New high-tech laundry service

 

A new Mangawhai service is bringing state-of-the-art technology to town, possibly the first of its kind in New Zealand.

Located in Mangawhai Village, the region’s first public self-service laundromat features washing machines and tumble dryers operated with ‘smart cards’ instead of the usual coins and the machinery’s various functions are monitored via remote laptop.

The facility also has on-line surveillance and has its own water source due to a bore especially constructed for the service.

Laundromat Mangawhai is jointly owned by ex-Mangawhai couple Ruth and Paul Draper and friends Sue and John Frederickson, who have owned a beach house in the area for 20 years.

John organises laundromat businesses and admits the idea for a Mangawhai service had been tumbling about in the back of his mind for some time.

“It’s been a year in the planning,” John says. “Been quite a journey to get the doors finally open.”

Designed and built in America and Czescolavkia, the machines are equivalent to the equipment found in hotels and hospitals.

“They’ll easily out-perform any domestic washing machine, one dryer will dry four average loads in generally 30 minutes. It is top end equipment.”

However the business is not all about high performance machinery. John says the environment of the laundromat was important too. A full-length mural of Mangawhai’s coastline, initiated by Ruth Draper, adorns the back wall of the premises and posters inform the user of the history of washing machines.

“We wanted to produce a service that customers would be comfortable being in,” John says, “to create an environment that anyone would want to walk into.”

Squeaky Clean laundry service owner/operator, Vicki Cagan, has also partly shifted her business to the laundromat and will be offering her ironing, cleaning services from the premises between 11am – 2pm.

n Laundromat Mangawhai is open seven days a week from 7am -7pm.

OPEN: Vicki Cagan in the new Mangawhai-themed laundry facility.