7 Questions to Ask a Laundry Service Before You Book

Read the one and two star reviews of almost any laundry service and you will notice something. Very few of them are about the washing. They are about what happened next: nobody answered the phone, the item never came back, the price on the invoice was not the price on the website, the driver blamed the office and the office blamed the driver.

None of that shows up on a homepage. All of it can be found out with a few questions before you hand over your first bag. Ask them of anyone you are considering, including us.

1. Can you reach a real person when something goes wrong?

This is the question behind most bad reviews. A missing item is annoying. A missing item and nobody to tell is what makes people angry.

A good answer sounds like this:

• A phone number on the website that a person actually answers
• A name, not just a brand: someone who can fix a problem rather than log it
• A reply time they are willing to say out loud

Be wary of support that only exists as a chat bot, an app inbox or a ticket number. Test it before you need it: ring the number on the website and see who picks up.

2. What happens if an item is lost or damaged?

Every service that handles enough laundry will eventually lose a sock or shrink a jumper. What matters is what they do about it, and the time to find out is before it happens.

Policies vary more than people expect. Some services refund the cleaning fee only. Some pay a value based on how old the item is. Some cap any claim at a fixed amount, however much the item cost. Ask which applies, and ask to see it in writing.

• Mention anything valuable or sentimental when you book, before it goes in the bag
• Point out marks and damage that are already there
• Report a problem the day you notice it, with photos

It also helps to know where you stand. Under the Australian Consumer Law, a business must provide its services with due care and skill, and if an item is damaged because that did not happen, you are entitled to a remedy. That is general information rather than legal advice, and the ACCC explains consumer guarantees in full.

Our own policy is short. We take reasonable care of all laundry entrusted to us. If an item is lost or damaged while in our care, tell us within 48 hours of delivery, with detailed photos and a description of the damage.

3. Who will actually collect and wash your laundry?

Some laundry services do the work themselves. Others are a brand and a booking system, with the collecting and washing done by local contractors or franchisees. Neither model is wrong, and plenty of contractors do excellent work.

The question is who is accountable when something goes wrong. If the answer involves passing you between head office and whoever did the wash, you will find that out at the worst possible moment. A good answer is short: one point of contact who can make a decision.

4. Is the full price clear before you book?

Laundry is priced per load, per kilogram or per item, and each is fair in its own way. We compared the three in our guide to what a laundry service costs in Sydney. Whichever it is, these are the questions that prevent a surprise on the invoice:

• Is there a minimum order, and does it include the delivery fee?
• Is pickup and delivery charged per order or per bag?
• What counts as an extra load, for example darks and whites washed separately?
• What costs extra: hand washing, sensitive detergent, ironing?
• If the order turns out bigger than expected, will they confirm before washing?

Our prices are published in full: $30 for a standard load of about 5kg, $10 pickup and delivery per order, and a $45 minimum order with tax included. Hand washing is $5 an item.

5. Is your laundry washed on its own, and to the care label?

It is a fair thing to ask, and the answer is not always yes. Mixing households makes a service cheaper to run. It is also how someone else's towel ends up in your basket.

• Is each household washed as its own load?
• Do they read and follow care labels, or wash everything on one setting?
• What happens to an item marked dry clean only?
• Are delicates hand-washed?

With us, every household's laundry is washed as its own load and never mixed with another customer's. Everything is washed to its care label, delicates are hand-washed where needed, and anything marked dry clean only is set aside for dry cleaning rather than risked in a machine.

6. What turnaround do they commit to, and what if they miss it?

A turnaround is only useful if you know what it means. Does the clock start at pickup or when the laundry reaches the machine? Do bedding and dry cleaning take longer? If they are going to be late, do they tell you before the deadline or after it?

Ours: everyday laundry is back within 24–48 hours of collection, and bedding and dry cleaning take 48–72 hours, because a doona has to dry all the way through. Same-day express is $40 a load when it is booked early enough in the day.

7. Can you change, pause or cancel without a fight?

Rigid policies are the other common complaint. A week away, a smaller load, a change of collection day: none of it should need a cancellation fee or a long notice period.

• Is there a lock-in contract or a minimum term?
• How much notice do you need to skip or move a pickup?
• Is there a fee for cancelling?

We have no lock-in contracts, and you can change a booking any time before pickup.

How to check the answers

Two quick tests tell you more than any homepage. Read the one and two star reviews and look at whether the business replied, and how. A calm, specific reply to a complaint shows you how you will be treated. Then ring the number on the website before you book, and notice who answers.

Ask us all seven

Serene Wash Sydney is owner-run. Call 0452 433 283 and you are talking to the business itself, not a call centre, so ask us any of these before your first pickup. You can also read who we are or see how wash, dry and fold works.