Laundry service: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What laundry service is

Laundry service washes, dries and folds clothes, linens and household textiles, either at a facility or through pickup and delivery to your home. You hand over the bag and get back clean, folded or hung items that follow the care labels and any preferences you set.

Signs you need it

  • Laundry piles up faster than you can wash, dry and fold it in a week
  • Bedding and towels need frequent washing and your machine cannot keep up
  • You have delicate items that need hand wash or a gentle cycle and you do not have time for it
  • A household member is sick and the linens need washing on a schedule
  • You are paying for a dryer and a washer that sit idle because you cannot get to the laundry

What the pro does

  • Sort items by color, fabric and soil level, and separate delicates, whites and heavily soiled pieces
  • Check pockets, remove stains that need pre-treatment, and note any items that look damaged
  • Wash each load on the cycle and temperature the care label and your preferences call for
  • Dry on the right heat setting, and air dry delicate items or those that shrink
  • Fold towels, shirts and linens, and hang items that would crease if folded
  • Bag the folded items, label them by customer and return them on the agreed day

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • Weight or number of items in the load, and the mix of clothes and household linens
  • Whether pickup and delivery are included or you drop off at the facility
  • Turnaround time requested, since rush loads may need separate handling
  • Whether items are folded, hung or pressed before return
  • Delicate, dry-clean-only or special items that need separate care
  • Stain treatment and any extra detergent or softener preferences you choose

What a written quote should spell out

  • Whether service is by weight, by item or by bag, and how the load is counted
  • The wash and dry settings used, and whether you can request hot, cold or unscented
  • Whether folding, hanging and bagging are included
  • Pickup and delivery windows and how they are scheduled
  • How damaged or lost items are reported and what the service will do about them

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Do you wash each customer's load separately, and how do you keep clothes from mixing
  • What detergent and softener do you use, and can I request unscented
  • How do you handle stains that need pre-treatment or do not come out
  • Do you hang shirts and delicates, or fold everything
  • What happens if an item shrinks, fades or is damaged in the wash
  • How do you store clean items between pickup and delivery

Red flags

  • Loads washed together without separation, so colors or delicates can bleed or tangle
  • No intake check for pockets, stains or damaged garments
  • Drying on high heat for items that have a care label asking for low heat or air drying
  • No written process for lost or damaged items

What you can do yourself

You can wash everyday cotton items at home on the cycle the label recommends and sort your own whites and darks. Call a professional for bulk linens, heavily soiled work clothes and delicates that need special handling, or when the volume is more than your machine can handle in a week.

Licenses and permits

Laundry service is not commonly licensed. Check with your state or local licensing agency for business registration that applies to a laundry or pickup and delivery service in your area.

Laundry service questions

Will my clothes be washed with other customers' clothes?

It depends on the service. Some facilities wash each customer's load separately. Ask before you drop off, especially for baby clothes, athletic wear or items you do not want mixed.

Can I request special detergent?

Many services allow a request for unscented or sensitive-skin products. Ask what they use and tell them about any allergy before the first load.

What if something gets lost or damaged?

Check the intake list when you drop off or receive the bag, and report any issue right away. Keep the receipt or intake record so the service can look into it.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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