Of all the household chores, laundry is the one I dread the most. Sharing a flat with a friend, just finding a time when the washing machine is free can be a nightmare - but the whole process is just so draining.
From sorting, to washing, to hanging, to folding, it’s a very time consuming task - and by the time you’re finished, it’s just a matter of days until you have to do it all again. But what if there was a way to save costs, energy and time on your weekly load?
Step up Revolution Laundry, whose motto is: Laundry Made Easy. You’ve probably walked past a Revolution Laundry hub - run by the company Wash.Me - without even realising it. Their outdoor washing machines are tucked away on some of Birmingham’s busiest streets. But are they worth using? I went to find out.
READ MORE: I went into construction when all my friends went to uni - now I own a three-bed home at 20
Unfortunately, my apparently stress-free laundry experience got off to quite a stressful start. After entering the postcode listed on the company’s website, I found myself walking around an eerie industrial estate, with no washing machine insight.
Wandering around with my bags of laundry, I did consider asking a nearby worker where the washing machine was, but opted against it for fear of being perceived as a psycho. I was, eventually, able to locate the washing machines at a service station just off Icknield Street. There are dozens more across the city.
Upon further research, it appears many of these outdoor washing machines are placed in service stations, perhaps useful for drivers on long journeys who need washing done in a hurry. But would it be useful to me? I was curious to find out.
There are three different options available when you arrive - an 8kg wash, 18kg wash or 18 kg dry. Prices vary depending on which option you choose. A 8kg wash is £5, 18 kg is £11 and drying costs £3.50.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be a wash and dry option - meaning that if I wanted to dry my clothes, I would have to make two separate journeys to the machine. This was a bit of a disappointment as I’d hoped to get it all done there and then, but the actual process of putting a wash on was very straightforward.
I set my preferred cycle, paid on my card and got a receipt sent directly to my inbox. Every wash includes free detergent (so you don’t have to bring any with you) and you can also opt to pay an extra £1 for fabric softener. I entered my phone number and was told I’d be notified when my wash was done - and I went to do a bit of shopping while I waited.
It’s a strange feeling leaving your clothes unattended on a random Birmingham street. I found myself nervously checking the door was firmly shut before I left, not that I had anything particularly worth stealing! Thankfully, there was a sign that said all washing machines had around-the-clock video surveillance, which put my mind at ease a bit.
After half an hour, I still hadn’t received any text message saying my wash was complete, so I made my way back to the washing machine to check on its progress. After 40 or so minutes, I could see it was done and was able to unload my washing. However, still no text message.
Worryingly, there was no security code or pass I had to enter to unlock the machine - so in theory anyone could have taken it out. This feels like a major design flaw - and it left me baffled. Had I not been there in time, anyone could have had a rummage through my washing, which feels like a bit of a red flag.
Confusingly, I was then asked to pay again, which I didn’t do as I already had my receipt. My clothes were washed, and in fairness, fairly well strained, but I still had to go home and hang them up to dry until I could put them away.
All in all, the whole experience left me feeling rather confused. I get that I’m probably not the target market, but I struggle to think who is. If you’ve not got a washing machine at home, or yours is broken, then I struggle to see why you’d opt for an outdoor washing machine over a traditional laundrette - where you can at least wait inside until your laundry is done.
The fact you have to be there right on time - or risk having your clothes taken - hardly makes it a stress-free experience. The only logical reason I could think to use these machines was if I was a long-distance lorry driver who needed my laundry done en route. But even then, if I could wait until I got home, I most definitely would.
£5.50 for one load of washing seems steep, especially when you consider you then have to go and dry it yourself. Unfortunately, it’s hardly a laundry revolution, if anything Wash.Me’s machines make the whole process more stressful. I won’t be using them again, and I’ll never take my humble washing machine at home for granted again.
I did my laundry at a hidden outdoor washing machine in Brum - one thing left me baffled
23
1
09.03.2024
Of all the household chores, laundry is the one I dread the most. Sharing a flat with a friend, just finding a time when the washing machine is free can be a nightmare - but the whole process is just so draining.
From sorting, to washing, to hanging, to folding, it’s a very time consuming task - and by the time you’re finished, it’s just a matter of days until you have to do it all again. But what if there was a way to save costs, energy and time on your weekly load?
Step up Revolution Laundry, whose motto is: Laundry Made Easy. You’ve probably walked past a Revolution Laundry hub - run by the company Wash.Me - without even realising it. Their outdoor washing machines are tucked away on some of Birmingham’s busiest streets. But are they worth using? I went to find out.
READ MORE: I went into construction when all my friends went to uni - now I own a three-bed home at 20
Unfortunately, my apparently stress-free laundry experience got off to quite a stressful start. After entering the postcode listed on the company’s website, I found myself walking around an eerie industrial estate, with no washing machine insight.
Wandering around with my bags........
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