Why do you not buy washing machines in the United States?

For many of our compatriots who first came to the United States, laundry washing in the laundry becomes an unusual surprise. We are used to always have a washing machine at hand, and in American apartments, the installation of a washing machine is not provided for a number of reasons.



It seems not very convenient, because going to the laundry takes a lot of time and money. Wouldn’t it be easier to buy a washing machine once for $500-$600, as everyone in the post-Soviet space does?



"Site" We understand why Americans are more comfortable using laundry services and what makes them refuse to install washing equipment at home.

To begin with, not all Americans wash in the laundry. Owners of private homes, and this is the vast majority of two-story America, put several washing machines and dryers in their basement.



In urban apartments, washing machines are rare. And it's not about laws. There are no laws against washing machines in the United States.



At the same time, there are several reasons why owners of rented housing are in no hurry to install washing machines, and residents are not very insistent. One of them is a wide network of convenient and affordable laundries.

Why Washing Machines Aren't Installed in American Homes
  1. Homeowners are reinsured and believe that the installation of a washing machine can provoke an accident and flooding, which threatens legal costs and fines. Therefore, in contracts for hiring housing, you can often find a clause prohibiting its installation.



    If desired, residents can apply to the manager with a written request for permission to install the machine. But in this case, the monthly payment can significantly increase.

  2. Many apartment buildings do not provide communication for the installation of washing machines. And the independent connection of networks is fraught with serious problems with the law in the United States.
  3. Americans do not hang clothes on ropes, and it is difficult to connect drying due to the lack of exhaust ventilation.
  4. The noise factor also plays a role. Any washing machine makes noise, and this can cause displeasure of neighbors.
  5. Water is expensive in the United States. Washing things in laundromats, public laundromats, is much cheaper than in your washing machine.


  6. Mobile Americans often change places of residence. For this reason, the purchase of large household appliances seems to many unprofitable.


Modern self-service laundry in the United States work around the clock and are in places convenient even for the busiest people. They boast additional drying and ironing equipment, free Wi-Fi, TVs and coffee machines.

There are washing machines of any size, that is, it is convenient to wash the cover from the sofa or blanket. To speed up the process, you can decompose colored underwear in different washers, simultaneously wash, throw in a professional drying chamber, and go home with a week's supply of clean things.



In the laundry room you can make new friends, talk to neighbors. Starting the next laundry cycle, you can go shopping or quietly visit a nearby restaurant, chat over a cup of coffee.

There is a whole tradition of going to the laundry on the weekend with families and groups of friends. Thus, washing became a way to distract from the hustle and bustle, turned into a pleasant pastime.

As you can see, having a washing machine at home in the United States is not prohibited, but many people follow tradition and use laundry services. Having a pleasant time, the visitor receives clean and dry underwear, simultaneously saving expensive home electricity and water.