Maytag machines, Hercules Laundry Company

WARNING!! Stay away from COINMACH!!!

Our experience was mixed for our 111 unit co-op. We used Service Directions for our two rooms which they renovated. We pay approximately $1,650 per month for 6 small and 3 large washers (Maytag), and 12 gas dryers. We get the income from the card machines (legacy of former 80/20 considerations). We are at a loss position thus far with the lease expense exceeding the income (not even adding in the utility costs).

We very much liked how they upgraded the rooms. Service has been good and the dryers are great too (our porters clean the rooms daily). Shareholders are having difficulty adjusting to the HE machines (they recycle water) and need HE detergent. I have noticed that without a load that has bleach (Clorox) added recently, the water in the recycling tank can get 'funky'. So I do whites first. The residents complain that they don't clean as well as the former machines. They don't come with a pre-wash either (it says pre-wash on the machines however the machines go directly to the wash cycle). So now, some go down the street to a lower priced shop. We were also forced to add sprinklers to the rooms too.

I hope this helps and good luck!

The Maytag small washers are front loaders w/o a see through portal. Some shareholders didn't like this as they wanted to "see" the machine work.

I agree we had problems with coinmach and now use Hercules, they revamped our laundry room using a lot of imagination. The problem (for many)is the card system. Many do not have credit cards or credit and some just do not like the card system and they go to the local laundromat instead.

I love the card system but have to be very careful not to loose the card but that goes for Metro cards!

you need a card machine inthe laundry room that takes cash. it is very weird that herculeus supplies one that only takes credit cards. here is how it works: you put in cash: out comes a laundry card with that amount of credit on the card (it is not a credit card)

make SURE the laundry company you choose renovates the room and supplies tables chairs etc and pays for it.

also make sure to get the most energy efficient machines possible - sideloaders NOT top loaders.

Habitat Magazine has a good article about negotiating a new contract with your laundry company (do a search on its website). To get or keep your account, a company will typically redo your laundry room & put in new machines, but it's important to have oversight of those plans.

Our revamped laundry room wound up with stacked machines that are too high for many to reach into. The machines we had before were stacked also, but a better design. We also lost our clothesline for hanging up things, and all the lint flies out of the dryers onto our pavement. There's gotta be a better way!

Good luck!