Washing machines at supermarkets

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beingachicken

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A few washing machines have appeared at my local supermarket, one of which is huge and £8 per use.
Of course I’m thinking how much I can save here on rug cleaning....
how does it work? Do they lock so that only the user can empty when finished? (Is that a thick q!)
Is it the done thing to put horse rugs in? (Who’s going to monitor such things?)
 
I have used one when my washing machine died and I was waiting for a new one. You need to hang around nearby to retrieve your washing because once it finishes the wash, anyone can open it!

Would I use one for rug washing? No because most of the people using them.are doing so because they have no other choice. It's not fair to ruin the washing of the next person who may struggle to afford the cost of the wash in the first place.
 
You couldn't clean a turnout - the waterproofing would be removed if there is soap in the machine and as it isn't yours you can't run it empty to clear it. But you can wash fleeces and sheets. You could use a wash bag to minimize the mess. Whether or not you feel it is morally or socially acceptable is your choice I guess.

And to be honest - why not wash your fleeces etc in your own machine?
 
Not supermarkets but launderettes near yards, some allow you to wash rugs, some have signs up saying no horse rugs.

I've taken rugs to my local launderette that are too big for my home machine - they have machines that take up to 12kg. It's very urban where I live so they wouldn't think horses. It was stable rugs which are smooth/nylon so no hair but some poo on them. I do small stuff at home and it's saddlecloths that are the worst for hair.

I've used this launderette a few times for big stuff like duvets and when my machine broke down and not sure my horse stuff is any worse than other things that go in. Chatting to someone who had brought soiled sheets in from a elderly relative who was incontinent. However the big machine is expensive and i have to use the dryer (20p per minutes) as I live in a flat so not much more to use a rug cleaning service.

It's quite trusting with stuff as I've often gone off and done some shopping and come back. If you're too long the attendant will take your stuff out and put it in a basket if someone needs to use it or they want to do a service wash.
 
I now feel bad for even considering it. I really didn’t think!
A friend was saying to me only yesterday about how someone we consider minted had no idea, ( they live on a multi million pound farm and were moaning about being broke!) and I commented that a lot of people would think the same of us, wondering how we’d scrape together our next shoeing money!
A lot of families struggle for food or clothes. I feel ashamed 😳
 
beingachicken said:
I now feel bad for even considering it. I really didn’t think!
A friend was saying to me only yesterday about how someone we consider minted had no idea, ( they live on a multi million pound farm and were moaning about being broke!) and I commented that a lot of people would think the same of us, wondering how we’d scrape together our next shoeing money!
A lot of families struggle for food or clothes. I feel ashamed 😳
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There is a local launderette which allows people to wash horse rugs but they have specially idnetified machines and it is a very horsey area.

I saw 3 machines outside a Morrisons recently but thought it was rather odd, they have an undercover carpark but the washing machines were outside in the rain!
 
When I had to use the launderette for general clothing while my washing machine was out of action, I rarely came back with change out of £10 and that's just a week's washing for me. God knows how people really struggling manage as that would be a huge chunk out of benefits and where I live isn't a rich area.
 
I’ve used the ones at petrol stations before, you are allowed to use pet/animal items at it sanitises and disinfects(don’t ask how). I didn’t find them particularly tremendously washed, but they were freshened up. I think I put in a fleece and a few numnahs. Maybe take an old cloth with you to wipe down any hairs! I’ve since bought a wash bag so everything goes in the house machine.
 
beingachicken said:
I now feel bad for even considering it. I really didn’t think!
A friend was saying to me only yesterday about how someone we consider minted had no idea, ( they live on a multi million pound farm and were moaning about being broke!) and I commented that a lot of people would think the same of us, wondering how we’d scrape together our next shoeing money!
A lot of families struggle for food or clothes. I feel ashamed 😳
Click to expand...

No need to feel ashamed, it was a good question and I bet lots of posters have wondered about it.

I often think if places like Pets@Home had big washing machines that you could use to was pet bedding or horse stuff, they would clean up (quite literally)!
 
Didn't know supermarkets had washing machines, but it's a brilliant idea. I wouldn't put any animal stuff in them though. I wash horse and dog stuff in my machine at home and always clean it out afterwards.
The trouble with public machines is that some people use them for filthy stuff contaminated with urine and faeces etc. Wouldn't it be great if the machines ran a sanitizing cycle in between customers ?
 
Washing machines outside large supermarkets is common in France. One chain started, so others have followed. Guess the UK has just followed the money making trend.
I use them for my dog's sponge beds, once vacuumed, as I can't squash them down enough to get them in my 11kg domestic machine. The horse rugs, however, do squash, so go in with no soap and come out looking like new and still waterproof . 😁
 
My local launderette is ace and very helpful, but it does not accept animal bedding. I had to use it several times last year while waiting for my Miele :eek: washing machine to be repaired. Like criso says, the costs soon mount up.

I wouldn’t have fancied putting my weekly wash in a machine that had just been used for pet bedding.
 
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