Are you a parent who relies on a laundromat to wash all of your clothes and linens? We understand that bringing kids along for this weekly chore can be a struggle. You’re already transporting your laundry bag, detergent, and quarters – adding your children and their toys, snacks, and supplies to the mix may push you to your limits. To help ensure your outing goes smoothly, we encourage you to plan ahead and check out our tips for bringing kids to the laundromat. But parents aren’t the only ones who should be thinking about how to help children enjoy a visit to the laundromat. We’re talking to you, laundromat owners and managers! Check out our advice if you’re wondering how to welcome parents and children to your laundromat.
Tips for Bringing Kids to the Laundromat
Advice for Parents
- Keep Detergent Out of Reach: Laundry detergent, bleach, stain remover, and similar products can be very dangerous if ingested. Keep these items out of your child’s reach and out of sight. This is especially important if you use colorful, squishy detergent capsules, which are appealing to young kids. To learn more about this issue, check out Laundry Room and Detergent Safety by HealthyChildren.org.
- Prep Your Clothes Beforehand: To ensure you’re not wasting any time when you arrive, consider sorting your clothes and linens before you arrive at the laundromat. If you’d rather wait, make the sorting process into a sort of game that your child can help with. In addition, treat any stains before you arrive.
- Pack Your Supplies Carefully. First, make sure you pack all of your laundry supplies. Detergent and quarters (or your credit card, depending on the payment options) are essential. You may also need dryer sheets, fabric softener, stain remover, etc. Then, pack all of your parenting supplies. These will vary drastically depending on the age of your children, but if you have young children, you’ll likely need some snacks and activities (simple toys, games, books).
- Ask Your Child for Help: If your children are old enough, ask them to help you with the laundry. They might enjoy it, especially if it’s their first time at a laundromat. You could have them put the quarters in the machine, turn the temperature knob, press the button to start the cycle, sort clothes, or even fold clothes. Afterward, be sure to thank them for their hard work.
- Be Positive: Finally, go into it with a positive attitude. Try to think of it as an opportunity for some valuable parent/child time without so many distractions. And even if you dread laundry day, don’t tell your child that! If you do, they’ll see it as a chore as well and may become fussy and irritable. Instead, try to establish that laundry day is a special day. You could even create a special tradition (like playing a game as you sort the laundry) or share a treat (like an ice cream cone) on laundry day.
Advice for Laundromat Owners and Managers
As the owner or manager of a laundromat, you may not need tips for bringing kids to the laundromat, but you could likely use some advice for being a good host to your smallest patrons and their parents.
- Keep Detergent Out of Reach: Laundry detergent, bleach, stain remover, and similar products can be very dangerous if ingested. Keep these out of children’s reach. This is especially important if you sell colorful, squishy detergent capsules, which are appealing to young kids.
- Design Your Laundromat with Care: As you plan your laundromat’s layout, beware of creating any nooks and crannies behind or between machines. Design the facility and arrange the equipment in such a way that kids can’t sneak behind machines or tamper with the plugs or hoses. Although parents are responsible for keeping their children out of trouble, owners/managers are responsible for creating a safe environment for customers.
- Create a Play Area for Children: If you have the space for it, create an area for children to play. Although this isn’t necessary in every laundromat, you might find it beneficial if your clientele includes a lot of families with young children. It could give you an edge over your competition. Within the play area, consider adding carpet for comfort, capping any outlets, bolting down furniture, and offering soft or simple toys (like building blocks). If you have a TV in this area, keep it on an appropriate programming for young viewers.
- Install a Security Camera: If you haven’t already, install a security camera to help protect all of your customers, especially the youngest and most vulnerable.
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Whether you’re a parent or a business owner, we hope these tips for bringing kids to the laundromat prove useful.
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