Sunday, July 22, 2007

Sunday Laundry


Yesterday I took part in a tour with Richard Nahem for Eye Prefer Paris (I'll pick up a more representative photo later!) and while passing by this laundrette I could not help taking a photo ;). You find many of those in Paris although washers and dryers are no longer expensive. It's more a matter of room; Paris apartments are often small and none of the buildings have laundry rooms in the basement. That's all for the day, did not have the time to go to Paris Plage yet ;). PS: and yes! This is me in the reflexion!!

23 comments:

  1. Ah i remember the days i used to use these. On the one hand it seemed a waste of a couple of hours. On the other, i read much more!

    Do you mean to tell us that Lord Eric's boxer (or speedo?) underpants are whirling around and around in public??? LOL ... ;)

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  2. In the UK, the launderette always used to be accompanied by a ancient dragon who do your "service wash" (ie, put it through the machine for you) and was a first cousin in spirit of the Parisian Concierge. These days, what few there are left appear mostly dreary, dismal places, not bright and cheery like this.

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  3. Yes - I have also spent a lot of time in Paris laundrettes. It would have been quicker the first time if we had been able to work out how to use them. Luckily a very kind Parisian helped us!!!

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  4. Do those washers, like the washers owned by private French citizens, take close one two hours to go through their cycle? (they also tend to be very small, which makes doing the laundry a very long-haul job!).

    Cool photo, my daughter took one that looks very similar at a Pittsburgh laundromat!

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  5. Neat photo. Never thought about taking a photo of that. I am so thankful I have a washer & dryer at home now. I used to have to go to the laundrymat.

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  6. Great pic! I'm glad that I have a laundry room in my building. Having to go to a laundromat would be too much of a hassle for me.

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  7. Ham, are you referring to someone that might resemble Chainsmoking Dot from the British show Eastenders?

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  8. Nice photo. Nice and clean laundry facility.

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  9. I love how clean this is...and no one is there...or at least it's not crowded!

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  10. By thw way Eric, I'm curious to know based on this picture, how often you hang out at laundromats?

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  11. So true Elisabeth! There was a combination washer/dryer in a Paris apartment I stayed in. It took HOURS for a very small load to dry (and a long to wash as well)!

    I've heard that they are supposed to be more evironmentally-friendly, but how is that possible when it uses so much electricity because it takes so long? I never understood that rationale.

    Just an FYI: 99% of apartments in the U.S. have full-size (large) washers and dryers inside each apartment. It is only in a few very large cities (with older buildings) that the only option is a laundrymat in the basement of the building. I don't think I could live happily without a W/D inside my place!

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  12. When I was at school in Paris in the early '90s the laundromat down the street was super expensive. We only did laundry when it was absolutely necessary and learned how to wash smaller things (like underwear) in the sink in our room!

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  13. That's the laundromat on R. Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie, isn't it? Right next to the little café/bar flying the gay-pride flag....

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  14. i remember the days when i used to go to the laundryshop.

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  15. Just an FYI: 99% of apartments in the U.S. have full-size (large) washers and dryers inside each apartment.

    Not so in San Francisco, due in part to the diminutive size of most SF apartments. Here, you consider yourself lucky if you have W/D facilities in the same building!

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  16. No Lynn, I did not mean to tell you this!! My boxers whirl in my kitchen, where my washer does its weekly duty... LOL

    Ham, don't forget they also had the reputation of being great pick up places...

    Jules. See, that is exactly what I just said to Ham: "Luckily a very kind Parisian helped us!!!"...

    Elisaebth. Yes! And I am alwaus amazed to see how little time it takes an Amercan washer to wash a load. Here we consider that under 2 hours the laundry cannot be deeply cleaned! Small? Yes, they are (well the normal size id 5 kilos (10 pounds) but you can cheat a little ;) New, larger models are coming, but, once again, you need to stick them in your kitchen or bathroom...

    Stacy, lv2scpbk, NorthBayPhoto. Thank you. Sometimes the oddest things make the best photos ;)

    Michael. Ahhhh East Enders! I don't think we have them here, but their reputation has crossed the Channel!

    Neva. No, it's not crowded, but it was Saturday morning at dawn (well, OK, 11 AM!)

    Susan. You're right! I used to have one combination W/D too and a full cycle would take... 4 hours precisely. Not to mention that the laundry would come up super wrinkled, precisely because of the small capacity of the machine.

    Marcia. Super expensive? I'm surprised because usually Laundramat are really cheap actually.

    Expat. No, it's not. it's rue Roger Verlomme in the 3rd.

    Tomate. Yes, I was surprised actually. The thing is that in large cites like Paris you rarely can fit those in small apartments - like studio apartments for instance

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  17. A washer and dryer??? Damn I don't even have a dishwasher??? Just my own two hands! I do have a rent controlled apt that would double in price if I left though..soooo, somethings you deal with. I think I shall put a dishwasher in this year though.

    We do have a laundry in the building..thank Gawd!! I have spent lots of time in Parisian laundries[making trips back and forth to a pâtisserie]and I always thought the dryers seemed to "cook" my clothes! Too hot! Or maybe my mind was on the eclairs! LOL!!

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  18. Tomate: I could definitely see that in San Fran! That's one of the only bad things about living in really big cities (small spaces and no washer/dryer hookups). I actually flew to Chicago and interviewe last month but after looking at the apartments (no W/D), small, etc.) and they added the common gray skies, I just had to turn it down! Might sound odd but it's hard to go backwards (to laudrymats) you know! Otherwise, I think I'd live in NYC! Oh hell, if it wasn't so expensive, I might do with the W/D, and all the niceties! On second thought, include San Fran in that also! At least they both have nicer weather!

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  19. Oops, typo: might do withOUT the W/D for NYC or San Fran. If it just wasn't so outrageously expensive.

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  20. Regarding my post on the laundromats being expensive--when you're a student, EVERYTHING is expensive. :)

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  21. That's so funny, I was just back from the launderette yesterday (Sunday) when I logged in and saw this...luckily I live just around the corner so I don't have to sit there and wait!

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  22. Tired of handwashing I was excited to find a laundromat near my Parisian hotel. I put in a coin to buy soap only to realize you had to bring your own container and had to catch the powder in my hands. Then I found out that the machines only had cold water. I was just about to put my clothes in the dryer (including my heavy cotton granny gown) when the proprietor showed up and told me she was closing and I couldn't dry my clothes! That was in 1974. Perhaps things have changed. I live in San Francisco and my apt. laundryroom has only 3 washers and dryers for 36 units. Ah nirvana to have one's own w/d.

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