new procedure

So when it was snowing I had a lot of difficulty with doing my laundry.

I use the local laundrette, which is just up the road, but they don't tend to clear the roads and pavements around here very much, so it's difficult to get too.  If I have multiple bags (generally I produce two bin bags of washing every week during the winter) then I have to drive.  So if I have to walk like I did during the snow, then I can only do a bit (a three-quarter full bin bag is about all that's practical to carry, so I just do the essential stuff).

Now because the worst of the snow as over the weekend I decided to try doing my laundry in the evening during the week after work.  Previously I have gotten up super early and done it Saturday morning and it normally works.

The real problem is people who clearly have washing machines but not driers.  There are only a handful of driers in the laundrette and usually at least one is out of action.  That unfortunately sometimes means I will have my washing in the machine and people turn up and fill the driers with clothes.

This is actually a bit of a bugbear with me as they tend to use the driers like they would a smaller home drier, spreading what are large home loads (or perhaps 2 loads) across multiple driers.  The whole point of the big industrial driers they have in the laundrette is you can get a big load in them.

Also, the best way to use them is to load them up with a few pounds and let them run for a good while.  If you spread the laundry out across multiple machines it is less efficient (obviously there's a tipping point, but these people are way below it) and then feed in small change, checking it all the time and therefore letting all the hot air out, it will take longer and therefore cost you more.

Anyway, point is that I discovered that generally the laundrette is not particularly busy in the evenings.  Certainly not as busy as at the weekends.

Now obviously part of the reason I have not previously tried the weekend is time - I get up early and therefore tend to go to bed early so spending 1.5-2hours in the laundrette after work is basically my entire evening.  But there are also some other issues - obviously it's more efficient for me to drive straight there after work, so that means loading the bags into the car in the morning.

Now that's fine, but what if I need to wash my work trousers or similar?  Also I only have a small number of vests, so it can get complicated if I'm not doing the washing at the weekend when I'm wearing casual clothes.  So yeah, there are some kinks, but I think I prefer it.  It's quieter, quicker and it frees up my early Saturday mornings.