Fresh and Green

Over the last few generations, the automatic washing machine became the model of efficiency. Today’s models are even more efficient – front-loading, energy-saving washers and dryers over which many consumers can only afford to ooh and ahh.

Enter 2406 Laundrymart, John Lastinger’s coin-op laundromat in Crescent Hill. When he and wife Nong took over an older laundromat three years ago, they noticed that the government was starting to move toward more energy-efficient lighting standards, so the new owners started with the lighting, then moved on to the washers and dryers, getting rid of eight older machines and replacing them with more efficient models. “People adapted to it, and then one day I noticed that there were people waiting for them,” says Lastinger. “I junked the old top-loaders that we had and brought in 12 more Maytag high-efficiency front-loaders.” 

The new washers, says Lastinger, “use less detergent, less water and less electricity. We have high-efficiency air conditioners, too.” He says that “in order to have good service to the customer, you find ways to save money and plan for the future,” which also means including perks such as heavy-duty washers for bulkier items that would cost upward of $50 to have cleaned professionally, and a self-service steam iron for folks who want to get the wrinkles out of their clothes – for free. 

2406 Laundrymart also offers an “After Hours Club” for night owls. “It’s for people who have screwy shifts and have to do laundry at two in the morning,” says Lastinger. Members pay $35 per year and receive a PIN (personal identification number) for access to the building, “... and you have $165,000 of equipment at your personal disposal. It’s set up. We have the security cameras, and when you sign up, we go through of all the equipment that’s there, how to use the lock, and give you some personal security heads-up. Since we developed this program a year and a half ago, we’ve had zero problems and zero complaints.”

Even if you already own the washer/dryer setup of your dreams, Lastinger says, it’s what you put into it that can also make a difference. “We’re the only laundromat in Louisville that has a concentrated professional grade, eco-friendly, biodegradable detergent and softener – no fillers, no additives, no perfumes. Half an ounce each will do a load of laundry in a single machine.” He adds that when people come in and dump their store-bought soap into a machine, the prescribed capful can be too much for the load – and it puts a strain on water treatment resources, not to mention sticking around in the fabric. “One 16-ounce bottle will do 320 pounds of laundry if you follow directions,” he says of the Adco Eco product, which is available for $7.35 a bottle. “When you use it a couple of times, the clothes look cleaner and brighter. I think it’s a good product, and when my wife says it’s good, that’s good enough for me.”

In addition to helping launderers get the stains out of their clothes, the Lastingers take pride in not only a high-efficiency operation but a low-dirt one, too. “This place will be nearly spotless or close to it any time you come in,” he says. 

2406 Laundrymart, not surprisingly, is located at 2406 Frankfort Avenue in Crescent Hill. It is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The best parking, say the owners, is off the alley between Bayly and South Peterson. The phone number is (502) 432-7277.