Launderette -- is it worth it?

Butterfly_Brain

daz378 wrote: »

my mate gave me his old washing machine , think hed had it 5 years and ive had it 2 years , works ok but doesn't drain off well , so i drain it off into a bucket under the sink.... not ideal but it does me

Try cleaning the filter and pump it is surprising what you find, there are plenty of on line manuals on line so if you know your make and model you can find out where your filter is. It is usually on the front of the machine but some makers put theirs on the back. First unplug the machine, you don't want a shock :eek: Then it is just a matter of putting a tray under the filter opening and unscrewing the cover the tray will catch any stray water and feeling inside for anything in there. Then put the cover back on and job done.

elsien

Would you be using the laundrette just for washing or for drying as well? The few times I've had to use a laundrette when my washer had problems, I felt as if I was ladling endless 20p's into the dryer if it was on the lower settings but it was too hot and I was concerned about things shrinking on the hotter settings.

njk2125

Not sure on the launderette as we have only used them for large loads every year or two like our king sized thick winter quilt which wont even fit into out large washing machine.
I would deffinatly put an add on freecycle in your position as you have room for a machine however run your hand around the drum before you take it to make sure there are no sharp edges which would shred your clothes (this has happened to us before so worth checking).
When you feel you have the money for or need a new machine I would reccomend (only my oppinion) not getting anything which claims to save water usage, they have been a nightmare for us. We found they did'nt wash the clothes properly due to not enough water in the machine. We ended up having to run a hose from the kitchen tap holding it into the soap drawer just to get clean clothes. Spin speed is also important as it's better to have a higher spin speed because it then takes less time to dry the clothes on the clothes airer, radiators or tumble dryer (these are expensive to run!).

ScarlettOHara_2

As well as the launderette costs think about how much of your time it will use to sit there while your clothes are washing. For me, living in a not very good area, I'd be tempted to pay a few pounds for a second hand machine even if it didnt last very long.

That said though if you are wanting to buy a new machine and it is only a matter of a few weeks until you can get it is there a way you can advance the purchase - cc/balance transfer to interest free, downgrade the brand etc or stretch our your clothes until then?

Alternatively if you only have to wait a month then if you have fifteen outfits at two wears each then you can manage a month with no washing. You might need to buy new cheap underwear from Primani though! You could always hand wash any essentials.

j.e.j.

gradel wrote: »

I'm about to move into my first house with my partner. Its an unfurnished rental place.

There are no white goods included although there is room for them.
My thinking is that our essential item is a fridge and then whatever we can afford after that.

there is a launderette down the road from where we will be living and I am wondering if it would be worth using that for the first month until we can get a new washer or should we just buy a second hand one and hope it holds out?

I've never used a launderette so I'm not sure of how much it costs. does anyone else know if it would be worth it to wait to get a new machine or just buy an old one and hope it works?

If it's a rented place I'd be wary of getting a cheap washing machine just in case it 'misbehaves' and floods the place and you are left footing the bill. (I've seen it happen in many of the rental flats I've lived in, unfortunately)

Where we are the launderette costs are:
£3.20 small machine
£6.00 large machine
20p gets you two or three minutes worth of tumble drying, so about £2.50 would do a wash-load.

It may vary from area to area. I'm in the South East, which is quite expensive, generally.

It is better to have your own machine as there are other things you have to factor in when using the launderette, like the time it takes and having to queue for a machine and the tumble-dryers (if/when they're working!), but I would recommend saving for a decent make.

Pee

I have only ever had second hand washing machines. I have had three in roughly 14 years and the last upgrade was just because I got offered a better second hand one, not because the previous washing machine wasn't working fine.

I do agree that moving them can be a problem. So provided they survive the move, it should last a while.

I wouldn't waste money on a new one, although each to their own. (I would like a new or newer freezer as I think it would be more energy efficient, but it wouldn't save enough to make the jump.)

I have very little experience with laundrettes, but it is certainly manageable for a month or longer, especially if you take a book to read, and the stuff being dried whilst you wait is brilliant, albeit expensive.