Laundromats are one facet of life that have heretofore remained ungentrified, but that's about to change: There's a new "smart" laundromat, branded with Tide detergent, now open in East Dallas, in the Whiterock Marketplace at 11255 Garland Rd.
Called Tide Laundromat, it's a franchised concept from Tide Services, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, and this is its first location in Dallas.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, the concept was founded in 2020. Beyond the Tide branding, it's a high-tech venture, in which the equipment spits out a dose of detergent, fabric softener, or dryer sheet into your laundry automatically, included in the price of the wash. You can choose from Tide or Gain detergent, Downy or Gain fabric softener, and Bounce dryer sheets, scented or unscented.
If you're a Tru Earth eco-friendly laundry sheet fan, you're out of luck.
The washing machines have touch screens, and come in small, medium, large, and jumbo, priced accordingly — beginning at about $5 for a small and topping out at $12.50 for a jumbo. For point of comparison, at my local laundromat, the smallest load starts at $2.25, and a single serving of detergent from the vending machine is $1.
As for the dryers at Tide, a quarter gets you six minutes of drying, versus 20 minutes at my local laundromat.
However, the release says that Wash and Dry cycles at Tide Laundromat are designed to maximize cleanliness and save time, allowing customers to get in and out in as little as 35 minutes.
Maybe those dryers are doing some fast-acting drying. You know what they say, time is money.
There's also free Wi-Fi. And if you don't want to DIY, you can drop off laundry for wash and fold services ($1.49/lb for next-day service or $1.99/lb for same-day service).
Festive Tide laundromat in East DallasTide
Local franchisee Patrick Elverum says in a statement, “We’re redefining laundry as an enjoyable and convenient experience. Visit us and see how we turn a routine task into something you’ll actually look forward to.”
Tide Laundromat, which has a cute logo in which the "o" in laundromat is a little cartoon of a front-loading washing machine, is not the only Tide-branded laundry venture: In 2008, Procter & Gamble launched Tide Cleaners, a dry-cleaning chain, which has four locations in the Dallas area.
Festive opening events
Tide Laundromat in White Rock is hosting a "Free Wash Weekend" from August 10-11. Customers can get a complimentary wash on their first visit through the Tide Laundromat app, which offers rewards, special offers, and the ability to check washer and dryer availability before arriving.
They'll have prizes, food, and family-friendly entertainment provided by Zona MX 99.1 FM, and if that's not enough, Tide Services CEO Andrew Gibson and the Tide corporate team will be on hand.
The laundromat's hours of operation: will be 7 am-10 pm, and there's even a "last call"-style last wash at 9 pm — some restaurants don't even do that!
