Preston Suds Laundromat

Costs an unrefundable 50 cents for a laundry card, but there is an attendant to help one figure out how to work the machines. No paper towels to dry hands on in the bathroom, but hey. there is a bathroom! And it’s clean.

I haven’t been to a laundromat in YEEEEEARS and the ones I went to were seedy and dirty. Like clutch your pearls and stand in front of your machine until it’s done… Anyway, I had some fabric that was stored in my 90 year old grandmother’s basement that I just didn’t want to wash at home. Thought it’d be best not to take the years of dust and whatnot into my house.
First things first. I am not from the area so I almost drove past it. Keep an eye out for the low sign as the building is set back far from the street. The space was nice and bright when I walked in. After talking to the attendant, she guided me to the best size machine for my wash and where to load my detergent (like I said, it’s been years. I wanted to do it right the first and only time).
I would have preferred an actual chair to sit in while I waited, not a stool. I only sat on it for a moment then left and returned for my items. There was a sign for free wi-​fi but I didn’t stay long enough to see if it actually worked. Overall, the attendant was pleasant; the space was clean; the machines appeared new and in good working order; my clothes came out clean and fresh. No complaints and I will choose this laundromat if every I need to in the future.

This was an all-​around awful experience; I will never be back. Read on for details! Or, if you’re in a hurry: RUDE staff, clothes not dried properly, things folded inside-​out. Move on.
I’ll start with the one positive: best hours in town. A lot of Charlottesville businesses are closed on Sundays. Preston Suds is open 7am-​10pm every day, so it doesn’t get much better than that.
Next, the neutral: I cannot comment on the self-​done laundry (cost, machine quality, ect) as I only use the wash-​and-​fold service.
The terrible: From the moment I walked in I did not feel welcome. When I couldn’t understand the accent of one worker (not foreign), she repeated her statement louder and sharper, looking more and more annoyed. When I asked if they folded shirts and pants OR put them on hangers, she answered: «Of course we do! We’re professionals!» I re-​explained that I only asked because I preferred my things folded.
When I came back in later that evening to ask how long it would take (they had neglected to give me a pick-​up date), she said that my things were done, but «They were NASTY» and I should have warned her. All that was in one of the bags was the blanket from my dog’s crate — maybe a little doggie-​smelling and hairy, but nothing more. I paid ($ 29 for two very full bags) and got out of there.
When I got home to unpack, I discovered that nobody should be paying this lady to fold clothes, period. Two of my sweaters were folded inside-​out. My bras were crushed at the bottom of the bag. A pair of jeans and a heavier sweater were still clearly damp to the touch, and hadn’t been given the amount of time to dry that they needed. The sports bras were not folded at all, and everything had been shoved back in the bag as it was folded with no care to stack things in size or categories, or even so that they would be less likely to move around and come unfolded during transport. If *I* can fold clothes better than you, you shouldn’t be doing it professionally.
Before this I have only used Sunshine Laundry on Greenbriar (right off of 29). I guess I just thought their service was typical. Compared to this place it is EXCEPTIONAL. Almost exactly the same price, with the same turnaround time, and your clothes will be folded neater than a fancy department store, and obviously they will be DRY and oh, you know, NOT INSIDE OUT. Everything is sorted logically: larger or bulky items at the bottom of the bag, working up to underthings on the top. Every shirt is folded to the same size so they stack neatly. And these ladies are SO nice. Their faces literally light up when they see you.
Just stay away from Preston Suds, and treat yourself to the Sunshine ladies. I’m going to have to apologize profusely for going somewhere else after this experience!

I know it’s just a laundromat, but the lady who helped me was nice, plus the facility was clean and the prices were fair, so I thought I’d leave a positive review. It’s a nice place. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is that there aren’t many comfortable places to sit while you wait (as compared to Sunshine Laundromat on Greenbrier Drive, which has a modest little café attached to the laundry facility where you can sit at a table and read while you wait). One little quirk about Preston Suds is that the machines don’t accept coins or tokens — you pay $ 0.50 to load money onto a card, and then you swipe the card. To give you an idea, I put $ 5 in the dispenser and received a card with $ 4.50 on it, which covered my wash and dry cycles, and I still had a small balance left on my card (I used the smallest size washing machines they had). All in all, if you’re looking for a laundromat, I’d recommend this place.

Wonderful helpful lady, Teresa, helped me out. Very sweet. Highly reccomend. No coins needed.