I’ve had clothing done while on holiday. I’ve always had good results.

My mother had such a weekly service for our family of six just for my father’s starched shirts and our sheets. The percale sheets came back smooth from a mangle and folded so flat. Well worth the time savings to her work week in the 1940-1950s era.

I wouldn't be interested. I live in the country and actually prefer to dry my bedding outside on my clothesline

Do they assure that no scented products or fabric softeners will be used in the contract?

I prevailed when I insisted on having DH's dress shirts laundered, light starch, pressed and folded when we were both busy with our careers. I have quite a bit of linen for the summer and I have my linen clothes pressed, now. I'm much more likely to wear them when I don't have to iron them myself, especially my shirts/blouses.

seagrass

I've taken my dress shirts and all collared casual shirts (of a style similar to so-called dress shirts) to a laundry with the same specs as seagrass mentions since I began my career and continue since retiring. There's no way to get the same results with shirts at home without more time and effort than it's worth spending to do. Having them laundered isn't expensive.

I also use hotel laundry services for everything I have when I'm travelling. Sometimes it can be a bit pricey but I use it anyway because when time is better spent doing other things, you can't beat the convenience.

I don't think anything is truly free from odor but if I had to describe it, the stuff usually has the odor of a commercial steam iron. The same odor you smell when you go into a commercial laundry business where the work is done, when the smell of dry cleaning fluid isn't overpowering.

Many of the laundromats where there is an attendant will do this. There are a couple of dry cleaners that will also do it. One thing that I would ask would be how they would be returned to you. Some will just fold them over a hanger with plastic on top. There is one that I know of that will do what is called seasonal preparation, or at least did. They used a special bag that was supposedly thick enough to keep moths and other bugs out for woolen things. Other questions would be do they pick up and deliver and if so is it free although expect to pay higher for the cleaning.

To get an idea of an estimate cost take each piece and then weigh yourself holding it. Then weigh yourself without it. While some places will charge by the bundle's weight others will charge by the piece weight.

I have been thinking about doing this for the summer. Even when I do it myself I take the blankets etc. out of storage a few days before I need to use just because I do.

You can always tell when gentlemen have their shirts professionally done, they look amazing. It's a beautiful, admirable detail. My father sent his shirts out for 30 years after he retired, and then stopped only because he was having trouble buttoning and started wearing his golf shirts almost all the time. (He used to send those out, too, then the carers just started washing them.)

DH would rather do his own. Oh well. I will often press them fired him and I do my best, but I'm no pro.

My family had this service when I was growing up. I didn't realize how nice that was until I moved out and the clothes did not wash themselves.

I iron a mean shirt though. Flawless if I say so myself.

Women and men who pursue(d) a career outside the home usually don't have the time or inclination to develop that ability. Several of my kids who were concerned with their appearance to the public during grad/professional school days did their own ironing during their lean years but abandoned that when gainful employment began.

A career "outside the home" doesn't quite mean the same thing these days with so many white collar jobs that have been adapted to "stay at home" work.

I did my own laundry while working outside my home. With good organization and a co-operating family, it wasn't that time consuming for me.

I would send my dogs stuff out. Beds and blankets and soft toys. I do not like putting that in my washing machine. I take it to the laundry mat and I really really do not like being there.....

Laundry is my favorite household chore. I have only paid people for heavy physical work like window washing inside and out etc.

I think it’s an important service that should be available for those who need it but I’m not one of them. I‘ve always preferred to do my own house cleaning and chores including laundry. My DH & I would do it together. I washed / folded and he’d put away and help fold big stuff. When we replaced our w/d a few years ago, we got machines that could sanitize and handle large bedding. The washer also has a cycle to wash the drum after a really dirty load, so I wash my dogs towels and bedding too.

Would they mix your clothes with others’ laundry?

This has me thinking about Tracy’s mama in Hairspray, who operated a laundry service in their apartment.

Would they mix your clothes with others’ laundry?

Socks, in their faqs they specifically mention that they do not mix one's laundry with anyone else. I've decided to give it a try, left my bedding outside the door in a bag, they say it will be done and delivered back by 8PM tomorrow.

On vacation in Ireland a few years ago, we had the hotel laundry do our clothes. It came back in two separate batches (and not by colour/whites) which is weird because there wasn’t even one full load worth...and there were still several items missing including mismatched socks. They never did find them so I assume the items went to some other travellers.

We do our own laundry on vacation now.

Let us know how you like the service, Lucille.

In the summer, I've often thought about sending my sheets out to be laundered and ironed, but I've never followed through. I've learned that I can hand stretch pillowcases on my kitchen island and they will dry almost wrinkle-free, so that's my relief from ironing during the hottest weeks of summer.

Elizabeth, I had an aunt who could iron a shirt perfectly like you can. I wish I had learned from her. It's a good skill to have even if you don't use it often.

Hamilton, blame the specific hotel, not the fact that you used hotel laundry service. I've often sent in as much as a week's worth of clothes (that's about what I take on trips) many dozens of times in dozens of disparate places and can't recall ever having a problem. Perhaps rarely the odd thing or two but never enough to be a problem or discourage the practice. The alternatives for a weeks long trip is too unattractive for me, I don't want to waste time doing it myself or compromising my preference for wearing clean clothes. I've always submitted laundry on the cruises we've taken, as an example (even a small ship is a large hotel) and never had a problem.

Elmer,

Thats true, it would be the fault of individual hotels.

But, more often than not, hubby and I are happy to spend a couple of hours one night doing laundry. Usually, by a week into our vacation, our legs need the rest anyway.

Since my husband retired, I rarely iron a shirt. I used to enjoy doing them and he looked so handsome!

I loath ironing and have barely done any for years. I only do my own stuff, although I seldom buy anything that needs it. If DH insists on wearing traditional shirts he can jolly well iron his own. Which he does. In fact, come to think of it, I loath all household work.

Laundry already done and returned.Nicely folded in plastic bags. They even returned the black trash bag I sent the laundry in. Everything was clean, but there had been a small stain on one pillowcase (from temp hair dye) that was not completely gone, but I had not been able to get it all out either.

They have a 20/lb/$20 minimum. I felt sure this morning I had gone over that but it was only 15 lbs, so got charged the min, I am ok with that.

The company is called 'Sudshare' and they call their pickup/delivery staff their 'Sudsters" and I was asked to rate and if I wanted, tip. So I went over to rate. Gave Craig my Sudster a 5 star rating. Suggested tips were $5,$8,and $10. I tipped $5. I might tip more if I had more laundry or a special order or any hanging items.

I am definitely going to use them in the future. Not necessarily for everything, but definitely for larger items and maybe everyday clothes.

I looked this up - it appears to be a "service" business conceived by those capable of writing smartphone apps and web pages (the latter being the easier of the two with all the turnkey, simplified website builders available).

The software links people who've signed up to do laundry in their own homes, with people who want laundry done. Standard home washers and dryers are used. The "company" that set up the software and business model takes 25% of the charge, the people doing the laundry get 75% plus any tip.

So if you want your next door neighbor doing your laundry in their home, this will arrange for that. If you want to use a commercial laundry, that's something different.

I don't mind doing laundry....it's mindless and takes almost no time (other than folding and putting away but that's NBD). But I truly dislike ironing and have always sent anything that required ironing out for a professional service - DH's shirts when I was married, virtually ALL my business clothes when I was in the corporate world and even now, the few articles of clothing I still favor that require ironing - anything linen, shirts and blouses, etc.

Do they assure that no scented products or fabric softeners will be used in the contract?

Sorry Raye I forgot to address your question. One has the choice of specifying and unscented is available. They do not use fabric softeners at all but will do so it you send the softener and instructions.

The company was started 5 years ago by a 17 year old.

https://sudshare.com

So this is a new “gig”? What a great idea! Seriously, there are times when you just can’t do your laundry (no facilities, or machine on the fritz, for example).

This is very common in NYC. The dry cleaners all launder shirts, and you can specify if you want them done in the regular method (usually 2 to 3 dollars,) where they are washed in huge machines and machine-pressed while wet, or specialty laundered and hand pressed, which is very expensive (last I checked $18/shirt.) There are also services you can text and a van will pick up your regular laundry and deliver it clean. And of course, you can haul it to the laundromat.

Most buildings don't allow washing machines in apartments. Larger buildings usually have shared laundry rooms. I've been living a couple of hours away from home for the past year (but, woohoo, will be going back as soon as we are vaccinated!) and I really do not like living in the middle of nowhere. But the one thing I love about this place is that we have our own washer and dryer. I do laundry every couple of days. I enjoy the whole process, especially taking the warm clothes out of the dryer and folding everything. I also like how I can be just lounging around, but because I am doing laundry, I am accomplishing something.

Be very careful with the term "unscented" it usually denotes that there is fragrance (big allergen) in the product. Look for "perfume-free" or check the ingredients list yourself. If they use any perfumed products in a machine then all that is put in that machine is tainted.

Some people are sensitive to scents but judging from the products most commonly purchased, I think it's fair to assume most people aren't.

I personally don't find this cottage industry home laundering of any interest but whether it's something like that or a commercial laundry, people who are scent or ingredient sensitive are of course best protected by doing their own laundry with the products they prefer.

I've only used a service in hotels, or for larger items like comforters, draperies, tablecloths. LUV the professionally ironed tablecloths and there is a short high rod in the linen closet of this house for hanging them. Local service that picks up and delivers or one can drop off and pick up at the shop.

I haven't called them in a year now, I've done NO entertaining. Add to that most of my tablecloths now are a blend and not linen, it's not like I couldn't iron.

DH has never worn dress shirts to work. The times of the month he would want one, I've ironed it. Other than that, he does his own ironing. Not all at once, as needed so there can be a bit of a squabble about the ironing board being out in the laundry room 24-7. I'm learning to pick my battles.

For years, my BIL had a wardrobe of very expensive clothes that he wore daily. Laundry service, shirts lightly starched, ironed. He started doing his own and discovered he loves to iron. His results look professional. It relaxes him. He would even iron for his mother when she was living, and his sister when he visited her. They've built a new waterfront house in the last few years and he designed his own laundry room. With taller than average folding surfaces and machines on pedestals (he's 6'7"), deep sink, custom cabinets and a built in cab for wide screen TV so he can watch sports as he irons ;0)

I wonder if you can buy your own product and send it along with the laundry for them to use? No guarantee they use it for your laundry, but it might be an option. Easiest if you use pods, I suppose, and maybe powder; liquid would be hard to transport. Although if they get stopped by the police, with a baggie of powder, there might be an issue . . .

An update. While I was impressed by the service and think it is a great idea, I was not happy when I received an email from the company offering to pay me in the form of a credit to my account for writing a review for Trustpilot and the BBB. (They follow up via email after every service and I had rated my Sudster highly in their followup). They did not specify that it had to be a positive review, but to me any kind of paid review just does not sit right.

Here are some gals who know how to do laundry. And, no this is NOT Monty Python! These gals are for real, the original housewifes of England.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxpAVCan4CQ

I was very thankful for the service a local laundry service offered during the flood. We had had so much laundry that needed to be done. We would drop off large loads and pick them up the next day clean and fresh and folded. It was such a needed service and they were just wonderful people. They gave those of us dealing with the flood discounts since we had so much that needed to be laundered.

These days we are able to do that job together. But if I have something larger I will definitely let them do it.

I like doing my own laundry as I've had problems with others doing it. Years ago we had a live-in housecleaner, she did all my regular laundry which worked out fine. One day I came home to see she had machine washed my silk pants and top, it was never the same. I didn't put it in the laundry basket so she wouldn't wash it but she found it laying in the closet, she knew it'd been worn so she washed it, I left it there so she wouldn't wash it.

One of my happiest days living in Mexico was getting my own washer and dryer, another friend and I always joked about the thrill of washing our own clothes after using the laundry services that bleached everything, even after I clearly said, NO CLORO. We had a maid come every week day for cleaning but I never let her touch my laundry.

We have used hotel services and washed our own, just depends on service, a few months ago I washed some clothes when we went to dinner, stopped by on the wasy back to put it in the dryer. Can't say I'd do this in every hotel but this one worked out well.

Now my DH and I are happy to be home alone, I do all the laundry, I wash and carefully dry and iron our sheets. We're retired and rarely wear "dry clean" clothes. Now my house cleaner comes weekly for about three hours but doesn't touch any laundry, doesn't change my sheets or towels.

We both hope to not ever have a live in again, but don't know what the future holds.

I would love to take my percale sheets to the cleaner to be ironed. What would be the average cost? Do you just take the clean sheets in a bag?

No, you send the dirty sheets or bring them to the laundry. They launder them and run them through the mangle.

wednesday -- What a hoot! Loved the women with their hair in curlers...and the one with a 'ciggie' hanging out of her mouth. I don't suppose those communal wash houses lasted long once people could buy home appliances. Maybe I'm wrong...where could you go to gab with other housewives once these places shut down?

I didn't like the way my efforts turned out DH's dress shirts, so those always went out. I've used a rather expensive specialized laundry service for something like a linen tablecloth, but don't like the way an ordinary laundry beats things to death. (Boiled, I suppose.) Sheets would come back ironed, but folded oddly.

These days I only iron pillowcases and the top half of our bedsheets.

Chisue, my Aunt Sarah used to do her laundry at a laundromat around the same day/time every week, where there would be a regular gathering of the same people doing theirs. She used to refer to the laundromat as "the watering hole."