangers, and Brain Wash.

The Future is Clean and Quick

In metropolitan areas, people are opting for non-self-service laundry. They drop off their clothes which are washed, dried, and folded by employees for a set price per pound.

One company, DashLocker, has streamlined the process.

Load and Lock

Visit a DashLocker location, load your stuff, and lock.

Place an Order

Submit your order via text, Web, or app.

Pick Up

Your stuff is picked up, cleaned, and delivered. You get a text with your new locker number and PIN.

What a great business idea!

And now you know what I learned surfing the ‘net while sitting in a laundromat. 🙂