18 April: Launderettes

On this date in 1934 the first launderette, called a 'washeteria', was opened in Fort Worth, Texas. Here are ten things you might not know about launderettes.

1. The first launderette was opened by JF Cantrell in Fort Worth, Texas in 1934. He charged people by the hour to use his four Washing machines.
2. The first one in the UK was in Bayswater, London, in 1949, and it's still there. It's called Central Wash.
3. The number of launderettes in the UK peaked in the 1980s. Then, there were about 12,500 across the UK.
4. The peak of launderettes in the 1980s is reflected in popular culture of the time. There is a 1985 film called My Beautiful Launderette, about a gay couple who run a launderette. There was the Levi's 501 advert where a good looking young man (Nick Kamen) walks into a launderette, strips down to his underwear and puts his clothes in the machine. In Eastenders, a soap which began in the 80s, the launderette, run by Dot Cotton, was a key location for characters to meet.
5. Now, there are only about 3,000 launderettes in the UK. More people can afford washing machines at home, and to set up a launderette would cost an entrepreneur between £60,000-£100,000 so many are put off.
6. This doesn't mean they're no longer important or useful. In large cities, where living space is at a premium, people may decide they don't want to use precious space for a washing machine; and there are still people who can't afford one. They are still used by students, tourists and people whose washing machine has broken down. Even people who have a functional washing machine may use the launderette to wash things that don't fit in it, such as duvet covers.
7. Some, but not all, launderettes have staff who will watch unattended machines and sell things like washing powder. Some provide service washes, where a busy person can pay a little extra to drop off their laundry and have the staff wash it and fold it for them to pick up later.
8. Launderettes are starting to adapt to the modern age. There is one in Manchester called The Laundernet, which is basically an Internet cafe with washing machines. It has comfy chairs and a Coffee machine.
9. The brands of washing machine you are most likely to find in a launderette are IPSO. Electrolux, Primus, Maytag, Speed Queen and Frigidaire.
10. The American singer Nivea had a hit with a song called Laundromat in 2003. In the song, written by R Kelly, the laundromat is a metaphor for the end of a relationship and an effort to wash a cheating lover out of her life.

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