It probably wasn’t in your plans, but climate change is definitely popping the question. Laura Garcia del Valle explores the sustainability behind the use of these forgotten businesses.
I know, you are probably thinking: “Why would I want to use the launderette if I have a washing machine at home?”. It might not sound like the most convenient proposition, but trust me, the planet would definitely appreciate our efforts. With 12% of electricity consumption and 13% of domestic water usage per household coming from our washing, it is time to evaluate the environmental impact of this mundane ordinary practice.
Famous brands and designers are jumping on the bandwagon of the launderette by introducing laundry services in their stores. In 2016, the French high fashion house Hermès introduced the concept Hermèsmatic, bringing back to life pre-owned Hermès silk scarves. Customers had the opportunity to rejuvenate their scarves by washing and dip-dying them. Recently, American Eagle Outfitters also opened a new concept store in New York City. Located next to Union Square, the American brand invites students to bring their laundry, allowing them to do their washing for free while having a beer. This way, the fashion industry is adding one more element in the life of their product that goes beyond its production.
In Japan, the number of launderettes has increased by more than 63% since 1996. With an increment of female labour, working women prefer high-tech washing machines over domestic ones. The belief that clothes need to be dried outdoors for health reasons, and the tediousness of the process translated into about 6,500 new establishments opening in 2015. Japanese people no longer have time for washing.
The first washing machine was invented in 1907 in the United States. Fifteen years later and on the other side of the pond, the first coin-operated launderette opened in Britain, establishing its business in Bayswater, West London. In the 1960s, the launderette gained fame with one in every high street. But in the mid-1980s, washing machines became affordable and most families quickly substituted laundry services for domestic washing. Today, the numbers don’t seem too optimistic. With 97% of the UK households having a washing machine at home, the number of launderettes has reduced to 3,000 in the whole of Britain.
The National Association of the Launderette Industry (NALI) revealed that currently launderettes are more commonly used by students, immigrants who recently moved to the country and cannot afford to buy a washing machine, wealthy professionals and the elderly who still see the launderette as a social space to make conversation.
Eduardo Pettit, International Business and French student at the University of Westminster has been using the launderette at least once a week for over a year. “Even though it can be quite tedious having to go to a launderette every time you want to wash your clothes, I have to say I am really productive in those 50-60 minutes that I would spend doing my washing. I bring some work from university there and it actually helps me focus as I don’t really have any distractions.”, he explains. Sometimes he meets people from his neighbourhood, listening to what he calls the “spinning stories”.
Ellen Grister is the co-founder of At the Well, a launderette-café in Bristol. When starting the business back in 2012, she used to take her washing to the launderette every Friday morning. She says: “Although I had a washing machine, I hated the whole drying process. The fact that you need to be around for certain hours, you had to do the washing at the right time to hang it all out.” At the time, she had quite a small flat and she hated having her washing and her flatmate’s washing all over the place. “You couldn’t bring guests home because you’ve got your underwear hanging around the living room.”, she adds. And, who doesn’t?
Fashion-focused launderettes are also gaining popularity on our Instagram feed, with many models and influencers choosing them as the perfect location for a photoshoot. But let’s be honest, these ancient places can offer more than a retro spot for our pictures by proposing a more sustainable approach to do laundry.
Some measures to reduce the level of contamination have already been introduced to our daily practice. Cold wash and the use of eco-friendly detergents and laundry products are improving the environmental impact of laundering. A survey carried out by ES Magazine revealed that nearly 40% of the participants use environmentally friendly products when doing their laundry.
At Bow Wash, a launderette in the heart of Bow, East London, 20% of its regular customers continue to come for its commitment to the environment. “We have two different types of laundry products. One is biological and the other one is non-biological, as well as steaming options.”, says Juliana, full-time worker at the launderette. “We have people from other areas of London, that come here every week because they prefer our launderette. You have the option to recycle your clothes, you have the option to use environmentally friendly products. They like it here.”, she adds.
The positive effects of these measures, however, are mitigated by our tendency to over-wash our clothes. Professor Kate Fletcher from the University of the Arts London, explains in her research that one way of increasing clothing’s sustainability is to extend the use time per item, that is, reducing the frequency of wash. We basically need to start laundering less.
But how do we know if we are over-washing our clothes? How many times is too many to do laundry per week? Further data collected in our survey showed that about 60% of the respondents wash their clothes at least once a week, 26% do it twice a week, and up to 13% do laundry three or more times. The increase of the number of households in the United Kingdom along with the decrease of the size of these homes also suggests that there are more laundry loads per person.
And here is where the launderette springs into action. In terms of material use, it is all about what writers Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers calls “collaborative consumption”. Obtain services for a certain period of time instead of owning them. Because, do we actually need all our own washing machine? Dr. Alison Gill from Western Sydney University explains: “Collaborative ventures to do laundering collectively (laundromats, mobile laundering, shared laundries), rather than individually owned machines is also able to save investment in laundry hardware.” Ellen Grister agrees: “If you can encourage people to use the launderette, you have less than ten machines being used by hundreds of people, instead of each person having their own machine and washing products. In terms of materiality, it would definitely reduce the amount of material that we are using for these purposes.” Less washing machines ending up in landfill after their ridiculously short lifespan.
With this said, how do we measure dirtiness, and what is making us wash so often? Odour and sings of dirt are also ways to measure the level of clothing’s “freshness”. We all sniff our clothes to decide how risky it could be to wear them again. But, how big does the pile of clothes need to be to make you do laundry? Consumer behaviour studies show that a change needs to be made in the level of expectations that launderers have about changing their clothes and washing needlessly. Only 7.5% of our laundry could be consider massively dirty.
It is very easy to effectively tidy your room into your laundry basket. But unless you are the “skid marks” kind of person, you can definitely wear your clothes after more than one use.
Sociological experiments show that underwear, socks and sports clothes are the most frequently washed items, sometimes in a daily basis. These are followed by trousers, jumpers and sheets, being washed less often.
In the capitalist world that we live in, money expenditure always makes us more conscious. In October 2015, the 5p charge for plastic bags was introduced in England, and only three months later the number of bags used by shoppers had dropped more than 85%. Could it have the same effect with the launderette? “I think that knowing that you have to pay every time that you are using the washing machine you are more likely to be more careful. It would definitely make us think twice when sending items to wash.”, says Ellen Grister.
The number of launderettes that offer other kind of social activities is increasing around the world. Ellen and her sister set up At the Well, pushing together a café and a launderette. They have created an atmosphere where everyone feels like they can talk to each other over a cup of coffee while waiting for their laundry to be done. “I hope that the combination of the launderette with activities that add the social element serve as an encouragement to bring back the launderette. It is fundamental to my business model, and there is clearly a gap in the market.”, she adds.
Laundering does not have to be dull anymore. Who knows, you might soon find yourself dragged into one of these social and creatives spaces. Kindly taking care of the planet in a more fun and enjoyable way.
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