Laundry

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Keeping clothes clean without access to a private washer and dryer can be expensive and time consuming. Also, the man does not like you showing up around his customers with clothes smelling like yesterday's body odor unless you work some outside job. No one is going to tell you you smell either. It can affect peoples attitudes significantly.

If you are between housing, Low Impact Crashing has creative ideas as well.

Contents

[edit] Apartment Laundry

It is very possible to find a apartment complex with or without a gate or locked laundry room. Larger complexes are best to check. Go at night when landlords or nosey staff are away if you do not live there. Expect to extorted by the landlord if those apartments have no washer connections in the units and he has a monopoly. Many landlords charge outrageous prices for old, poorly working machines.

Bring stir sticks, cue tips, or zap strap for coin operated machines. Push the coin mechanism in, remove it a quarter inch, and insert these items as wedges about 45 degrees in angle. Force the slot in, and the machine should start.

Please note that some machines have a "coin gate" that will shut when you push in the coin mechanism, screwing up your picks and not allowing the machine to start. Also realize that this is technically a criminal offense, and if caught you may be charged with theft of services or mischief.

[edit] Campus Laundry

If you live near a college campus with dorms, they often have free (or cheap) laundry machines. Go to the nearest campus, wait by the door with your laundry, get let in by some sorority type, and make your way down to the laundry room. They tend to be placed in the basements of residence halls. Students often leave detergent around, so cop some of that, and you're golden. See also Low Impact Crashing for more ideas. Be careful as more campuses are requiring school name badges to be worn at all times. Be sure you look like a student.

[edit] Corporate Laundry

If you have inside information and are feeling crazy, some larger companies will have laundry rooms for their employees. At many these are free. You can wander around campus and just ask "Hi, I'm new here ... oh, I forgot my badge." Corporate rent-a-pigs assume you are a lost client and will usually gently escort from the premises at worse, unless they think you stole something. Companies are like cults or tribes, they often have their own specialized lingo. Be sure you look like you(and your container for laundry) belong there.

A problem is many places have RFID and keypad door locks. You really can't get too far without a badge or a code. Some places like casinos or hotels have staff that washes and presses the clothes for folks and will recognize you.

Some companies may have do it yourself guest registration; if you snag a registration badge and step out of the lobby security will mistaken you as "lost" and often ignore you.

Infiltrating has more information if schemes like this tweak your interest.

[edit] Bathtub

If you at least have detergent, hot running water, and a bathtub, you can wash clothes old school style. It is very labor intensive and does not take care of pet hair or some tough stains quite as well. Be sure to rinse the detergent out thoroughly as it can cause skin irritation. Cheap powder detergent can also leave residue on the clothes if not rinsed off really good. Be careful over soaking travel soiled white socks in bleach as it tears them apart.

Hanging dry may keep wrinkles down for most normal use. You will still need an iron for occasions where you must be clean pressed like waiter uniforms or business attire.

[edit] Barter

If you know someone that has a washer who will not steal any valuable clothes you may have, you could make a deal to buy detergent, a pack of smokes, favor, or whatever for use. Some may not be agreeable to this, since they may not expect company for 2 hours every few days and it can get old.


[edit] Original Laundry

Wait in a laundromat. Tell someone with a light load that you'll watch the machine for them if you can stick your clothes in with theirs.

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