Rainbow Brite Laundromat

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. It was an unusually quiet Sunday morning in downtown Portland when a delivery driver pulled up to Rainbow Brite Laundromat. As he unloaded boxes of detergent, he noticed something strange: the washing machines were humming with an eerie, almost musical rhythm. Curious, the driver peered inside one machine and found a small, colorful creature dancing gleefully amidst the suds. ‘What are you doing here?’ asked the startled man. The creature replied, ‘Washing clothes is my favorite pastime!’ And so began a new tradition at Rainbow Brite Laundromat—free entertainment on slow days.’

2. Whoever heard of a laundromat that could wash your socks clean while you’re not even there? That's what everyone kept asking at the Rainbow Brite Laundromat. One day, a delivery driver dropped off his package and forgot to pick up his clothes. When he returned hours later, everything was spotless—even his underwear had been ironed! Word spread quickly, and soon neighbors were leaving their laundry overnight for an extra-polished look. The only downside? No one ever saw the staff again.

3. A neighborhood kid was folding clothes one afternoon when he noticed something strange—all the shirts were perfectly aligned, as if someone had done them with a ruler. Just then, an old lady walked in carrying a basket of towels. She smiled and said, 'I think I left my sense of order here last time.' The kid looked around nervously but everything was back to normal chaos. Relieved, he went outside only to bump into a delivery driver who quipped, 'Guess Rainbow Brite isn't such a neat freak after all!'

4. At midnight, a delivery driver pulled up to Rainbow Brite Laundromat, puzzled by the sign glowing neon-pink: ‘Wash Your Dreams Here.’ As he opened the door, a soft glow filled the room, and an old lady in a rainbow dress greeted him with a smile. 'Welcome,' she said, 'your clothes will be as bright as your dreams!' The driver left confused but amused, and later that week, his neighbors joked about seeing him wearing a new shirt that was so colorful it looked like it had been washed at Rainbow Brite Laundromat.