I don’t care what anybody says. Laundromats are a gold mine of story-telling fodder.
But before I lead you down into that mine of mine, I’ll start with a little background.
One of many “You Do You” facets of RV life is that some folks go for the in-coach washer and dryer, and others don’t.
Although we’ve got dedicated hookups for them in our bedroom closet, we opted against installing our own machines, and here’s why:
We didn’t want to sacrifice the storage space, weight allowance, or power & water usage, when we can do our laundry elsewhere — in a facility that someone else has to maintain and repair.
I’ve managed to wash and dry 2-3 loads, once a week, every week since we’ve been full-timing, and it’s really not a hardship. Sometimes, a nearby friend or relative generously offers up their laundry room for a welcome freebie, but I have to admit I’ve become spoiled by the convenience of getting it all done at a laundromat in less than 2 hours, thanks to having access to multiple washers and dryers instead of just one of each.
As for the money, well, I’m not that good at math, but I can guesstimate that at an average of about $6.50/week, it costs us about $338.00/year to do our laundry.
A new set of RV machines costs about $1200.00 (source: quick glance at a few options on a single major national RV retailer’s web site).
So after nearly 3.5 years of full-time RV living, we’ve now spent about as much on coin-op as we would have on our own washer and dryer, but…
I cannot deny the added value of all these stories.
Twenty True Tales from the Laundromat? Priceless.

I think he was fishing for an offer of assistance.
Well.
Some women get hit on for their looks. Not me. I reel in the boys who want someone who can fold their fitted sheets.
(January 2016, Port Hadlock WA)

It’s also the first time I’ve done laundry for one of my children in nearly a year.
I could have done without the additional aggravation. Hello, spellcheck?
(June 2016, Warren AFB WY)

Usually RV park laundry rooms are all like DON’T YOU DARE WASH YOUR PET BEDDING IN HERE, but this one dedicated a washer and dryer just for that.
Kinda wish I’d noticed it before I washed all our clothes in it, but I suppose there are worse things than coming away with a little hair of someone else’s dog.
(August 2016, Nellis AFB NV)

Wow.
(January 2017, Ehrenberg AZ)

So. Much. Love.
(March 2017, Norfolk VA)

Because that is good.
That is very, very good.
(July 2017, Saint Ignace MI)

Me: That depends. Did you bring me a tetanus shot? Actually, I think I might have cholera.
Yeah, this is a skeevy one.
Check out the professionally — and inaccurately — labeled dryers.
(August 2017, Ashland City TN)

(November 2017, Murfreesboro TN)

Been a long time since I’ve pulled a toddler sock out of a washing machine.
(January 2018, San Antonio TX)

I neglected to peek inside the multipack and check the two colors that were hiding behind the gray ones.
Which is how Tim now has almost as many pairs of pink panties in the wash as I do.
Which probably also explains why they were such a bargain.
(July 2018, somewhere in SD)

My fluff & fold just got a whole lot fluffier!
(October 2018, Lackland AFB TX)

He was not wrong, but uhhh, having my backside recognized by a stranger was a little disconcerting.
I turned, readying my “The hell?” look, which I had to camouflage quickly, because I noticed just in time that the gentleman was pointing to the hanging rack over my dryer. “You were wearing those pants!” he said.
Oh.
Oh yeah.
Heh.
I guess those blue leggings do indeed etch themselves on the retina.
(October 2018, Lackland AFB TX)

2021 Update
And here ya go: 25 More True Tales from the Laundromat
Author’s note: Nearly all of these posts came from my personal Facebook account. I don’t think it’s plagiarism if I copy & paste my own work, but I thought I’d better explain myself to those of you who are thinking, “Hmmmm. I’m pretty sure I’ve read this before…”
But wait. There’s more! Cleaner, brighter, fresher, and static-free, it’s the 2021 collection of 25 More True Tales from the Laundromat. No quarters required.