Little Bubbles Coin Wash

I walk the extra mile… well perhaps 0.6mile – to do my wash at Little Bubbles. Dan, proprietor extraordinaire, was a farmer way back when, and I’m always curious as to what he has growing in numerous pots. Masses of hydrangea, fuschia, lantern flower, etc., etc., etc. will magically appear. He won’t say where he propagates them, but it surely isn’t a commercial nursery (not that there’s anything wrong with commercial nurseries).

This is my favorite laundromat in North Beach. True, I have only tried one other, but when you find the right spot you stick to it!
There are several coin-​op spots on Grant but I checked the others nearby and this is pretty much cheaper or the same cost. The machines are not new, but the owners keep everything clean. The soap dispenser has been out of order for a bit but just bring your own detergent. The change machines always work when I need them. The owners are always polite and say hi, and make small talk if you want to chat or leave you alone if you’re not feeling social. They keep the place pretty with potted plants and offer plant cuttings to regulars. When I step out to smoke the woman offers me one of the chairs to sit.
I hate doing laundry as a rule, but this place is a nice, peaceful place to take care of it. I’ve seen other customers abusing the machines and trying to argue with the owners but the owners are always polite and professional about it. They are not pushy or bossy in the least, like some spoiled snowflakes have said in their reviews. Make this your spot!

One of the nicest laundry mats in the world. The people who own it are super nice and there are usually no problems. I’ve had numerous pleasant experiences doing my laundry here for about 10 years.

I love this place. The machines are priced at $ 6.25 for large machines and $ 2.75 for smaller. The driers are $ 0.25 for 5 minutes of drying. I can get a month’s worth of my own laundry done here with one of the big machines!

Laundromats in SF roundly suck. They’re tiny and cramped, they have old-​ass machines, there’s rarely a sink and never a bathroom, and despite all that they cost a ridiculous amount of money.
Under the circumstances, Little Bubbles is about as good as it gets. It’s at least clean, functional, in a quiet location not frequented by bums, and has a nice proprietor who is usually on hand and can break bigger bills for you. 2.75/load (only top loaders available), 6.25 for a front-​loading triple, 25 cents for 5 minutes of dry time, but the dryers are good and 20 – 30 minutes will do a load.

I love Little Bubbles.

With a name like Little Bubbles, how can you not be charmed? When I first moved into my North Beach digs, I was dreading having to wash clothes at a laundromat. The first few weeks I took my laundry to Little Bubbles. It’s usually pretty mellow and you have your pick of machines. To wash, you will need $ 2.75. The wash takes about 20 minutes. I like staying and waiting for my clothes. I use laundry time as my reading time. So far I read Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. The laundromat is relatively quite, save for the sound of the machines. For those that don’t like waiting for their clothes, you can go next door for wine and cheese and sandwiches or the other next door for a quick mani/​pedi.
To dry, you pay $ 0.25 for every five minutes. You have to take a bit of a gamble on this one. The dryers are very large. I usually wash two loads and dry everything in one load for 40 minutes. There is plenty of space to fold your clothes, although the walkways are a little narrow.
The owner comes by often to check on things but sometimes it’s a little too much and you start feeling a bit uncomfortable, at least if you’re awkward like me.
To be completely honest, I’ve been to the other laundromat across the street and I don’t know why people are hating so much on it and saying that Little Bubbles is way better. Little Bubbles is o.k., but that’s it.

I live down the street from Little Bubbles, and leave my laundry in the washer and dryer while I wait at home for it to be finished. It’s always clean inside, not packed usually. It’s a little spendy, but what laundromat isn’t these days?!

Little, YES, as in Little maintenance. Place is in shambles and has a bunch of flyies inside.
Washed clothes but decided to stop searching for working dryer after 2 machines gladly accepted my money without any out of order signage.

I’m putting Little Bubbles down a star because the washer’s have gone up a quarter (to 2.75.) I know this place is busy and I doubt Mr. Bubbles is hurting that much.

Still 4 stars, but a shout-​out to Dan for confronting the lady that claimed the $ 10 stuck in the change machine was hers. I sort of wrote it off as a cost of living in the city, but he got the money from the sheepish woman. Thanks Dan! I will next time stick around so no one tries to claim my change machine malfunction as their own.

This is a very nice little laundromat. It was clean, quiet and all the machines worked. The owner constantly went around and cleaned the machines when people were finished and says hello and goodbye to everyone.

A laundromat is a laundromat, right? Not really when it comes to Little Bubbles!
Having been spoiled with a weekly cleaning lady who would do my laundry and iron my clothes (in Rio), and then — oh, I have to do it myself! — my own laundry room when I moved to the US, the idea of leaving my place to do my laundry, insert coins in a machine, check if the machine is clean, stay there waiting for it to wash, etc, was unbearable to me! So much so that for the whole first year I lived in SF, I would pile up my laundry until I visited friends who had their own washer and dryer in the city, Santa Rosa or even LA. Yes, LA! That’s how much I hated doing my laundry in a laundromat. Until I found Little Bubbles.
Little Bubbles is three blocks away from my place. There is another laundromat a block away, and another one just across Little Bubbles. I, honestly, don’t know how they survive. They are dirty, creepy and totally different from Little Bubbles, which is clean, its machines always work, and the owner is always there to help with change, to keep everything fairly clean, and whatever else you need. He is really sweet and funny!
I think giving a 5 star is a stretch. It is a laundromat, after all. But, yes, I am a big fan of Little Bubbles and Dan (its owner), and he will have my business until I get my own washer and dryer again. Hopefully soon! Sigh :-)

Dan is very nice and often present, and the place is clean and well-​maintained, especially compared to the other laundromats in the neighborhood.
However, don’t EVER leave your laundry unattended here while it washes. I’ve had clothes stolen twice (once was from the washer, not even the dryer) when I stepped out of the laundromat for a few minutes.
I told Dan about it later and he looked a little surprised but didn’t say anything.
Three stars because it’s clean and the machines work, minus one star for each time I’ve had clothes stolen, and because the place is freezing with the door open in the winter while you sit monitoring your clothes to make sure they don’t get knicked.

What’s not to love? Super clean, attentive owner, lotss of washers, and big, efficient dryers. For as long as I live in NB, Little Bubbles will be my laundromat of choice!

I was liking Little Bubbles until I recently had my favorite-​perfect-​fitting-​workout pants stolen out of the washing machine. What sicko steals dirty gym clothes? I told the management about the theft (they informed me that this has never happened before) and said they would let me know if anything turned up. Though there are cameras, they didn’t seem interested watching them to find who did it. I know it isn’t their fault that my stuff was stolen, but launderers BE AWARE of the thieves at Little Bubbles. What is the world coming to?

Yea fine. I mean, it’s a laundromat. But it’s very clean, with lots of washers and dryers. The aisles are a little small to move those carts around in there when there are a bunch of people though. It can get a little crowded for sure.

Little Bubbles is the cleanest laundry mat in town! (: I’ll admit over the years the prices have increased dramatically, but in a reasonable way!
+: never got clothes stolen
+: Dan never closed his gates on me if my clothes were still in the dryer
+: machines always work!

I always go to Little Bubbles.
1) It’s clean
2) Coin machines always work
3) Not cruise-​y
And yes, the owner (Dan) is ALWAYS there in his backroom. Watching via security cameras.
Today, some little girl was being a nuisance and messing with all the machines and he came out and scolded her in Chinese and then berated the mother for being neglectful. Moral of the story: Annoying brats are not welcome at Little Bubbles. The man has won my business for life. Or until I buy a washer and dryer.

The tale of two Laundromats. Right there on Grant across the street from each other.
I was going to «north bleach coin wash.» I went there because someone told me it was cheaper than Little Bubbles (and cause they used to have Ms. Pacman). Well after all my clothes were in the wash (and I hadn’t done laundry in forever, of course) BOTH change machines broke and I was SOL.
I went to Mr. Bubbles and explained my plight (he really hates it when people use his two, always working machines for the meters and such). I told him I would move my clothes over and never ever go back across the street. I kept my word, but only after I heard his chuckling about how people always come over from the other place to get change, and he says, «if they have no change, why don’t you just do your laundry here!?» He’s so right.
I’ve always referred to him as Mr. Bubble, but he keeps the place really clean and the machines are always working. The change machines are always full, and Mr. Bubble is always there to help if your quarter gets eaten or you put soap in the wrong compartment. Open late (and early). It’s $ 2.00 for a top loading wash (across the street there are only 2 $ 2 machines).