When you buy or build a Laundromat, there are many decisions you need to make. Some decisions are obvious such as brand and mix of machines, colour scheme, opening hours etc - while other decisions are not so obvious. 

Well, it seemed wrong to impose  - and to not give our customers a choice. Imagine a person with  eczema, psoriasis or sensitive skin walking into our laundromat and discovering that the detergent has already been chosen for them? 

Imagine someone who always chooses natural, eco-friendly products discovering that they are not able to use those products in your laundromat because an unknown liquid is going to be injected into the drum? What about those with a newborn who don't wish to use strong chemicals? What about customers who need a detergent specifically for wool or for delicates? 

Our customers bring their own choice of 'conventional' laundry powders, liquids and pods and some bring home-made concoctions that contain a variety of ingredients such as bicarb, vinegar, essential oils and more... and we love it. Some of them smell amazing!

With all this in mind, I thought I would link you to three Australian websites that have some great recipes for home-made  laundry detergents and softeners too. 

Stay at Home Mum : This blog offers a list of recipes  that includes both detergents and fabric softeners. The very first recipe is super Australian with the inclusion of  eucalyptus or tea-tree oil for gorgeously scented laundry!

First to bear the brunt of our enthusiasm was the folding table. Made of one of 4 panels from a timber box that originally transported an air conditioning unit, this table was made to fit its metal base by a carpenter friend of ours called Peter. The remaining 3 panels that formed the original box were nailed to our wall  as a feature - also courtesy of Peter. 

The folding table was sanded down, painted a fresh shade of Vivid White and then sealed twice. This had to be a late night operation so that the surface could dry overnight. It now looks fresh and fab once more!

Next on our list was the need to update the bunting. Our Burleigh Heads Laundromat is 'famous' for its bunting. I first festooned the laundromat with bunting when we had a 1st anniversary of owning the laundromat party.  When we took the bunting down after the festivities,  it looked so unbearably bare - that within 48 hours I crawled along the top of the washing machines once more to hang it back up!

Up until recently I had always  purchased bunting online - I also bought bunting made of the flags of the world when the Commonwealth Games were in town back in 2018. Unfortunately bunting always appeared to come in a flutter of different colours - but I never found it in aqua - our colour. 

So off to Spotlight I went  to get what I needed to make our own custom made bunting!  I got three metres of aqua poplin and white satin ribbon. Eleventy-six thousand aqua triangles later - and hey presto - we have new bunting in our favourite colour.

​This is the best bunting yet for our Burleigh Heads Laundromat and I doubt I will ever change it - but then again, I said that last time... and the time before...

​When we bought our first Laundromat 3 years ago – a few people asked us whether we had seen the movie ‘My Beautiful Launderette’ – we hadn’t – so we made sure that we did. 

The movie takes place in London during the 1980s. The story - in a nutshell -  is about a young Pakistani man called Omar, played by actor Gordon Warnecke and his romance with an old friend called Johnny  played by none other than Daniel Day-Lewis.

Along the way the pair inherit a laundromat originally owned by Omar's uncle Nasser  and transform it from a grotty and neglected space  into a modern laundromat with new machines, giant wave decals, flashing neon signs, button-back plush seating, lush ferns and even an aquarium. 

Released in 1985, My Beautiful Laundrette is a comedy-drama directed by Stephen Frears that focuses on issues of race, sexuality and politics.

In 1986, Daniel Day-Lewis as Johnny Burfoot the award for Best Supporting Actor from the U.S. National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, and the film was nominated for Best Film too.

Today the original location of such a beautiful launderette - is - sadly - a launderette no more. The movie was shot on location at 11 Wilcox Road, Vauxhall in London and that space is now occupied by a Mediterranean Cafe. 

​My Beautiful Laundrette continues to receive  positive reviews and currently holds  a 97% "fresh" rating on the Tomatometer at  Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus on this movie is “My Beautiful Laundrette is fast and all over the place because it has so much to say and show, including a highly watchable fresh-faced Daniel Day-Lewis.”

​​Essentially this is an open air Laundromat offering laundry services.  You either wash your laundry yourself or you leave it with the washers to do. These washers, known as dhobis, work in the open air - come rain or shine - and clean the clothes and linens from Mumbai's hotels, businesses and even hospitals.  The word ‘Ghat’ meanwhile is used to describe any area where there is a series of steps leading down to a body of water – whether that water is for bathing or laundry or – morbidly – even for cremation purposes as happens on the banks of the River Ganges at the Ghats in Varanasi.  ​

​The Dhobi Ghat Mahalaxmi area has become quite a tourist destination for the wonderful photo opportunities it offers and is also home to the dhobis and their families.  
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In 2011 a melancholy art-house movie called Dhobi Ghat was released which is also known by the title of ‘Mumbai Diaries’.