How to Get Your Laundry Done as Fast as Possible

The beauty of a laundromat is that it’s already faster than home washing for multi-load households. But there’s an art to making your visit as efficient as possible. These tips will have you in and out of Love Wash in under 75 minutes for most laundry loads.

1. Pre-Sort at Home

The single biggest time waster at laundromats is sorting laundry in front of the machines. Do this at home, before you leave. Pack sorted loads in separate bags — whites, darks, delicates, towels. When you arrive, each bag goes directly into its own machine. Zero sorting time at the laundromat.

2. Use Pods Instead of Liquid Detergent

Measuring liquid detergent takes time — finding the cup, measuring, pouring, putting it away. A washing pod takes two seconds: grab, drop into drum, done. For a fast visit, pods are unbeatable.

3. Choose Quick Cycles for Lightly Soiled Items

Most Love Wash machines have a quick wash cycle (around 25–30 minutes) that’s perfectly effective for lightly soiled clothing. If your weekly load is mostly worn-once items rather than heavily soiled work gear, the quick cycle will do the job and shave 15 minutes off your wash time.

4. Load Multiple Machines Simultaneously

This is the core laundromat advantage. Load all your machines at once. Three loads washing simultaneously take the same time as one — not three times as long. If you’re separating into three loads, aim to have all three machines running within 5 minutes of arrival.

5. Be Ready to Move Immediately

Watch the time and be ready at the machines as they finish. The moment the wash cycle ends, transfer straight to dryers. Every minute you wait is a minute of dead time when nothing is running.

6. Load Dryers Correctly the First Time

Don’t overload dryers — underfilling is better than overfilling. Shake out items before loading to separate them (it speeds drying). Choose the right heat setting — high heat for towels and cotton, medium for mixed loads, low for delicates. Getting the drying right the first time saves you the frustration of running a second cycle for damp items.

7. Visit Off-Peak

If machines are available immediately when you arrive, you can start every load without waiting. Off-peak times (weekday mornings, early afternoons) mean no queuing for machines. During peak times, waiting for a machine can add 20–40 minutes to your visit.

The Goal

With pre-sorted laundry, pods, quick cycles for eligible loads, and simultaneous machine use, it’s entirely realistic to complete 2–3 loads washed and fully dried at Love Wash in 60–75 minutes. Many of our regulars have their routine down to exactly this — in, done, out, back to their day.