A laundromat is a shared laundry room with coin, card, or app-operated washers and dryers. You bring clothes, pay for a machine, add detergent, and wait while it runs. You may use laundromats before you have apartment laundry, campus laundry access, or a washer and dryer at home.
Key points
- Bring dirty clothes, detergent, a laundry bag, and a payment method.
- Sort clothes before you go if you can. Separate whites, darks, towels, and delicate items.
- Check the machine before loading it. Remove anything left inside and avoid machines that smell bad or have standing water.
- Use less detergent than you think. Too much soap can leave clothes stiff or make the machine overflow.
- Move clothes to the dryer soon after the wash ends. Do not leave clothes unattended for a long time.
- Dry on medium heat if you are unsure. High heat can shrink clothes.
Who This Guide Is For
Use this guide if you need to wash clothes and do not have laundry at home, in your dorm, or in temporary housing. It fits international students, new workers, immigrants, visitors, and families staying in hotels or short-term rentals.
If you are still setting up housing basics, read Move-In Housing Checklist after this.
What You Need
Bring these items
0 of 8 doneBefore You Go
Check three things before carrying laundry across town:
- Hours: Some laundromats are open 24 hours. Others close at night. Last wash may be 30-60 minutes before closing.
- Payment: Look for signs or reviews that mention coins, cards, mobile apps, or a store laundry card.
- Machine size: Large machines help with blankets, towels, and family loads. Small machines cost less for light laundry.
If you live in an apartment building, dorm, or extended-stay hotel, ask whether there is a laundry room on site. It may use quarters, a resident card, a mobile app, or your building account.
If you still need detergent, baskets, or other basics and feel unsure about store systems, read Shopping in America before you go.
Step-by-Step
1. Sort Your Laundry
Sort at home if possible. It saves time and keeps you from spreading clothes across a public table.
Basic sorting:
- Dark clothes: black, navy, dark jeans, dark towels.
- Light clothes: white, beige, pale colors.
- Towels and sheets: wash separately if you have enough for one load.
- Delicates: bras, thin sweaters, silk, wool, clothes with special care labels.
Read the care label if the item is expensive, formal, wool, silk, leather, or important to you. If the label says "dry clean only," do not put it in a laundromat washer.
2. Choose a Washer
Pick a machine that matches your load size. A small load in a large washer wastes money. A large load in a small washer may not clean well.
Before loading:
- Look inside for pens, coins, tissues, bleach, pet hair, or clothes from the last person.
- Smell the machine if it looks dirty. Choose another machine if it smells moldy or chemical.
- Check the price and cycle options before adding detergent.
- Make sure the door closes properly.
3. Add Detergent
Use the detergent tray if the machine has one. If there is no tray, follow the machine instructions. Some laundromats use front-loading washers, and some use top-loading washers.
Use the amount on the detergent label for your load size. For pods, one pod is enough for many normal loads. Do not use pods for very small loads unless the package allows it.
4. Pay and Start the Wash
Payment depends on the laundromat.
| Payment type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Quarters | Insert coins into the machine or a coin slide. Change machines may break, so bring backup payment. |
| Laundry card | Add money to a store card at a kiosk, then tap or insert the card at the machine. |
| Debit or credit card | Swipe, tap, or insert your card at the machine or kiosk. Check whether there is a temporary hold. |
| Mobile app | Download the app, create an account, add funds, and choose the machine number. |
Choose the water temperature and cycle. Cold water is safest for most everyday clothes. Warm water can help towels and some heavily used items. Hot water can shrink or damage some fabrics and may make colors bleed.
5. Wait During the Wash
A wash cycle often takes about 20-40 minutes, depending on the machine. Set a timer on your phone. Stay in the laundromat if you can, especially if it is your first visit or you are washing important clothes.
You can leave briefly in some neighborhoods, but there is a risk. Clothes can be stolen, moved, or left sitting wet. If the laundromat is busy, other customers may remove finished clothes from a machine after waiting.
6. Move Clothes to the Dryer
When the wash ends, move clothes to a dryer. Shake out heavy items so they dry faster. Clean the lint screen if the dryer has one and the sign allows customers to do it.
Do not dry everything on high heat. High heat can shrink cotton, damage elastic, fade clothes, and ruin some fabrics.
| Item | Safer drying choice |
|---|---|
| T-shirts, jeans, everyday clothes | Medium heat or low heat if you worry about shrinking. |
| Towels and sheets | Medium or high heat if the care label allows it. |
| Athletic clothes, underwear with elastic, bras | Low heat or air dry. |
| Wool, silk, delicate sweaters | Do not machine dry unless the care label says it is safe. |
7. Fold and Pack Clothes
Use a clean folding table if one is available. Check the dryer before you leave. Small socks, underwear, and dryer sheets can stick to the drum or door.
Pack clothes in a clean bag, not the same dirty bag unless you turned it inside out or wiped it. If clothes are still damp, dry them longer or hang them at home. Damp clothes can smell bad quickly.
Laundromat Etiquette
Laundromats are shared spaces. These habits prevent arguments and delays.
- Remove your clothes soon after the machine ends.
- Do not take someone else's cart for a long time.
- Keep detergent spills off the floor.
- Do not put dirty shoes, pet bedding, or heavily soiled items in regular machines unless the laundromat allows it.
- Do not leave children unattended.
- Keep phone calls and videos quiet.
- Ask staff before using bleach if you are unsure where to add it.
Decision Rules
| Situation | Practical rule |
|---|---|
| You are using a laundromat for the first time | Use cold water, normal cycle, and medium or low dryer heat. |
| Your clothes are expensive or delicate | Read the care label and consider air drying or professional cleaning. |
| You only have one small load | Use the smallest clean washer that fits the clothes loosely. |
| You have towels, sheets, or blankets | Use a larger washer and dryer so items can move. |
| You need clean clothes for work, school, or travel tomorrow | Stay nearby and set phone timers so you do not lose time. |
| The laundromat feels unsafe or poorly maintained | Leave and find another option if you can. |
Costs / Timing
Prices vary by city, machine size, and payment system. Smaller washers cost less than large washers. Dryers often charge by time, such as a set number of minutes per payment. Detergent, bags, and dryer sheets often cost more from a laundromat vending machine than from a grocery store or pharmacy.
Plan for 1-2 hours for a normal trip, including washing, drying, folding, and waiting for machines. Heavy towels, jeans, blankets, and overloaded dryers can take longer.
Common Mistakes
Wash-and-Fold Service
Some laundromats offer wash-and-fold service. You drop off clothes, pay by weight or by bag, and staff wash, dry, and fold them. This can help if you are busy, sick, traveling, or washing family laundry.
Before using it, ask:
- Price per pound or bag.
- Pickup time.
- Whether detergent is included.
- Whether they separate whites and colors.
- Whether they can follow special instructions.
- What happens if an item is lost or damaged.
Do not include passports, documents, cash, jewelry, or keys in a drop-off laundry bag.
Safety Tips
- Visit during daytime if the area is new to you.
- Keep your phone, wallet, passport, and keys with you.
- Do not leave bags blocking walkways.
- Use a clean cart or table. If something looks dirty, choose another spot.
- Keep children away from machine doors, carts, and hot dryers.
- If a machine breaks after taking payment, note the machine number and contact staff.
What To Do Next
- If you just moved in, find out whether your building has a laundry room, trash rules, package rules, and maintenance process.
- If you need household basics, buy a laundry basket or bag, detergent, stain remover, hangers, and a drying rack.
- If you are still arranging housing, read Renting Your First Apartment.
- If you are planning your first week, read First Week Checklist.
Related Guides
- Move-In Housing Checklist
- Renting Your First Apartment
- Utilities Explained
- Setting Up Electricity
- First Week Checklist