Creative Time Usage: Things to Do at the Laundromat

I hadn't really given much thought in the past to how many people use the local laundromat to wash their clothes. We have a washer at home, but have a private well so sometimes it's just easier to take all the clothes and do them at the laundromat, since most times we only do one load per day and those are my husband's work clothes. That means the sheets and such tend to set for a bit before being done.

So I got to thinking that while we were washing clothing, I could do something constructive, rather than just sit and twiddle my thumbs like I see done often times. I was trying to figure out what I could do that would be both constructive and pass the time and came up with several ideas. So I thought that I would share the ideas with everyone else who uses the laundromat.

Read a book. Most laundromats have benches for people to sit while their clothing is in the washer or dryer so why not take a book and sit to read for a while. Not only are you passing the time, but you're giving yourself the time to read without guilt of neglecting other things that you could be doing. Most of us are busy and don't have a whole lot of free time to sit and read, so this is the perfect excuse to crack the spine of the latest novel on your shelves.

Work on crafts. If you do crafts that are easily portable from place to place like needle-work or knitting, you can gather your things into a small bag and take those with you. Sit on a bench or even in your car and work on your project quietly. Like with the book, taking it to the laundromat gives you an excuse to work on it without shirking on other responsibilities that you may have.

Write. If you enjoy writing, you can take a notebook or if you own one, a laptop computer, with you and write. You don't have to worry about interruptions from your family and can work in peace while your clothes are washing. If you're lucky and have a laptop, you may be able to find a hotspot and get Internet access that you can use for any research that you may need.

Work. A common thing that is heard is that women (and some men) don't have enough time to balance working outside the home with doing household chores. A lot of times this is true because they are working an inordinate number of hours, both in the office and at home after hours. If you're lucky enough to have a laptop computer or don't need a computer in order to work, you can gather your things and take them with you. It may be difficult if the laundromat doesn't have a table that you can work on, but if you own a portable desk, you can take that with you to work on.

A lot can be accomplished if you take a few minutes to think about what you need to or want to get done. You just have to be resourceful enough to make use of the time that you have while your clothes wash and dry to get other things accomplished.