What is a Laundry Service?

A laundry service is a company which does laundry for its clients. There are a number of different styles of laundry service, with varying rates. Laundry services are especially popular with people who are very busy, and with people and organizations which have high volumes of laundry, along with people who simply dislike doing laundry. Many communities have laundry services, which may be listed in the phone book or available through laundromats.

In a classic laundry service, laundry is picked up from residences and businesses on a regular schedule. People usually pay by weight for their laundry, with the service washing, drying, and folding the laundry. Additional services like stain treatment, dry cleaning, and ironing may also be offered at some laundry services.

It is also possible to drop laundry off with a laundry service. Many laundromats allow customers to drop laundry off for cleaning, also charging by weight. Customers may be able to pick from an a la carte menu which includes folding, ironing, and mending services. These services often offer quick turnaround for customers in a hurry.

Some laundry services cater to specific types of customers. Diaper services, for example, just handle cloth diapers for their customers, dropping off a load of freshly laundered diapers every time they pick up a dirty load. College laundry services handle dormitory laundry for college students, which may be limited to sheets and towels owned by the service, or extended to all student laundry. Other laundry services prefer to work with industrial customers like restaurants, inns, hospitals, and animal shelters. Some are specifically certified to handle biohazardous laundry, often charging an extra fee for hazardous substances.

When considering a laundry service, there are several things to think about. In the case of people who do not own washers and driers, the alternative is a laundromat. Laundry services are convenient, but they can also be very costly, and it may be a good idea to price out laundromat services before committing to a laundry service. Turnaround time is also an important consideration, as are the types of laundry which a service is willing to handle. Finally, getting competing quotes from several laundry services is strongly recommended, for people who live in regions where more than one service is operating.

People who use laundry services are sometimes willing to offer advice and recommendations. Asking around among friends and family members to see who uses a service is a good idea, as these people may be able to provide advice about the best service to use, and things to watch out for.