During the 1930's and 40's, laundries provided convenient and efficient services to those who were too busy to complete the wash, or did not have the capabilities to do large loads or items. In order to compete with the newly developed washing machine, there were many variations of a laundry service. The "do-it-yourself" laundry was designed much like today's Laundromat. "The customer drove her car into the adjacent parking lot, brought her laundry to be weighed by the attendant, loaded the washer, added the free soap provided, set the dial and turned the switch. The machine washed, rinsed, and wrung within an half an hour, while the customer went shopping, enjoyed the comfort of the lounge, or watched demonstrations."1 The drive-in laundries were another popular variation to a laundry. In Nashville, Tenn., a few years before 1940, a drive-in laundry was created. Because the owner did not have to pay people to deliver, it was cheaper then the regular laundry. In Los Angeles drive-in laundries were established at "main traffic arteries." The success of these two enterprises depended on convenience.2

Meeting the exacting Greenbelt demands of both quality and price The final, and most popular and/or common method of laundry service was the cleaners. Like the other laundry services, the cleaners washed shirts, sheets, and other wearing apparel. When using the cleaners, the customer either brought the items to be washed to the store or the cleaners picked it up at the home. The cleaners then washed the clothes, and depending on the customer, pressed the clothing. Different prices were set for finishing the product. In Greenbelt, the Valet Shop, a co-op owned business, washed, dry cleaned, and even fixed shoes. It charged 4 cents a pound for damp clothing, flat(sheets), and shirts. The prices changed for pressed or finished products, according to the degree of difficulty. Several ads for the Valet Shop appeared throughout the 1937-45 editions of the Greenbelt Cooperator. In the April 6, 1939 edition the Valet Shop ran an example for customers to figure out pricing. EXAMPLE3 A Bundle of Laundry containing 15 pounds and 5 shirts----- with shirts and household linens finished and wearing apparel damp. 4 shirts------------- 12c -48c 5 pounds flat-------- 6c -30c 5 pounds wearing apparel------------- 4c -20c TOTAL------------------98c

Courtesy of the Greenbelt Cooperator

Courtesy of the Greenbelt Coorperator

It is likely that the majority of the residents used the Valet Shop, rather then other Washington area cleaners, primarily for two reasons. The first being that the Valet Shop was conveniently located in the heart of Greenbelt. If need be, a resident could walk there to pick up, or drop off their clothing. The Valet Shop was also part of the Greenbelt Co-op, so using it meant keeping business within the community. Diaper companies were another laundry service used in Greenbelt. This service would wash and deliver fresh diapers to mothers for their infants.

As the country moved into wartime, shortages of manpower, equipment, transportation, fuel, and supplies plagued the laundry industry. This, compiled with the fact that more women were in the workforce and using the services rather then do the work at home; a higher-income level of those at home; and an emphasis on the conservation of materials, especially textiles, led to a severe backup in the industry.4 The usually quick and convenient service began to take as much as ten days to complete.5