More Than Dirty Laundry

You never really think much about most spaces you dwell in. Some of them are places you visit frequently. Sure, you probably walked in the first time and assessed the place by answering the usual self questions; "is it clean?", "Is it safe?", "Where are all the vital tools I need that this place offers?", "how do I use these tools efficiently so I can leave and get on with rest of my routine?". I never analyze a space much more than this nor did I ever have to analyze a space for an essay before. Since I was on my way to do some of my dirty laundry, I figured, why not analyze a Laundromat? A Laundromat has a lot of elements to offer for a good analysis. It has environment, machines, and people all in one place.I chose one in West Allis, Wisconsin on 87th and National Ave. Although, anyone who has been to a Laundromat could probably agree they are all similar. Let me show you some examples.

When walking into a Laundromat the first thing you will see is the environment. The floors, ceilings, walls, machines, how busy it is and where do you get the soap and change, if necessary. When I first walked into this particular one I noticed it didn't look clean. There were scuffs on an already dull floor. The benches to sit in are worn and have several gouges in the finished surface. The folding tables are also worn. It has a soap box dispenser on the wall titled "Soap Center" and the walls were unprofessionally painted in an attempt to spruce up the place . Sometimes these places make me feel Laundromats make me feel exposed and ashamed. After all, some of the people in here might get a chance to see your undies.

Next, you'll notice the machines.The washers and dryers were a bit new, although the back area has some older industrial sized washers and some very new large load dryers. These are pretty much the reason I came here, although I am not in favor of the decorum. I do like the fact I can wash and dry bigger items like pillows and comforters that I can't wash at home.Another thing I noticed about all of these machines is they still take coin. There is no option for dollar bills or credit/debit cards on any of the machines. It's almost as if there have not been any technological advances since1934, when C.A. Tannhil opened the first Laundromat in Fort Worth, Texas. Back then it was called a "Washateria."

Finally you'll notice the people. One thing for certain is that Laundromats do not discriminate. You can run into people from all different races, religion, social culture, gender, sexual lifestyle, and age. I met an Italian man who kept trying to talk to me. I engaged in conversation with him out of politeness because I was trying to use this time for analyzing and studying. We all seemed to be dressed a little sloppy to do laundry. I find it strange that a majority of us do this. Like it is a right to dress down a notch from our usual casual appearance.

Even though going to a Laundromat that has a mildly unclean look to its environment, technologically un-advanced coin operation, and people who are dressed sloppy, I still had an interesting time. This is the first time I really got to look at my surroundings in a very analogical way. It's almost as if my eyes are open for the first time and I got to see that Laundromats are more than dirty laundry.