UK
There has been quite a bit about launderettes in the national media lately. According to Bruce Herring of the National Association of the Launderette Industry (NALI): “The ball started rolling with a full-page article in The Mail on Sunday, 11 June, with John Abiona and Stephen Bailey sharing the writing credits. The theme generally touched on the much-reduced state of the launderette – around 2,000 units now – since its inception in the late 1940s and its heyday in the 1960s/70s – estimated to be around 14,000 – before everybody bought domestic washing machines.

“Thereafter BBC Breakfast took up the baton with several reminiscent clips of launderettes through the ages. This included live coverage from Tony Duckworth, the President of NALI, supported by his daughter Taryn Baker, who together operate The Washbowl launderettes in the North Manchester area.

SUCCESS STORY: The Washbowl launderettes continue to trade successfully in the Mnachester area

“Storm Huntley, on her own show on Channel 5 quickly followed with a similar theme as did Radio 4’s consumer programme ‘You and Yours’ on 26 June.  The Sun newspaper also devoted several columns that reflected the recent surge in interest.

Herring told The Mail on Sunday article that “soaring energy bills have been the real killer”. “Many launderettes had long-term contracts with the utility companies. These contracts have come to an end and prices are going up enormously. Most premises now pay about 12p per kWh for their gas-heated tumble dryers compared with 3p previously.”

Launderettes are also taking a hit from the cost to repair their equipment, Herring added, commenting that: “Some launderettes are using 20-year-old machines that are more expensive and harder to fix than the more modern ones.”

“The most commonly posed questions are “Where have they all gone?” “Are they attempting diversification in order to survive?” And closely followed by “Will the recent astronomical rises in utility costs result in more closures?” said Herring,

Statistics
Commenting on the source of the statistics for the number of launderettes in business, Herring explained: “The figures for the number of launderettes still in operation have been derived by NALI from original lists provided by various sources. We have, on a quarterly basis, posted a copy of our journal to all of the known launderette businesses. A return address, if undelivered, is included. This clearly is not a precise science, but we are unaware of a more accurate system that would not require hours of research.”

Customer support
“At NALI we do offer support to any member who requires assistance for any part of their operation, including a free legal telephone helpline where needed. Regrettably we seldom hear from members contemplating closure until such time as the business is offered for sale or the equipment is requiring clearance having ceased trading.

Other potential members
“It is our experience that the operators of launderettes in universities, campsites, miscellaneous armed forces and similar in-house situations tend to fall under the auspices of a few supplier contractors. These, with the exception of one, steadfastly resist joining the only organisation dedicated to supporting the industry as a whole. This mode of launderette is known as ‘Route Operation’. When approached they usually insist that they do not operate launderettes and refer our enquiry to their appropriate supplier/contractor,” said Herring.

Collection/delivery services
“This facet of operation has not normally formed part of a launderette operation – with a few exceptions. The cost of delivery of one load would often prove prohibitive. The exception might be in large conurbations where premium rates can be charged or a regular round of easy operation can be achieved.,” Herring told LCN. Our chairman, Peter Morrow, operates one such in Eastbourne. his experience may be interesting in this respect I feel sure. There are, of course, large operators in the field who exist outside the sphere of what we know as the launderette industry, with we assume a considerable degree of success.”

Star quality
In the Mail on Sunday, writer Stephen Bayley mentioned the iconic Levi’s advertisement from 1985, in which model Nick Kamen stripped down to his boxers in a launderette to the great delight of the watching women.  Dot Cotton running the launderette in EastEnders also got a mention. Bayley finished his piece stating: “The reasons for the launderette’s decline are complex. Business rental and energy charges are rising. Fast-fashion enthusiasts might find it cheaper to buy new clothes than wash and spin-dry old ones.

“Near where I live is the site which inspired Hanif Kureishi’s film My Beautiful Launderette, an ironic comedy, also released in 1985…. Yesterday, I went to check it out, in a street of shuttered takeaways and pound shops anxiously awaiting gentrification. Kureishi’s original launderette has gone, but the site is marked by a plaque – a sure sign that the launderette has passed into heritage consciousness,” wrote Bayley.”

Gloom and doom
“Now, with just 2,000 left, the launderette looks doomed. The pandemic has played a role. Launderettes were one of the few high street businesses that remained open during lockdown, but this meant that they could not claim grants that sustained other businesses,” concliuded Mail on Sunday’s Abiona.