New to the laundromat scene? You might be wondering what supplies you need to wash your clothes or linens. You can take a trip down to the store to determine that yourself or you can pack the essentials and cover your bases.

Laundry Bags for Transporting Your Dirty and Clean Laundry

For carrying laundry to and from home, you need bags. We recommend sorting your clothes beforehand, keeping your loads separate. You can use mesh for breathability or find something less see-through for privacy.

While sorting your clothes, inspect each for stains and imperfections. Rather than bringing treatment to the laundromat, apply it at home. Doing so gives it more time to settle and take effect, too.

Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener and/or Dryer Sheets

Most laundromats provide vending-machine detergent. Some even supply you with detergent for free. Nevertheless, you may wish to bring your own because of preferences or allergies.

Jugs of detergent and softener can be cumbersome, so invest in travel-sized containers. Alternatively, buy pods and throw them into your laundry bags to save space. You can do the same with dryer sheets.

A Pocket Full of Coins or a Refillable Cash Card

Many washers and dryers take coins—quarters, loonies or toonies. Sometimes, you can break bills at the laundromat if necessary. Nowadays, many stores are introducing loyalty card programs, where you can swipe to pay for your services.

Determine how you must pay at the laundromat, then set aside enough money for a load or two extra. If the detergent did not rinse or the clothes did not dry, you’ll thank yourself for bringing more money.

Disinfectant Wipes and Hand Sanitizer

Touching your own dirty laundry might warrant a hand washing. Touching surfaces where other people’s laundry sat most definitely gives cause for a cleaning. Bring with you a means to wash yourself and the surfaces around the machines. Although most services do keep tidy, you never know who used the equipment before you.

A Book, Magazine or Errand List

Each laundry cycle takes half hour to an hour to complete. That means you’ll have time to kill—so bring something to read. Alternatively, if the laundromat neighbours any stores, bring a shopping list. Getting all your errands done simultaneously is a great way to maximize your productivity.