Very few people enjoy doing laundry. It's a thankless and time-consuming task, plus there's always the risk of doing it wrong and damaging your clothing. Thankfully, laundry services in exist to take on this chore and make life a little easier, right?
However, there are so many laundry services out there it can be tough to figure out how to choose which is right for you. Firstly, you want a company that takes care of your clothes and extends their longevity, and you want a company that's convenient and fits into your busy schedule.
So, to help you out, we’ve put together some things to look out for when searching for the best laundry services in your area.
Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Laundry Service:
Reviews
Most people look up reviews of restaurants, hotels and even products before they commit to a purchase. You should do the same for laundry services.
Reviews can tell you a lot about a laundry service's reliability, trustworthiness and approach to customer service. However, don't automatically cross out a company from your list of best laundry services just because they have a few bad reviews. Check out how the company responds—are they respectful to the reviewer? Do they offer solutions? Or are they defensive and angry?
Keep an eye out for fake reviews too. According to research by BrightLocal, 74 percent of consumers have read one in the last year. Unfortunately, they're not always easy to identify. Some red flags to look out for though, are:
Reviews that contain oddly emotional language, such as "this is the best laundry ever, and I love them so, so much!"
The reviewer has not reviewed any other business
Poor grammar and misspellings of common words
Generic review titles such as "nice service"
Some laundry services showcase select laundry reviews on their website. However, these have already been cherry-picked by the owner, so the readers will only see the positives about their business. To get more balanced reviews, you should also check out the laundry service on other review platforms, such as Yelp, Google and Facebook.
Hours
Some laundry services are open 24 hours, others provide overnight service while others are open only during office hours. If, like most people, you lead a busy life, you should choose a laundry service that offers services that align with your schedule.
Apart from hours of operation, you should also look into their flexibility and dependability. A reliable laundry service is one that commits to a deadline. If they tell you that your laundry will be delivered by 2 PM, you can count on it to be dropped off on time.
Turnaround Time
Laundry services have turnaround times ranging from one day to two weeks. Choose the one that's most convenient for you. Ideally, the laundry service you choose should have options to offer you in case you need a particular piece of clothing cleaned right away.
For instance, you have a job interview coming up, and you need your lucky dress or suit washed and pressed within the day. The best laundry services will be able to make that happen. However, keep in mind that requests like this entail extra work for the laundry workers, so expect to be charged an additional fee.
Pickup and Delivery
If you don't have time to do the laundry, you probably don't have time to go to the laundry service's location to drop off your hampers or bags and then come back to pick them up. Not only is it time-consuming, it's also a waste of gas and energy.
Many laundry services offer pickup and delivery, but only the best laundry services do it for free. The best laundry delivery service can even arrange to pick up your laundry while you're out. For instance, if you’re a Laundry Care customer, you just leave the laundry bag in a safe spot outside your door or on your porch, and we'll take care of the rest.
Detergents They Use
The detergents, bleach, fabric softeners and other chemicals a laundry uses have a significant impact on your clothes' appearance and longevity. Too harsh, and your favorite shirt or dress might end up damaged or discolored. Too gentle, and it might not be cleaned thoroughly. Some people also have allergies to certain chemicals, so that's another consideration.
A good laundry service uses high-quality products, and their staff has the expertise to know which ones to use on different types of fabrics. The best laundry services will accept special requests. For instance, if fabric softener makes you break out in a rash, a good laundry service will use a hypoallergenic alternative.
Damage and Loss Policy
A reputable laundry service will have a policy for cases where clothing becomes damaged or lost. You may usually find details of a laundry service's damage and loss policy in your contract.
While a good laundry service will reimburse you for a broken zipper, a missing button or other damage resulting from cleaning, the best laundry service is proactive. They will let you know if one or more of the items in your order are already damaged.
Additionally, they will tell you if they have issues with the weakness of the fabric or its colorfastness before loading your clothes in the washer. This helps prevent future heartbreak over a favorite dress ripped in the dryer or a pair of shorts bleeding all over an entire load.
Price
Another important consideration is price. The best thing to do to make sure you're getting the best deal is to compare the prices of laundry services in your area.
However, the cheapest places might not always provide good service. Conversely, just because a laundry service's rates are expensive doesn't necessarily mean it's great. That's why you should also look at other factors, such as reviews and turnaround times, before making a choice.
It also helps to consider that some places charge per bag while others charge per pound. The former is a good option if you regularly need to get a lot of laundry done, as you'll save more money.
Entrust Your Clothes to a Trusted and Reliable Laundry Service
Laundry Care provides wash-fold services to residential and commercial customers in locations across the country. We offer free pickup and delivery, a fast turnaround and customized service—just tell us your requirements, and we'll make sure they're met. Contact us today at 800-429-4332 to learn more.
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