Shocking Price to Launder a Comforter!

[Qs Laptop]

Someone DW has trained me to take on the care of our bedding. (Oh, behave! I mean sheets and blankets and such.) I took the comforter off the bed for summer intending on washing it but then remembered the last time I washed it at home it did not go well. It's a king sized comforter and it filled our washer and came out of the dryer with plenty of wrinkles. So I thought I'd take it to the new "Tide Laundry and Dry Cleaners" that recently opened nearby.

I was shopping near the Tide Store yesterday and popped in to see how much it would cost to get our king size comforter washed and dried.

$46.99!!

$46.99!!

They have pricing on the wall that says they charge $3.20 per lb. to launder clothes, with a minimum of 10 lbs. of clothes required. I asked the person working the counter:

"So it will cost me $32.00 to get my king sized comforter cleaned?"

"No", he replied, "a comforter is a special item and we have a flat rate of $46.99 for comforters."

Flabbergasted, I turned and walked out.

Does this price seem reasonable?

 

[COcheesehead]

Go to a laundromat and use an oversized machine. You can probably do it for a few bucks and get the chance to read old magazines.

 

[Jerry1]

For that price, I’d look to find a laundromat with an extra large washer and dryer. But, if it was not something I wanted to take on, under $50 doesn’t seem bad given that they essentially have a $32 minimum.

 

[Aerides]

That's their dry cleaning price I think not laundry? But yeah, that whole joint is overpriced.

 

[Qs Laptop]

That's their dry cleaning price I think not laundry? But yeah, that whole joint is overpriced.

Nope, I asked them if they launder it in soap and water and tumble dry, and he said they did.

 

[lucky penny]

Commercial laundromats have some washers & dryers that are much larger than the ones at home. I took my queen-sized Pottery Barn comforter to one of those, used the machines myself (for under $10 total) & it came out looking great.

 

[Qs Laptop]

Go to a laundromat and use an oversized machine. You can probably do it for a few bucks and get the chance to read old magazines.

That's the problem, the nearest laundromat is 8 miles away. Then there is the sitting there for over an hour.

 

[Qs Laptop]

For that price, I’d look to find a laundromat with an extra large washer and dryer. But, if it was not something I wanted to take on, under $50 doesn’t seem bad given that they essentially have a $32 minimum.

I think the comforter itself was $99 or thereabouts at Target. I can't bring myself to clean it for roughly the price of buying half of a new comforter.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

That's the problem, the nearest laundromat is 8 miles away. Then there is the sitting there for over an hour.

You mean a trip to the Laundromat is not on your bucket list?

 

[Qs Laptop]

You mean a trip to the Laundromat is not on your bucket list?

No, it's not!

And it's not in the best neighborhood either.

The last time I was at a laundromat was after I had moved out of my parent's house, so over 45 years ago.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I don't think I've ever been to one in my life, even when I got married I took the washing to my mums house.

 

[lucky penny]

That's the problem, the nearest laundromat is 8 miles away. Then there is the sitting there for over an hour.

I see you like reading & crosswords, so...

 

[Jerry1]

That's the problem, the nearest laundromat is 8 miles away. Then there is the sitting there for over an hour.

I think the comforter itself was $99 or thereabouts at Target. I can't bring myself to clean it for roughly the price of buying half of a new comforter.

Age old question - what’s your time worth? If you don’t want to go to laundromat in a not best neighborhood, then isn’t your time worth more than about $30 per hour? To go to the laundromat it would cost you gas plus about $10 so the difference vs having someone do it it for you for $47 is probably close to $30.

I’d go to the laundromat but if I wasn’t willing to do that, then based on the price of new, I’d probably just go get a new one.

Alternatively, you could wash it yourself again and not worry about the wrinkles.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I see you like reading & crosswords, so...

Yes, and I have a backlog of NY Times Sunday crosswords I've photocopied from the paper. So maybe...

 

[Cayman]

Another option is to donate it and treat yourself to a new one @ half off with the savings you'd realize by not paying to have the old one laundered.

 

[Venturer]

The 1st time I was ever in a laundermat was on our out west camping trip last year. It wasn't so bad just booooringggg to sit there for a couple of hours. We carried our Kindles but the fold up metal chairs were not the same as my recliner for reading them. we were in a campground and they had 2 really big comercial type washar and dryers so I was sent back to our camper to get our comforter to wash and dry in those. It ended up costing us as I remember $ 18.00 for all our clothes and the comforter which my DW said was a bargain. Now when ever she wants to wash our home king comforter we load up and take it to a local landramat with the large ones that costs around $9.00 to wash and dry.

 

[ivinsfan]

Live with the wrinkles

 

[Qs Laptop]

Alternatively, you could wash it yourself again and not worry about the wrinkles.

Live with the wrinkles

I'm leaning toward this course of action. I'm thinking I could put it in the dryer for the majority of the drying cycle, then take it out and hang it over the railing on our deck outside. The deck faces south and gets plenty of sunlight (that is, when the sun is out, I live in Minnesota, LOL.)

Maybe having it outside in the sun and hanging flat it will take out most of the wrinkles. I just have to carefully pick a day when the sun will be out when I wash it.

 

[tutan]

Time passes quickly at a laundromat at least for me. Last one we went to wash some good size rugs had these giant machines. I recall less than $20 to run the biggest one. And it dispenses its own detergent.

 

[ls99]

I wash mine at home, it is queen size. Hang it on the "solar dryer" clothes line, yes it is a bit wrinkly when done. But then again, I sleep under it, eventually less wrinkly. Late DW wanted it done by cleaners.
Am not concerned with wrinly comforter. My eyes are shut whn I sleep

 

[Trailwalker]

I just got back from the laundromat after a week of camping with another week to go. It was in a marginal neighborhood and had several broken machines. Feeding the washing machine with $5 worth of quarters was an interesting alternative to ApplePay. The only bathroom was closed due to “ongoing “vandalism.” Other than that; it was no big deal and took exactly an hour for wash and dry. Drying was $2. Back to napping on the shores of Lake Superior.

 

[aja8888]

You could always iron out the wrinkles. Or use a hand held steamer.

 

[calmloki]

Laundromat in Santa Fe in 1972 was the only place I ever dealt with a brandished handgun. Held by a senior citizen threatening a young guy. Dumb moves on my part. Wouldn't be concerned about visiting a laundromat except for the time and cost.
At ~$50 to wash&dry a comforter I'd be stuffing it in the miniscule machines at home.

 

[pacergal]

If it is not visibly dirty, shake it well and hang it out in the sun for a few days.
Sun/UV will kill any mites and it will smell fresh.

Or spend an hour at the laundramat. Take a good book.

We take our bed topper to be drycleaned every other summer, as it is 100% wool. On the opposite summer, it hangs outside in the sun.

 

[Spock]

Another option is to donate it and treat yourself to a new one @ half off with the savings you'd realize by not paying to have the old one laundered.

Please... no. If it's too dirty/ratty for you to wear/sleep on then its not good for anybody else to use too.
A lot of times these "donations" cost the charity money as they have to pay for dumpsters to throw out other peoples trash.