When it comes to simplifying your life in the city, few things are as convenient as professional wash-and-fold services. But before you toss your week’s worth of laundry into a bag and dash off to your local laundromat, it’s important to understand the basics of drop-off laundry etiquette. At United Laundré, we want your experience to be seamless, so a little preparation on your end goes a long way toward getting the results you expect.
Here’s everything you should know to ensure your laundry gets the care it deserves and is returned looking and smelling amazing.
Sort Your Items Ahead of Time
We’re happy to take care of sorting if that’s what you prefer, but if you have special requests or preferences, it helps to pre-sort your laundry at home. Light and dark clothing, delicate fabrics, and heavy linens, as well as items requiring special attention, should be separated to avoid mishaps or confusion.
Doing so ensures your clothes are treated correctly from the start and minimizes the chance of color bleeding, fabric damage, or shrinkage. If you want specific instructions followed, like cold water washing or air drying, placing those items in a separate, clearly marked bag is the best approach.
Check Pockets and Remove Extras
Before handing over your laundry, take a moment to empty all pockets. Forgotten items like pens, coins, gum, or tissues can damage your garments and others in the load. These small oversights can result in ink stains, sticky residue, or lint all over your clean clothes.
Also, remove accessories like belts, detachable hoods, or decorative pins. These items can become damaged during the wash or may cause wear and tear to the surrounding fabric. It’s a small step that can save a lot of trouble later.
Make Your Preferences Clear
Communication is a crucial part of laundry etiquette. If you have specific detergent sensitivities, a favorite scent, or prefer unscented options, let us know. At United Laundré, our Premium Wash & Fold service includes your choice of detergent, fabric softener, stain treatment, and even scent infusions.
Clear instructions help us tailor the service to your needs. You can also make requests about folding preferences, hang-drying certain items, or treating specific stains. Just include a note with your drop-off bag or use our online scheduling system to input your preferences in advance.
Identify Problem Areas and Stains
Found a red wine stain from the weekend or makeup on your blouse collar? Mark it for us. Stains are best treated when they’re fresh, but even if you’ve had the item for a few days, letting us know what caused the stain increases the chance of successful removal.
You can place stained items in a separate bag or use a sticky note or masking tape (avoid anything that could transfer glue or ink) to point out the area. We have professional techniques and high-quality stain fighters available, but we need to know where to look.
Don’t Overstuff the Bag
It’s tempting to cram in as many clothes as possible when you’re short on time. But overstuffing your laundry bag can result in wrinkles, compressed fabrics, and potential damage to zippers or seams. Your clothes need room to breathe.
If your bag is bursting at the seams, consider dividing your laundry into two bags. This makes the clothes easier to handle and helps ensure a higher-quality clean. We treat every order with care, but giving your clothes some space allows us to do the job right.
Separate Out Dry Cleaning
Dry cleaning requires an entirely different process from regular wash and fold services. Items like wool coats, silk blouses, or structured garments with lining should not be mixed in with your everyday laundry. Be sure to separate anything that needs professional dry cleaning and label it clearly.
If you’re unsure whether an item should be washed in regular laundry or dry cleaning, check the care tag. When in doubt, ask us. We’re happy to advise so you don’t risk damaging a delicate or specialty garment.
Label Your Bag and Secure It Properly
It might sound basic, but clearly labeling your laundry bag with your name and contact information helps avoid any confusion, especially if you’re dropping it off during busy hours. If you’re a repeat customer, it ensures your preferences and profile are quickly matched to the correct items.
Also, make sure your laundry bag is securely tied or zipped shut. Loose clothes can easily fall out in transit or at the counter, risking mix-ups or damage. A closed bag keeps everything neat and secure, just like you expect your laundry to return.
What Not to Include
Avoid putting items like shoes, backpacks, toys, or rugs in your laundry bag. These items often require special handling and may damage standard washing machines. The same goes for anything with sharp metal parts or heavy embellishments.
If you’re unsure whether we can clean something, it’s always best to ask in advance. We offer a full range of laundry services in NYC, but not all items are suited for our standard wash and fold process.
Treat It Like a Team Effort
Great results start with great communication. Think of your laundry drop-off like a collaborative process. You provide clean instructions and take a few minutes to prep your items, and we handle the rest with professional care and efficiency.
Our team takes pride in treating each order as if it were our own. That means we follow your instructions, use high-quality products, and always keep your clothes separate from those of other customers. No mixing means no mix-ups, ever.
Seamless Service Starts with Smart Prep
At United Laundré, we believe doing laundry shouldn’t interrupt your life. We’ve built our NYC-based service to be convenient, quick, and hassle-free. When you take a few moments to follow simple drop-off laundry etiquette, it helps us deliver exactly what you need: clean, fresh, expertly folded clothes ready for the week ahead.
Whether you’re a first-time customer or a long-time regular, our team is here to make your laundry experience smooth from start to finish. Ready to try us out? We deliver anywhere in NYC with a one-hour delivery window, and new customers receive 20% off their first order. Let us take care of your clothes, so you can focus on living in them.