Debi in Mérida: Wash Day

Well it's wash day again and you've got piles and piles of laundry that need to be taken care of right away! What to do, What to do!

While we were renting an apartment after we first moved here to Mérida we had to figure out what to do about laundry. The apartment didn't have a machine.

There were plenty of Lavanderias around. In fact there is, well was one just around the corner fromm the apartment. Lavanderias charge per kilo to wash, dry, and fold your dirty laundry. Many people favor the use of lavanderas; I just have a problem with someone else doing my laundry, I'm not sure why, it's just so - personal.

Our friend Terry was letting us use his machine, so every two weeks we were putting our stuff in our travel back packs and spending the better part of the day at his house; one machine and at least 2 loads to wash and then line dry. Usually I'd hang the first load until the second load got done then take it all back to the apartment to hang.

We finally found an actual laundr-o-mat. You know washers, dryers, coins, detergent in tiny packages, etc.

In case you want to find it here are the directions:

Self serve laundry-Mayalav
Calle 60 #134
Colonia Miguel Hildalgo

Cupules West to Circuito Colonias, left on Circuito Colonias to the Hidalgo glorietta,
right at the glorietta which will be Calle 21/Ave Hildalgo, go about 12 blocks and you’ll come to a small glorietta, go straight at this glorietta, you’ll see a VIPs Restaurant off on your right and then Plaza Las Americas Mall (big building) on your right. This Calle is still 21 and it is divided with two lanes going each way and there is a strip mall on the left (there is also a laundr-o-mat in this strip mall, but it's crowded). The next light is Calle 50. At tyhis intersection the store "Big Home" will be on your left and a Niplito plumbing store on your right. Go straight at this intersection and then Plaza Dorado Mall will be on your right, (another big building). At the next light (Calle 60) it dead ends, turn left and you’ll see Mayalav on your left. You need to go about a block and make a U turn to get back to the Mayalav.

I like this particular MayaLav because it is big and airy, typically clean, has a bathroom, always a breeze blowing through, there are tables and chairs for sitting and waiting, large tables for folding, a TV, a corner store close by, and good parking.

You buy tokens from the attendant to use in the machines, the machines don't take actual money, but be warned, WAIT to buy your tokens until you know exactly how many you need. If you buy to many they won't give you a refund, and you are not supposed to keep them and bring them back to use later. Tough, that's exactly what I did the one time I asked for too many tokens for the dryer.

I went recently to Mayalav, because even though I have a washer, it is not big enough to do the comforter/bedspreads, add to that that I like to dry the big bedding so it is nice and fluffy.

We are expecting company and of course I needed to launder the bedcovers since usually the guest bed is Tate's bed.