The Big Difference between Self-Service Laundromats in Spain and the US

 In the old days (20 years ago), self-service laundromats  in Spain were very hard to find. In the past...5 years? Laundromats in Spain have popped up all over. 

An American laundromat--with the fancy front loading washer!

In the US, you take all your clothing to the laundromat, you put in your quarters (there's a change machine at the laundromat that will give you quarters for your dollar bills) and you bring your own detergent. It's a good idea to babysit your clothing--people can steal clothing out of the dryer in the States.

In Spain, laundromats are much nicer--you pay with a credit card, detergent is included. Because the machines lock, I don't worry about my clothing getting stolen. But there is one interesting difference between how Americans use laundromats and how Spaniards use self-service laundromats.

In the winter, Spaniards brought their wet, washed clothing to the laundromat and just used the dryer. In the summer, Spaniards washed their wet clothing and then took it home to hang dry. The first time I saw this, I was totally flummoxed--why are people only half-doing their laundry?

In the US, people who use laundromats do so because they do not have any laundry machines in their homes. Nor is it common to have laundry lines available in rental housing. So, poor Americans bring their laundry and wash and dry it in the laundromat. Whereas it is very common in Spain to have a washing machine in every home, even in cheap rentals (probably the reason there were so few laundromats 20 years ago). This means that thrifty Spaniards will bring their wet clothing to the laundromat and only use the dryers in the winter. This is WILD to me, because clothing washed in an American top-loading washing machine tends to come out really wet and heavy. But, Spanish front loading laundry machines are very efficient and after the centrifuge, it's not too heavy. Plus, everyone's got a granny cart, so they have a wheeled basket to carry their wet clothing.

Why do Spaniards use the dryer in the winter? Because hanging clothing in damp weather takes forever to dry (if it even does.) Why not use the dryer in summer? Because everyone has a clothesline and it's just throwing money away to put the clothing in the dryer when it is 105 degrees outside.

Not me, though. I put my clothing in the dryer year round. The only downside, other than the cost, is the clothing I buy in Spain shrinks a TON. 

RIP (rest in power) my cool Expo '92 Alcantarilla t-shirt. After one spin through the dryer, it's a Don Loco-sized shirt.