Caption: Dressing casual is a big part of the laundromat, which creates a comfortable atmosphere, where conversation flows like detergent.
Oh, I'll tumble for ya
Have a dryer sense of humour? Looking for a hot place where you can meet potential mates? Forget the bar
RAJU MUDHAR
TORONTO STAR
If you have a laundry list of problems finding someone, here is the answer: Go to the laundromat.
It worked for Josh Hartnett and Shannyn Sossamon in 40 Days & 40 Nights. Although yes, you reply, he's Josh Hartnett and she's Shannyn Sossamon and they're both in a movie — which is true. But it's also the setting for several commercials, most notably one for gum, in which a guy saves a girl from the pathetic make-out artist by pretending to be her boyfriend even though they have never met.
It's corny, yes. Maybe even cliché. But who ever is behind those ads is on to something, because the laundromat is the ultimate place to meet people. You have: a) ample time to kill; b) A common purpose, which encourages ice-breaker conversation; c) All within a non-threatening environment. And even if your romantic goals aren't met, you'll leave with clean clothes.
First off, it's target-rich. If a guy or girl comes to the laundromat, they don't have someone to do laundry for them. And they don't have a washer or dryer in their building, and aren't homeowners, so they're still looking to move to that next phase. These aspects all say "unattached."
It's a place for congregation, and for many people are in their early 20s, who are out on their own for the first time, it's a place they are going to be once a week.
"I've never been picked up at a laundromat, but in residence it was totally a spot that people met each other. I'm not sure if that counted, because they lived in the same building, or at least on campus. So there was an obvious connection," says Susan Smith, a 24-year-old graphic designer.
Common ground is always a great place to start. The "rez" principle applies to the laundry room in any apartment building. It's a prime spot to meet the girl you always see on the elevator, or that guy you spotted at your bus stop. You might make some quick small talk in those situations, but the laundry room beats that — as there's at least an hour of time to kill there.
And, if there is an object of desire you really want to meet, you can always check if that person is there, under the guise of seeing if the machines are available. Think of the laundromat as a microcosm of the greater world, where common ground can be established on a number of levels. If you're super organized, it's likely you do your laundry at approximately the same time every week. If you find someone on the same schedule, you've got a place to start.
"I met a woman in the laundry room in my building," says Ali Sfeer, a cab driver. "I used to do laundry on Sundays and she was always there. Up until then, we just used to say hello, but after a couple times together, we had some nice chats, and I asked her out."
Doing laundry is also the great equalizer. If you're there, you're likely down to your last clothes in the world, so people are going to see a very real version of you.
"You come in unarmoured, with whatever clothes you have left," says Jacob Whitbley, a 25-year-old OCAD student. "I mean, you don't dress up, so you can't come in with an air of superiority."
That said, you can also tell a lot about someone by his or her clothes. Style says something, and by seeing a wide selection of someone's clothes, you can pretty much peg how hip (or square) they are. Conversation in a laundromat is inevitable, without any of that forced enthusiasm that occurs in the bar scene.
"I find that when it happens, it all comes down to the eye contact thing. If you're the same age, it's pretty much bound to happen. I mean what else can you do other than see how long you can watch your clothes goes round and round before you go crazy," says Tanya Seagal, a U of T student. "Then it's pretty much small talk, and see where that goes."
Most women say they can tell something about the way you do laundry. Typical modus operandi for men is to just throw everything in, set the temperature on cold, and hope that no brights bleed into your whites. In turn, women who use a dryer for every type of clothing they have, are likely high maintenance.
"You can obviously tell that they don't care about their clothes. And you could extrapolate that even further if you want, but I'm not sure exactly how," says Julia Lampej, 20, a U of T student.
If things don't work out, when you're broken-hearted, you can always hand-wash everything at home. Consider it penance.
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