Updated October 2, 2026
Where the time goes
- Loading and starting the washers: typically 5–10 minutes.
- Wash cycle: commercial washers typically run somewhere around 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the machine and cycle.
- Moving laundry to dryers: about 5 minutes.
- Drying: typically 30 to 45 minutes for an ordinary load, longer for towels, jeans and bedding.
- Folding: 10–15 minutes, depending on how much you brought.
Why it is usually faster than home
At home, three loads means three wash cycles and three dryer cycles, one after another, which can stretch over an entire afternoon. At a laundromat, those three loads can go into three washers, or one large washer, at the same time. Commercial washers also spin faster than most home machines, so clothes come out with less water in them and spend less time in the dryer.
What slows a trip down
- Overfilled dryers: clothes take much longer when air cannot move through them.
- Arriving at the busiest times, when you may wait for a machine.
- Bulky items like comforters, which typically need extra drying time.
- Sorting at the laundromat instead of at home.
Ways to finish faster
- Sort at home and bring laundry already separated into the groups you will wash.
- Use one large washer for a big pile of the same colors, or several smaller ones for different groups at once.
- Split wet laundry across two dryers rather than packing one.
- Fold straight out of the dryer while things are warm; it is quicker and keeps wrinkles down.
- Check the live machine counts on each store's page before you leave home to see how busy it is.
What to bring
- Laundry already sorted into the groups you plan to wash together.
- Detergent measured for the loads you expect, plus stain remover if you need it.
- Dryer sheets or dryer balls, if you use them.
- Bags or baskets for carrying clean, folded laundry home without crushing it.
- Something to do while you wait: the wash and dry cycles are the long part.
Busy and quiet times
Like most laundromats, stores tend to be busiest on weekends, especially weekend mornings, and quieter on weekday mornings and the middle of the day. If your schedule is flexible, a quieter time means you can grab several machines side by side and finish faster.
Plan around closing time
At every 1st Class Laundry store, the last wash starts one hour before closing so that every load has time to dry. Each location page lists its hours and last-wash time. If you are bringing bedding, give yourself extra time.
Not up for the trip?
Drop it off instead: wash & fold at Pine Hill and Glassboro is ready the same day, or schedule a pickup online and we collect your laundry from your door, wash it, fold it and bring it back.