What to bring on your first laundromat visit (a quick checklist)
Everything you actually need to bring — and what you can leave at home. Written for first-timers who want to walk in confident.
If you’ve never been to a laundromat — or it’s been since college — the first visit can feel a little intimidating. It really shouldn’t. You only need three things, and we sell the rest if you forget.
The short list
- Your laundry, in a basket or bag big enough to carry it home wet if you needed to (you won’t)
- A way to pay — a credit/debit card, a phone with Apple Pay or Google Pay, OR cash (load it onto a loyalty card at the kiosk)
- Detergent — pods, liquid, or powder. Or buy a single-load pack here for a couple of dollars.
That’s it. Everything else is optional.
Nice to have
If you want to make the visit faster or more comfortable:
- Dryer sheets or fabric softener (skip if you have allergies — most clothes don’t need them)
- A spare bag for clean clothes (separates them from the dirty bag/basket)
- Headphones or a book if you plan to wait
- A water bottle — laundromats can be warm
- The FasCard app downloaded ahead of time — get push notifications when your laundry’s done, so you don’t have to wait
What you can leave at home
- Quarters — we don’t take coins. Card or phone only. (Or load cash onto a loyalty card at the kiosk for 10% cashback.)
- A folding board — we have huge stainless steel folding tables
- An iron — not needed; clothes come out smooth from the dryer if you take them out warm
- Hangers — we have them at the front
What to wear
Dress comfortably and avoid anything dry-clean only on yourself. If you’re moving baskets and stretching to load top-load machines (we don’t have these — we use front loaders, which are easier), you’ll be glad you wore comfortable clothes.
How much laundry can I bring?
A normal week’s worth easily fits one of our 30 lb washers. For reference:
- 20 lb washer — about 1 full standard kitchen-size garbage bag of clothes
- 30 lb washer — about 1.5 bags, or a queen comforter
- 35 lb washer — about 2 bags, or a king comforter
- 45 lb washer — about 3 bags, or a king comforter plus sheets
If you have more than 3 bags, run two washers at the same time. Cuts your trip in half.
Step-by-step on your first visit
- Walk in. Find a washer about the right size for your load.
- Open the door, load the clothes, add detergent (pour it directly in the drum on top of the clothes — front-loaders don’t have a separate dispenser slot for everything).
- Close the door firmly until it clicks.
- Tap your card/phone/loyalty card on the small screen on the front of the washer.
- Pick a temperature (cold/warm/hot) on the washer’s own buttons. Press start.
- The cycle takes 25–35 minutes. Wait, leave, or grab a coffee.
- Move clothes to a dryer. Same payment routine. Add 24 minutes for normal clothes (more for towels/jeans).
- Fold at the steel tables. Take everything home.
You’ll probably surprise yourself
Most first-timers tell us the same thing afterward: “That was way easier than I expected.” It is.
If anything goes sideways — a machine acts up, you’re confused about something — there’s a touch screen kiosk at the front, or you can report an issue here and we’ll respond within a few hours.