Self service laundry

[JUSRN]

Is it free or should I bring coins for the washer and dryer?

And is detergent available??

[DukeBeetle24]

9 minutes ago, JUSRN said:

Is it free or should I bring coins for the washer and dryer?

And is detergent available??

It is free, and laundry sheets are provided.

[Jules.]

1 hour ago, DukeBeetle24 said:

It is free, and laundry sheets are provided.

I had great fun doing a wash last Wednesday on QM2! I used the laundrette around 4pm on deck 10 (less cabins there) and did not have to wait for a machine. Whilst the washer was doings its thing we went and sat a couple of decks down in the library, enjoying the very pleasant view of Olden.  Each wash programme tells you how long it takes, however washing machine minutes are not quite like normal minutes and the final two minutes felt like twenty minutes as we waited for the cycle to finish. I brought a net laundry washing bag with me from home to put in “delicates” and also in the bag I put one of those colour run sheets so that could wash my whites at the same time. The dryers were fine, I used the cooler setting. Whilst drying I went back to the cabin and got ready for the evening. Whatever could not be tumbled I hung on the wardrobe handles using the wooden hangers, used the shower line and also the hooks on the bathroom door. If I had one criticism of the cabin it was that there were no dedicated hooks for outdoor coats. 
 

If you do use the laundrettes please could you let me know what the brand of washing soap sheets are? I want to start using them at home. Thanks! 

[Judyrem]

2 hours ago, Jules. said:

I had great fun doing a wash last Wednesday on QM2! I used the laundrette around 4pm on deck 10 (less cabins there) and did not have to wait for a machine. Whilst the washer was doings its thing we went and sat a couple of decks down in the library, enjoying the very pleasant view of Olden.  Each wash programme tells you how long it takes, however washing machine minutes are not quite like normal minutes and the final two minutes felt like twenty minutes as we waited for the cycle to finish. I brought a net laundry washing bag with me from home to put in “delicates” and also in the bag I put one of those colour run sheets so that could wash my whites at the same time. The dryers were fine, I used the cooler setting. Whilst drying I went back to the cabin and got ready for the evening. Whatever could not be tumbled I hung on the wardrobe handles using the wooden hangers, used the shower line and also the hooks on the bathroom door. If I had one criticism of the cabin it was that there were no dedicated hooks for outdoor coats. 
 

If you do use the laundrettes please could you let me know what the brand of washing soap sheets are? I want to start using them at home. Thanks! 

Lazy Coconuts on Amazon.  They work great and I take them on every trip, and they are also good for hand washing in the sink.

[Pushpit]

8 minutes ago, Judyrem said:

Lazy Coconuts on Amazon.  They work great and I take them on every trip, and they are also good for hand washing in the sink.

I think there is a note up on Cunard ships to the effect that they prefer people to use their supplied brand, which is presumably why it's free of charge. It's something to do with environmental factors with waste water, which has to be stored onboard for some time. Microplastics do bad things to grease over time.

 

On QE, QV and QM2 it is this brand:

 

 

 

And on QA it's just a left in a stack, I guess it's the same thing:

 

 

 

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

We regard the launderettes as a real advantage, especially for the one of us (me!) who does all laundry at home so he does it all on board. It is delightful to be able to pack less and forget washing (again, for me) for a while.

[Judyrem]

1 hour ago, Pushpit said:

I think there is a note up on Cunard ships to the effect that they prefer people to use their supplied brand, which is presumably why it's free of charge. It's something to do with environmental factors with waste water, which has to be stored onboard for some time. Microplastics do bad things to grease over time.

 

On QE, QV and QM2 it is this brand:

 

 

 

And on QA it's just a left in a stack, I guess it's the same thing:

 

They look good and I will use them but mine are better and are eco friendly 😉🤪too!

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 hours ago, Pushpit said:

I think there is a note up on Cunard ships to the effect that they prefer people to use their supplied brand, which is presumably why it's free of charge. It's something to do with environmental factors with waste water, which has to be stored onboard for some time. Microplastics do bad things to grease over time.

 

On QE, QV and QM2 it is this brand:

 

 

 

And on QA it's just a left in a stack, I guess it's the same thing:

 

 

 

It's the same brand on QA. When I was on, they started by setting out boxes, but people were using the soap so quickly that they resorted to putting out a large stack. Because I was traveling alone, my wash loads were on the small side, so I used only half of a sheet. I didn't like seeing how much suds a whole sheet produced.

 

On QE last week, they were still using powder. I don't know what brand it is.

 

[King Amo]

You earn something new every day. I've never even seen laundry soap sheets. Didn't realise it was a thing. They used to advertise sheets for tumble dryers many years ago, which I just assumed were like perfumed j-cloths, but dissolvable soap sheets seems like a very good idea if they work.

[exlondoner]

4 minutes ago, King Amo said:

You earn something new every day. I've never even seen laundry soap sheets. Didn't realise it was a thing. They used to advertise sheets for tumble dryers many years ago, which I just assumed were like perfumed j-cloths, but dissolvable soap sheets seems like a very good idea if they work.

No, I’d never heard of them either. I lead a very sheltered life.

[Victoria2]

I use them when washing delicate woollens in the machine. I’m probably a victim of overselling by the store which sells the products but, I’m a sucker for kerping woollens looking brand new so, I buy, I use. 🙂

[Pushpit]

6 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 Because I was traveling alone, my wash loads were on the small side, so I used only half of a sheet. I didn't like seeing how much suds a whole sheet produced.

 

A soap sud is somewhere between a spare soap molecule that hasn't attached to grease, fat, sugar, protein - and a marketing tool for Unilever and Co. At the start of the wash it's fine to have lots of suds, but if they are still around at the half way point, then you're right, it's too much soap which does more harm than good.

 

Note that the instructions indicate the sheet should go in first, then the clothes - I bet most people do it the other way around. The water comes from the drum mechanism so having the sheet on the drum helps it to dissolve fast, and you want that, rather than dissolving slowly and inconsistently in the middle of clothes. It's so counter intuitive that I usually forget that too, and I'm supposed to be a scientist so I've got no excuse.

[tacticalbanjo]

14 minutes ago, Pushpit said:

Note that the instructions indicate the sheet should go in first, then the clothes - I bet most people do it the other way around. The water comes from the drum mechanism so having the sheet on the drum helps it to dissolve fast, and you want that, rather than dissolving slowly and inconsistently in the middle of clothes. It's so counter intuitive that I usually forget that too, and I'm supposed to be a scientist so I've got no excuse.

I think the natural way is to throw your laundry in to claim your machine in the dog eat dog world that is the laundry room then turn round to get the detergent. By the time you've read the instructions its too late.

 

2 hours ago, King Amo said:

You earn something new every day. I've never even seen laundry soap sheets. Didn't realise it was a thing. They used to advertise sheets for tumble dryers many years ago, which I just assumed were like perfumed j-cloths, but dissolvable soap sheets seems like a very good idea if they work.

The detergent itself works really well and dissolves just fine even if you have to use two sheets to get rid of toddler eating stains.

[Clewgarnet]

7 minutes ago, tacticalbanjo said:

I think the natural way is to throw your laundry in to claim your machine in the dog eat dog world that is the laundry room then turn round to get the detergent. By the time you've read the instructions its too late.

 

The detergent itself works really well and dissolves just fine even if you have to use two sheets to get rid of toddler eating stains.

 

I read that as 'stains that eat toddlers' and thought, yup, that sounds like something a toddler would be scared of!

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 hours ago, tacticalbanjo said:

I think the natural way is to throw your laundry in to claim your machine in the dog eat dog world that is the laundry room then turn round to get the detergent. By the time you've read the instructions its too late.

 

 

You're right, gotta grab that machine while you can. I hate the dilemma of removing someone else's laundry. I don't like to do that, and don't like having someone move my stuff. How long do you wait? Is it like college where if the professor doesn't show up after 10 minutes, you can leave?

 

I was impressed by the young man who had an amazing sense of timing. I was waiting for a machine when he walked in about 30 seconds before his machine stopped. He loaded the dryer, set his watch (aha! that's how he did it), and left. 

 

I don't think it matters much if you put the soap sheet on top of the clothes. When the machine tumbles, the sheet will be next to the drum part of the time.

[Victoria2]

and if all fails, there’s the ship's laundry, which is what I went with yesterday. Couldn’t be bothered trying to guess when a machine would be empty.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

5 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

You're right, gotta grab that machine while you can. I hate the dilemma of removing someone else's laundry. I don't like to do that, and don't like having someone move my stuff. How long do you wait? Is it like college where if the professor doesn't show up after 10 minutes, you can leave?

 

I was impressed by the young man who had an amazing sense of timing. I was waiting for a machine when he walked in about 30 seconds before his machine stopped. He loaded the dryer, set his watch (aha! that's how he did it), and left. 

 

I don't think it matters much if you put the soap sheet on top of the clothes. When the machine tumbles, the sheet will be next to the drum part of the time.

When my husband does ours, he sets the timer on his phone. But he’s also excellent at striking up good conversations, so that makes it all more enjoyable.

[david63]

Could someone explain this concept of a "self service laundry" please? 😕

 

Is this the latest money making "experience" where you go down into the bowels of the ship to work alongside the crew?😑

 

The only laundry that I am aware of is one where you put your dirty clothes in a bag which is taken away and then the clothes are returned later all clean and ironed on hangers?😇

 

Have I been missing something all these years❓

[exlondoner]

1 minute ago, david63 said:

Could someone explain this concept of a "self service laundry" please? 😕

 

Is this the latest money making "experience" where you go down into the bowels of the ship to work alongside the crew?😑

 

The only laundry that I am aware of is one where you put your dirty clothes in a bag which is taken away and then the clothes are returned later all clean and ironed on hangers?😇

 

Have I been missing something all these years❓

You have, as have I. But some people have items they don’t trust to the laundry and wish to wash themselves.

[Victoria2]

12 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

You have, as have I. But some people have items they don’t trust to the laundry and wish to wash themselves.

For us, it’s polo shirts.

Having had expensive shirts ruined by over zealous pressing of the collars years ago, not Cunard I must add, we won’t chance them to the ship’s laundry.

 

Any delicate clothes get washed at home as the passengers' laundry, whilst a great provision, understandably has robust  machines which don’t have delicate enough cycles.

[NE John]

Our cabin was right across the hallway from the launderette on QE and found it very convenient. And no extra noise. 

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

4 minutes ago, NE John said:

Our cabin was right across the hallway from the launderette on QE and found it very convenient. And no extra noise. 

Same with us on QM2. We’ve also been directly across from a crew dour and found it no problem, FWIW.

[*Miss G*]

On 7/25/2024 at 5:19 AM, Pushpit said:

I'm supposed to be a scientist

 

I’m supposed to be a billionaire philanthropist but the memo got misplaced. 🤨

 

 

On 7/25/2024 at 10:34 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

You're right, gotta grab that machine while you can

 

I neglected to do that and someone scooted in and took BOTH AVAILABLE MACHINES!!! All while I was reading “The Rulez”, which said one machine per person. NOT happy. 😠

 

This was way-back-when on the QV. Haven’t done my own laundry since. lol 

[Victoria2]

Well I just popped my head in as I walked back to the cabin this afternoon and two spare washing machines with empty dryers too.

 

Wow.

 

I now have less to do on Monday!