Laundromats

A self-service laundry, coin laundry or coin wash is a facility where clothes are washed and dried. They are known in the United Kingdom as launderettes or laundrettes, and in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as laundromats (from the genericized trademark of the Westinghouse Electric Corporation) or washaterias. George Edward Pendray created the word "laundromat" for Westinghouse.

Some laundries employ staff to provide service for the customers. Minimal service centres may simply provide an attendant behind a counter to provide change, sell washing powder, and watch unattended machines for potential theft of clothing. Others allow customers to drop off clothing to be washed, dried, and folded. This is often referred to as Fluff & Fold, Wash-n-Fold, Drop Off, bachelor bundles, a service wash or full-service wash. Some staffed laundry facilities also provide dry cleaning pick-up and drop-off. There are over 35,000 laundries throughout the United States. Similar services exist in the United Kingdom where the terms service wash or full-service wash are also in use.

The evolution of self-serve laundry services have been seen in some "fluff and fold" (also styled fluff n fold, fluff & fold, fluff 'n' fold, and fluff 'n fold) services provided by various laundromats. These services provide the end user with washing, drying, and folding services on a per pound basis. Some services offer free pickup and delivery, as well as complimentary laundry bags as part of their customer appreciation. Additionally, dry-cleaning services have been known to utilize the pickup and delivery as a means to help generate additional revenue.

Washateria is an alternate name for laundromat, especially in Texas. The first washateria so named was opened in 1934 in Fort Worth, Texas by John F. Cantrell . Though steam-powered laundry machines were invented in the 19th century, their cost put them out of reach of many. John F. Cantrell and others began renting short-term use of their machines. Most laundromats and washaterias in the US are fully automated and coin-operated and generally unmanned, with many (but not all) operating 24 hours a day.

The United States Census Bureau estimates that there are 11,000 of this style of laundromats in the US, employing 39,000 people and generating over $3.4 billion every year.

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