In Singapore, multiple family members all commune in one living space, so many times it is easier and more cost effective to outsource certain regular chores that American’s might consider if we have larger families too. I know from experience; I have a 2700 sqft. home, and I have no desire to ever have to clean it by myself, wash the windows, or do the lawn. If I could find a decent laundry mat, I probably would consider having someone take care of that for me too. In Singapore, having a laundry service is as common as ordering pizza here and for many good reasons. Having looked into Singapore laundry services, I’ve found several different pro’s and cons to the idea.
Pros
· Affordable: To have the laundry done for you is actually a lot less than doing it for oneself. When you take into consideration the cost of a machine, water, detergent and energy needed to clean clothes for a large family, it is far more economical to send the laundry out to be serviced. Your children will be forever grateful for one less chore that needs to be done, and there will be momentary harmony in the house.
· Convenient: When there is always something more pressing to do, you don’t have time to stop and do the laundry. Therefore, a laundry service is ideal. Letting someone else handle one less stress in your life is the perfect solution. Think about the two days’ worth of laundry every week you will be able to avoid by having a laundry service. That’s two days of shopping, two days at the beach, two days at the gym, two days anywhere else but doing laundry. Sounds pretty terrific.
· Speed- Fortunately, turnaround time is not very long to wait on getting one’s laundry returned to them. At the very latest 48-72 hours. Ad you can always make a special request if needed earlier. I also like many mothers of teenagers have enough clothes as do my teens, to go two days without missing any one outfit. My children and I can suffer two whole days for the convenience of having our laundry done that fast. I don’t believe I’ve ever had the laundry finished in two days.
· Warranty- Everyone know that the dryer eats socks, it doesn’t matter where you live, the dryer monster finds a way to find patching pair of socks and eat just one. With Laundry services, they give a warranty upon damaged or lost clothes. I know my Dryer Panty and Sock Eater comes with no such warranty. I spend a month’s salary every year on funky knee-high socks for my daughter alone because that’s her favorite trend. Socks! The one thing the dryer is bound to eat.
· Cleaner- If you are unfamiliar with cloth material or are a rookie at doing laundry, your best bet is to have a laundry service do it for you. They are masters at getting stains out without damaging the fabric. I have always used house hold cleaners, so I am fairly confident in getting stains out especially when it comes to having kids, but some kid’s stains, I don’t even ask what they are, and I send them to the cleaners.
For every good reason for using a laundry service we could probably find a negative reason or a con. However, I feel like the cons are stretching it just for argumentative sake, and playing Devil’s advocate. None of them are strong enough for me to change my mind, but I will list the for you anyway. Perhaps, the will resin with you more deeply.
Cons
· Preference- Certain detergents and fabric softeners can cause allergies, or you may not like the smell or brand being used. It’s not unheard-of laundry services to have used fabric softener to mask the odor of the “not clean: clothes.
· Hygiene – Some companies will try to fill a load to capacity. If your laundry load is not up to capacity, then it could get mixed in with other people’s garments. Their under clothing could be tossed around with your clothes.
· Quality of wash – If you are doing your own washing, you know the quality of your laundry. You are able to separate dark from lights, heavily soiled from lightly soiled, heavy wash from light wash. You can determine how much detergent and energy to use per load. Last, find out what type of detergent the service is using, how many rinses they do, and again make sure they don’t wash your clothes with others.
· Brands of Detergents – This would drive me to say NO, immediately if my detergent wasn’t on the list. I must have my mountain breeze Gain, or a Fresh ocean scent or cotton. Anything floral or sweet does not belong on my clothing, neither does baby smell.
· Lost items – It’s also one thing for the dryer monster to eat socks and panties in your own home, but to lose them in public is just plain embarrassing. It’s not like you can claim them either. If the laundry lady yells out loud, “Who’s polka dot purple panties are these?” are you really going to claim them in from of everyone in the store front? No, I think not.
Whether from Singapore or across the seas, a commonality is found in the distaste for doing laundry, it’s a heinous chore that everyone hates, but must be done. Fortunately, the Singapore people have found the right idea. Laundry Services are popping up all over, as well as other out sourcing companies. With so much hustle and bustle, people are trying their best to conserve time and use it to its fullest capabilities and not waste it on such trivial matters such as laundry.