Updated October 2, 2026
How each one works
Self-service means you bring your laundry to a laundromat, choose washers and dryers, and wash, dry and fold it yourself. You pay for the machines you use.
Wash & fold (sometimes called drop-off laundry) means you hand your laundry over and pick it up later washed, dried and folded. It is typically priced by the pound, based on the weight of your dry laundry.
Time
A self-service trip typically takes about an hour to an hour and a half for a normal week of laundry, most of it waiting on machines. Wash & fold takes two short stops: drop off and pick up. If your free time is the scarce thing, wash & fold wins clearly.
Control
Doing it yourself means every choice is yours: which items go together, water temperature, your own detergent, which things skip the dryer. With wash & fold, tell us about anything special when you drop off, such as items to hang dry or a fragrance-free preference, and keep delicate or dry-clean-only pieces out of the bag.
Cost structure
Self-service costs only the machines you use, which makes it the lower-cost option per pound in most cases. Wash & fold costs more per pound because you are paying for the labor of washing, drying and folding. Whether it is worth it depends on what your time is worth to you and how much laundry you have.
Remember to count the hidden costs of doing it yourself too: detergent and dryer sheets you buy, the drive, and the hour or more you spend waiting on machines. For a small amount of laundry those barely matter; for a large household every week, they add up.
When wash & fold makes sense
- Busy weeks, new babies, moving, or recovering from illness.
- Large households where laundry never ends.
- Bulky bedding you do not want to wait on.
- When you would rather spend an hour on anything else.
When self-service makes sense
- You like your own routine and products.
- You have a few items that need special handling.
- You want to wash big items quickly in large-capacity machines.
- You are watching the budget closely.
Getting the most from wash & fold
- Empty pockets and close zippers before you drop off.
- Bag anything that needs separate treatment, such as items to hang dry, on its own and say so.
- Mention allergies or fragrance preferences when you drop off.
- Keep dry-clean-only and very delicate items out of the bag.
A third option: pickup & delivery
Pickup & delivery is wash & fold without either trip: you schedule a pickup online, leave your bags at the door, and get them back folded.
Both at 1st Class Laundry
Every 1st Class Laundry store is self-service seven days a week. Same-day wash & fold drop-off is at Pine Hill and Glassboro, with no appointment needed, and pickup & delivery covers the towns listed on our delivery areas page.