Family Laundromat in Chattanooga
Forty-four machines, a corner with books for the kids, and the same family behind the counter for thirty-one years. Bring the week's washing and make an afternoon of it.
Prices, Plain And Simple
Posted on the wall too, and they have gone up twice in thirty-one years.
Dryers are 25¢ for 8 minutes — a minute longer than most places, because it saves you a quarter on a full load.
Three Generations, One Corner
Pelliston was opened by a couple who had been washing at a laundromat two blocks away and thought it could be friendlier. Their daughter runs it now. Very little has changed, which is the point.
The Same Family
Opened in 1995, handed on once, and never franchised. The person who takes your drop-off is the person who owns the place, which is why problems get solved rather than escalated.
Prices That Barely Move
They have risen twice in thirty-one years, both times by a quarter, both times with a note on the door explaining why. This is a neighborhood where that matters.
Built For Families
The reading corner, the low folding tables, the family-size machines at no premium — all of it exists because most of our customers arrive with children and a week's worth of washing.
Everything You'd Hope For
And a couple of things you would not.
Reading Corner
Books, crayons and a low table, restocked from a box regulars keep filling.
Free Wifi & Outlets
Along the whole window run, fast enough to stream or work.
Fourteen Folding Tables
Waist height, stainless, wiped down through the day.
Change & Vending
Detergent, dryer sheets, cold drinks and coffee at the front.
Free Parking
Eighteen spaces off McCallie, lit, with the door in sight.
Restrooms
Two, cleaned on the same hourly round as the floor.
It Takes About Ninety Minutes
Sort And Load
Darks, lights, towels. Ask at the counter if you are not sure which machine size you need — that is what we are here for.
Wash
About 30 minutes. Detergent is in the vending machine if you forgot it, and the attendant will start the machine with you the first time.
Dry
Grab a cart, move the load over. 25¢ buys eight minutes; most loads want about 35.
Fold
Fourteen tables along the back, or hand it over and we will fold it for you by the pound.
Your First Wash Is On Us
Tell the attendant it is your first visit and the first machine is free. No card to sign up for, no email address needed — we would just rather you tried it.
Three Generations Of Customers
My mother brought me here when I was small and I bring my two now. The same family runs it, the machines still work, and somebody still says hello when you walk in.
There is a corner with books and a little table so my son does his reading while the wash runs. It sounds like nothing. It is the reason we come here.
I am a student and the loyalty card plus the student rate means a full week of laundry costs me about six dollars. Nobody else on this side of town comes close.
Which One You Need
Ask the attendant if you are between sizes — using one too small is the most common mistake.
20 lb Washer
A few days for one or two people · $3.00
30 lb Washer
A week for a couple, or a single duvet · $4.50
40 lb Washer
A family week in one go · $6.25
60 lb Washer
King comforter, sleeping bags, team kit · $9.00
Dryers
25¢ for 8 minutes, every size
Drop-Off
$1.55 a pound, 10 lb minimum
Three Ways Regulars Pay Less
Use A Bigger Machine, Not More Of Them
One 40 lb wash at $6.25 beats three 20 lb washes at $9.00, and it dries faster because the load is not crammed. The commonest way to overspend here is splitting a load that did not need splitting.
Take The Loyalty Card
Every tenth wash free, it costs nothing, and it stacks with the student rate. There is no app and no email — it is a paper card that gets a stamp.
Come Before Noon
Not cheaper, but every machine is free, so you are not waiting and not tempted into two small ones. Mornings are the quietest part of our day by a wide margin.
Questions We Get At The Counter
Do I need quarters?
You can use them, and the change machine takes notes. The loyalty card also works on every machine and saves you hunting for coins — it is a paper card with a stamp, not an app, and it costs nothing to start.
How much is a normal week of family laundry?
Most families of four use one 40 lb washer at $6.25 and around 35 minutes of drying, so roughly eight dollars plus detergent. Splitting the same load across small machines usually costs three or four dollars more.
Can my children come with me?
Most of our customers arrive with them. There is a reading corner with books and crayons, the folding tables are low enough for a child to help, and the floor is in sight of the counter the whole way round.
What is the student rate?
Fifteen percent off everything, any day, with a student ID at the counter. It stacks with the loyalty card, so a full week of washing usually lands around six dollars.
Can you wash a comforter?
Yes — the two 60 lb machines at the back take a king comforter along with a blanket. There is no premium for the big machines; they are priced by size rather than by how much people want them.
Do you take drop-off on the same day?
If it is in before eleven in the morning, almost always. Ten pound minimum at $1.55 a pound, washed in its own machine, folded on the table and bagged under your name.
Drop Off, Or Just Ask
Prices, machine sizes, the student rate, or whether we can take something awkward. Send this and we will call back the same day — or just walk in, somebody is always on the floor.
- Visit us915 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37403
- Call us(423) 555-0146
- Email ushello@pellistonlaundry.com