Stepping inside Salman Ali Syed’s shop, one can easily mistake it for any other showroom. Named Express Wash Laundromat, it is perhaps the first American-type laundromat in the city, completely different from the conventional dry clean centres.
Offering people a respite from the banal drudgery of washing clothes daily, Express Wash Laundromat, situated at Tolichowki, allows customers to wash their clothes themselves at the store; or for a little extra money, will do it for them.
What is different about the place is that the laundry is done by kilograms and not per piece, and the cost of washing clothes varies depending on many combinations the place offers.
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“We used to have two machines in the building which we owned, catering to our patrons . After I came here, I found out that such a store doesn’t exist in Hyderabad or anywhere in the State, so I decided to start one,” said Mr. Syed, owner of Express Wash Laundromat, who started the outlet 14 months ago with six machines. In order to make his business appealing, his shop offers free Wi-Fi, movies to watch, and soft drinks to customers.
Starting with Rs. 40 per kilogram of clothes for self-washing and Rs. 66 if one wants to iron the clothes in addition to washing, the outlet offers pickup/delivery, steam ironing, drying and other options for its patrons.
“At least 25 per cent of the people who come here are foreign students, while the rest are locals. We even get pickup calls from Hitec City and Kondapur,” claims Mr. Syed and hints at plans to extend the business.
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