There’s no single standard “load”. It depends on the washer’s drum size and on what’s in it: a few towels fill a drum faster than a stack of T-shirts. The easiest answer is to weigh your own laundry: stand on a bathroom scale holding the bag, subtract your own weight, and multiply by $2.49 (NYC) or $2.09 (Long Island) to estimate a LaundryLocal wash & fold order.
| Item | New York City | Long Island | Westchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wash & fold, pay as you go | $2.49/lb | $2.09/lb | $2.09/lb |
Why “a load” means nothing
Washers range from small stacked units to large front-loaders, and people fill them differently. Heavy items like jeans and towels add pounds quickly; light items like underwear and T-shirts add volume. That’s why we price wash & fold by weight, not by load or by bag: the scale is the same for everyone.
Weigh it at home in 30 seconds
- Weigh yourself on a bathroom scale.
- Weigh yourself again holding the laundry bag.
- Subtract. That’s your bag weight.
Weigh dry laundry. A damp towel weighs more than a dry one, and we weigh your bag dry at the plant, before washing.
What changes the weight
- Towels and denim are the heaviest everyday items.
- Bedding: sheets add weight; a comforter or bulky blanket in your bag is billed as one oversized item ($15 in NYC) instead of by the pound.
- Dry cleaning never goes on the scale. Put it in its own bag; it is priced per garment.
Price your bag before you book
Multiply your bag weight by the rate for your area. If the result is under the minimum order, you pay the minimum. Weekly or every-two-weeks members pay the lower member rate on every pound: $2.19 in NYC. The pricing page has a calculator, and you get the exact weight and total from the plant before your card is charged.
Questions
Do you weigh wet or dry?
Dry, before washing, so you never pay for water.
How many loads per week for a family of 4?
It varies a lot by household. Weigh one week of laundry; our families guide explains how to turn that into a weekly estimate.