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ELLEN MOSESTeresa Damon: 39, Manager, The Gardens on Central Laundromat, 3501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg
How long have you worked here?
I've been here a year.
What kind of experience do you need to do this?
Well, you have to have some type of dry clean and laundry experience, which I do have. I've pressed clothes, I've folded clothes. Basically customer service skills and patience.
How long have you worked in the laundry business?
I was in it for about five years and then I got out and went in a whole other direction and I did customer service for about 15 years.
How did you come to work here?
I used to do my laundry here when he (the owner) opened up, so one day I asked him was he looking for some help and he was like, actually I am. So I filled out an application and talked to his wife, and they hired me. ... This is a nice laundry. I live over in Coquina Key and I came way over here to do my laundry.
Do you work by yourself?
Yes. We have two shifts. I'm on most mornings from 7 (a.m.) to 3. I only work one night, 3 to 11. I work Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings here, Wednesday at (the) Tyrone (location) and Friday night here.
What are your primary responsibilities?
I run the place. I make sure the customers are taken care of. I'm responsible for clothing that's taken in and sent out to the dry cleaners every day, and for the wash, dry, fold service that we have here.
Do you do dry cleaning here?
No, it goes out to our cleaner, who picks them up daily.
What is the wash, dry, fold service?
That's taking in customers' laundry, doing their laundry for them, hanging it for them. I do laundry every day.
How big is your average order?
It varies. It all depends on who comes in that day. Friday I did 207 pounds for just one person! Then I did a 28 pounder and a 38 pounder on top of that.
Do you charge by the pound?
Yeah. It's 80 cents a pound (of laundry) and we have a 15-pound minimum.
So what's your washing routine like?
Usually a customer will come in and I'll weigh the clothes and get them tagged and get the invoice printed out. Then I sort the clothes into colors and whites and whichever the biggest load is, I'll start out with.
Do clothes get mixed up very often?
No. We try not to do that at all. We don't want to mix up the customer's clothing. Everything is washed separate for each customer.
What do you wash the most of?
Personals (clothes). I do a lot of comforters and blankets too, but I do a lot of people's personal laundry.
What kind of soap do you use on regular loads?
We use Wind Fresh here and I use Clorox 2 for colors. ... Som e customers want to use certain kinds, because they are allergic to bleach, perfumes or dyes, so I have their stuff in the back that I can use too.
Do you use anything special for stains?
I use Greased Lighting in everything. Whether it's stained or it's dirty this is what we use. It takes out everything that you could possibly think of. Sometimes I use Oxyclean on really, really bad stains and I'll use a little bit of bleach on the whites.
How many regular customers do you have?
We have a lot. I'd say at least 500 just at this store.
Do you have any large-scale customers for wash and fold?
I do the linens and towels and some of the personals for the Ocean Jewel cruise ship. When they bring their linens in it's normally like 50 or 64 pounds.
What is your favorite thing about the job?
I like this job because I work by myself. I don't have the co-worker stress thing going on. You know, when you work with a bunch of people there's always some sort of chaos going on. My job is very peaceful and quiet. Sometimes it can get busy in here, but I don't mind that part.
What is your least favorite thing?
When they (customers) make a mess in here and I have to clean it up ... bu t that's part of my job, so I can't really complain about it.
How long does it take you to do a load of clothes for a customer?
About an hour. The (washing) machines run 24 minutes, and then 30 minutes gets you dry in the dryer. So if you stay with it and fold immediately it will take about an hour.
Any washing secrets?
Well, I learned that if you put tennis balls in with your comforters, they fluff them and they pound them while they dry. Or, if you got a lot of clothes, you can throw the tennis balls in there and it will keep them separated so they won't tangle up, you know, like when you wash a bunch of sheets.
How do you prevent wrinkles?
If it's something that's going to wrinkle real bad in the dryer than I'll let it air dry on a hanger. If you take something out of the dryer as soon as it stops, it's not going to wrinkle. So I try and catch them as soon as the dryer stops and fold them right then and there.
Do you do your own laundry here?
I do. We get $20 of personal laundry a week for free. I got a washer and dryer at home but I haven't used it since I started working here. I just bring it with me and do it while I'm here.
Is there a lot of paperwork involved in your job?
Yeah. We have a wash, dry, fold log, which is how we keep track of all the clothes that come in. ... We also have a dry cleaning log ... and a cash sheet to keep track of money coming in ... and this is our daily cleanup log.
Do you have other cleaning responsibilities?
Our basic daily duties around here is to mop the floors, clean the lint traps, clean the lint vacuums ... then you got to clean the washing machines and the washing machine soap containers, garbage containers and outside the perimeter has to be looking good.
How much money do you make?
I make about $8 an hour. I just get my hourly fee, but the customers tip and show me their appreciation too.
What would your dream job be?
Owning my own business. My dream job would be to own my own cleanup business, or my own wash, dry, fold business.