I just read Diane's post about her washing machine breaking down, and subsequent visit to the launderette/laundromat, and was surprised to realise that today I'd been thinking about the relative clothes washing practices of the UK and the US.
Of course, in HLOTS, a character played by Kathryn Erbe brained the guy who gave her Aids while in the laundromat. But those businesses rarely feature in US shows.
In Endgame one of Brady's victims was murdered in the basement of her apartment block, where the washing machines for every apartment block seem to reside.
Chinese laundries often feature in TV programmes and films.
In the UK there are launderettes, but they are shrinking in number because almost everyone, even those in flats, has a front-loading washing machine plumbed in to the kitchen. The most-frequented launderette is in the fictional Albert Square in the popular soap Eastenders. I haven't set foot in one in nearly 40 years. Last time my washing machine broke down (about 3 minutes after the extended guarantee ran out) I just phoned an electrical supplier and had a new one delivered.
I don't even know if large laundries exist in the UK. Hospitals have their own. I imagine hotels do, too.
On a green note, driers are one of the most intensively carbon-producing items you can use. It's the radiators or the washing line for me. I was always amazed to find that, while the neighbour on one side of me used her drier even on boiling hot summer days, the neighbour on the other side puts her washing out on the line even when there's a frost.From the sublime to the ridiculous! (But which is which?)
The block of flats that Hannah lives in has a basement laundry too..but H is too tight to pay to use it, she takes her washing to her 'mother-in-laws'
ReplyDeleteI don't have a dryer, never have had..we have an indoor line up in the kitchen and 2 airers in the living room for winter, as soon as it's warm it'll go on the lines outside..nothing beats the smell of outside dried laundry :D
Funny post-- in that I just got back from the laundramat. Although I do have a hook up for an apartment W/D I just never got around to getting a set. When I first moved to this area there were laundramats on every other cornor. Now I have to travel by bus to get to a decent laundramat these days. As I get older I'm thinking of getting one of those services that pick up and drop off. Or what the hey I just might get the W/D set. But for now I look at it as a way to get some serious exercise into my week.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post!!My washing days have changed from ringer washer and wooden clothes drying racks set on space heaters to clothes lines outside (which I still use summer) to loading washer and elec. dryer sets(gone thru about 3 sets of those) . With 4 generations living in my house, they run every day!! Never been to a laundromat.
ReplyDeleteThere are still lots of coin operated laundromats around here. Well, 'coin operated' being only a descriptive term these days. It costs a lot to go to the laundromat now, and you have to put money in a machine and load up a card with the money, then dip the card into a slot on the machines to get them to work. They've done away w/ the old coin slot tray that you push in.
ReplyDeleteI only go there if I have to do bedding, like comforters or blankets.
Fortunately, my village has a tiny lauderette/laundromat, so we were able to wash the 'essentials' (underwear and towels!). I was actually amazed at how BUSY it was in there! Usually things go outside on the line to dry or on the radiators, but we do have a small tumble dryer for emergencies - except that just up and died as well :0(
ReplyDeleteJo-Jo here in B-more we still have coin operated machines.
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