12th Street Laundry

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, a regular at 12th Street Laundry overheard an ironing machine whispering, ‘I’m not just pressing clothes— I’m making friends!’ Curious, our regular approached and saw that one iron had indeed started a conversation with a nearby delivery driver. They were discussing the weather, as if they’d known each other for years! When the laundromat owner turned off the machines, everyone went back to their usual routines, but from then on, people often stopped in just to hear what funny things the irons would say next.

2. A delivery driver once asked the attendant at 12th Street Laundry: 'Why does your iron smell like someone’s breakfast?' The attendant grinned and replied, ‘Oh, that’s our secret recipe for making irons smell like pancakes—keeps customers coming back!’ A regular passing by chuckled and added, ‘And it works too—it’s always packed.’

3. A delivery driver once pulled up to 12th Street Laundry and noticed something odd in the loading bay—a mysterious box wrapped in brown paper, its corners taped tight. Curious, the driver opened it carefully, revealing only a pile of old socks and underwear. Turns out, someone had accidentally left their laundry here weeks ago. A regular now jokes that 12th Street Laundry is like a time machine for lost clothes.

4. A delivery driver once parked his truck near 12th Street Laundry and found an old coin slot on the ground. Curious, he dropped in a quarter, and out popped a wrinkled note reading: ‘Free load for anyone brave enough!’ The delivery driver grinned, thinking it was some prank. He threw in another quarter, and out came another note: 'And don’t forget to tip your laundress!' Turns out, every time someone fed the machine, it dispensed free loads—and little tips for good deeds. The neighborhood loved it, and soon everyone was leaving coins with kind messages.