<p>I have several bedspreads and large blankets that I want to take to a laundromat to wash. I can stuff them into my washer and dryer at home–and I have, several times, but they really just barely fit, and I am sure that doing so is good for neither the washed items nor the machines. On the other hand, I am not a fan of using washers that other people have used. I just imagine the worst kind of gross stuff that could have been on whatever was washed in the machine before I used it. (Washers are the worst, although I can imagine the same sort of thing about the dryers.)</p>
<p>At laundromats, uv light is shined throughout the washers and dryers before the cycle begins, killing off all bacteria. You can believe this if you want and you will feel much better about it.</p>
<p>just think about the bedspreads and counter tops of the hotel rooms you have visited- compared to them, the laundromat is probably much cleaner.</p>
<p>I am also rather creeped out by laundromats, but I have to take my king-sized mattress pads there because they won’t fit in my washer at home. I use the largest size machine. I just hope the warm water and soap gets everything clean. I bring the mattress pad home to dry.</p>
<p>I think laundromats are inherently less dirty than the rags that food servers and busboys use to wipe down the tables you eat off of in restaurants.</p>
<p>I worked food service, and it took me a long time to get the nerve up to eat at a salad bar.</p>
<p>Maybe you’d feel better if, before you ran your own washload in a laundromat, you run a hot water plus bleach cycle in an empty machine. Then use that machine for your stuff.</p>
<p>Then, if you have strong arms, bring home your wet laundry and hang it up to dry.</p>
<p>Churning soapy water is not really the most hospitable environment for bacteria, and stainless steel is also an unfriendly substance for bacteria – I believe most laundry drums are stainless steel. So basically you are probably dealing with one of the cleanest places around – a machine that has soap and water run through it all day long, over and over. </p>
<p>Chances are that your home laundry machine has more accumulated bacteria than the public laundry, because you may be more lax about what sits in your machine between loads. That is… if you are in the habit of tossing dirty towels into the machine hours before you get around to even running the load – then maybe there is more time for yucky stuff to fester in your house than at the laundromat, where people pretty much bring their loads in all at once, start them immediately, and then remove the wet clothes as soon as dryer is available.</p>
<p>and that is talking about home washing machines. </p>
<p>But at the end of the article it does say that running a wash with just bleach will take care of everything. So I guess you could do that, then wash your stuff (if the funny looks you are getting for running an empty cycle have not run you off!!).</p>
<p>You know, it’s just best not to think about certain things. I’ve gotten through 55 years despite exposure to laundromats, hotel bedding, my own washing machine, restroom doorknobs, salad bars, and credit card pens. I choose to remain in my state of blissful ignorance about these things.</p>
<p>no need to be embarrassed about running an empty load. Get all your rags (you do keep rags at home, don’t you?) and run them in a load of hot water with bleach. Then wash your bedding in the same machine. </p>
<p>Or you could stake out the laundromat for hours, watching what goes into each particular machine, making note of the habits of the person using that machine while they wait for the cycle to stop, then choose the least icky machine available.</p>
<p>Re: salad bars. Years ago I watched Ralph Nader on some talk show say that if you were going to eat at a salad bar, get there early. You know the glass protection is called a ‘sneeze guard’, right? Some may remember the episode of “Designing Women” where one character thought she lost her strand of pearls in the salad bar. She did a little extracurricular tossing to dig deep into the offerings in search of the pearls. </p>
<p>I use the laundromat for big items and almost enjoy the people watching. Do a visual inspection of the machine before you load your stuff in, trust that the stainless steel, detergent and hot water will get rid of any cooties, click your heels three times and say “there’s no place like home.”</p>
<p>When countering this kind of dread it can also be helpful to remember both that public places are often cleaned more often than domestic ones (at least I do not mop my floors with bleach solution once a day or more…)–and that our immune systems are really quite efficient and need a certain amount of challenge to stay in shape. I’ve read that children raised in stringently clean–and especially antibacterially cleansed environments–are more vulnerable to allergies and can be less tolerant of normal bacteria. (Of course this is dentist office level of research in women’s magazines so don’t quote me on national tv.) My own observation has also been that kids in day care may have slightly higher rates of normal pediatric illness before entering school–but have many fewer illnesses once in school compared to home-care kids (due to having developed immunities by earlier exposure I’m guessing) Anyway, I’m all for choosing a well-run laundromat and then focusing on all the interesting folks to observe rather than worry-thoughts (and hey, the stress of worrying is not good for the immune system either)</p>
<p>I’m too busy being grossed out by things that get touched by a whole lot of people and HAVEN’T been washed, like elevator buttons, shopping cart handles, stair rails, gasoline nozzles, and money :eek:.</p>
<p>Feel free to put all the money that you don’t want to touch in a tyvek envelope, send it to me and I will send you a case of hand sanitzer for your troubles.</p>
<p>Stair rails. I hadn’t even thought of that.</p>