South Chicago Coin Laundry

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dawn, when most laundromats were quiet, an old man shuffled into South Chicago Coin Laundry with a mysterious box under his arm. He never spoke to anyone and always left before sunrise. One morning, a delivery driver noticed the old man’s box was suspiciously heavy. Curious, he peeked inside only to discover it contained nothing but old socks and t-shirts. The old man winked and said, ‘Just my secret stash for late-night laundry emergencies.’ Everyone laughed, realizing that sometimes the oddest habits are just quirks worth cherishing.

2. One morning, while folding clothes in South Chicago Coin Laundry, a regular asked aloud: ‘Do you think those machines are talking to each other?’ Another worker, a delivery driver, overheard and piped up: 'They’re not talking, man—they’re plotting!' Everyone laughed, but then noticed one machine suddenly stopped mid-cycle. A regular leaned closer and whispered, ‘Maybe they’re just taking a coffee break.’

3. In the dead of night, when only the hum of dryers broke the silence, a delivery driver pulled up to South Chicago Coin Laundry with a peculiar package. As he unloaded it, a strange scent wafted through the air—something between fresh-cut grass and warm cookies. Curious, one of the workers opened the box to find a bundle of freshly laundered clothes, each tagged with a different neighborhood name. Turns out, it was a prank from a local tailor who wanted everyone to smell like home on laundry day. The next morning, the whole block smelled like a bake sale.

4. In the early hours, before sunrise, a strange humming sound echoed through South Chicago Coin Laundry. No one could quite place its origin—was it the dryers working overtime or something more mysterious? Then, out of nowhere, an old man in overalls appeared, wiping his hands on a greasy rag. ‘Just my old fridge,’ he chuckled. ‘It’s been singing that tune since I moved in.’ Everyone laughed, realizing the hum was just another neighborhood oddity—a friendly, albeit noisy, neighbor.