The Best Laundromats in Toronto

The best laundromats in Toronto are as hard to find as a missing sock. There are thousands of them in the city, and most are destined to ruin your clothes sooner or later (probably sooner). But laundromats force us into the uneasy choice of convenience over quality, so we take our chances with unreliable washers and unclean dryers simply because we can walk over to the place in our pyjamas.

Fortunately, things are changing--albeit at glacier speeds--on the coin laundry front. Eco-friendliness is in, and some new laundromat owners are taking note. That said, a few old gems are still doing a fantastic job with upgraded, well-maintained equipment and perks like WiFi and cable TV. I scoured the city's renter pockets and found these coin laundries, which are definitely worth a try.

Here's my list of the best laundromats in Toronto.

Speedy Queen Coin Laundry (1548 Queen St W)
If you live in Parkdale, you'll agree that trips to the laundromat can sometimes be unnerving. Fortunately, Speedy Queen recently received an extreme makeover and is now filled with top-of-the-line energy-efficient Electrolux gear. Not only does this place have a genuinely civilized atmosphere (the owner's attention to detail shows in the fresh wall colours and elegant plants), it's also absolutely spotless. With a huge variety of washers (from 60lb-ers to double-loaders), Speedy is perfect for messy patrons. Bonus points for alterations and dry cleaning, and if you hurry, you'll still get the grand opening deal on the dry. Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm, 7 days a week.

Eco Laundry Room/Café Guru (2741 Danforth Ave.)
Now, this is a laundromat to end all laundromats. I wouldn't be surprised if I saw the owners of Eco pitching a franchise on Dragon's Den--these guys have got their laundry figured out. The concept is genius: eco-friendly (Bullfrog powered, stocked with green detergent, with features like recycled wood floors and energy-saving lights), Eco doesn't look--or smell--like a laundromat. Have a seat at a nice table, open up your laptop, and enjoy a cup of fresh coffee or a treat from Café Guru, the other brilliant feature of Eco's. All this place needs is a corner for a 15-minute yoga class. Hours: 6 am-10 pm, 7 days a week.

Hollywood Coin Laundry (180 Ossington Ave.)
It's nice to see a laundromat owner put some effort into giving his/her place a theme. Kitsch as it may be, what with all the celebrity posters circa 1983, Hollywood is still a legitimately solid laundromat. It's remarkably clean, features two-dozen double-loaders (predictably catering to all the young singles in the area) and a few giant washers (if you ended up marrying the person you met here and are now washing a family load). Not a single machine was out of order at the time of this review, and they also offer wash and fold services. There's ample parking in the back and more than a few little cafes and galleries around to occupy you while your clothes dry. Hours: 6:00am - 10:30pm, 7 days a week.

Splish-Splash (590 College Street)
A few doors down from Café Diplomatico (bonus points for location), Splish Splash isn't just a place to wash your pants. In fact, it's designed more like a WiFi-ed curio shop with a front section filled with collectibles, a few rows of your usual variety store provisions and a TV. The laundromat area itself is clean and very well maintained, and not especially huge, but size is not what matters here. Just drop off your stuff (they also offer wash, fold and alteration services), enjoy your date at the Dip, and come back when it's done--coin laundry just doesn't get any more relaxing than that. Hours: 6:00am-10:00pm, 7 days a week, with the last load at 8:45pm.

New World Laundry (600 Parliament St.)
This relatively new-to-the-area coin wash has everything a good laundromat needs: it's immaculately clean, spacious, the washers are the latest energy-saving models and all are in mint condition. The laundromat's owners are always around and more than happy to help, and there's also a wash and fold service. They offer parking in the back, WiFi and TV inside, and although it's surrounded by high-rises filled with big families, and very few laundromats nearby, New World seems to be handling its load without a problem. Don't worry if you forgot your detergent--they'll help with that too. Hours: 6am-10pm, Fri-Sun: 5:30am-10pm.

Beach Solar Laundromat (2240 Queen St East)
You know the burn of having hauled a mega-load to the laundromat, only to find out that all the washers are taken? It'll never happen at the Beach Solar, because these guys have a webcam on their website to track laundry traffic. What really makes Beach Solar a top-10 contender is that it operates--you guessed it--on solar energy. The Beach Solar is something of a landmark in Toronto, having won international awards for its environmental practices. Though the equipment here isn't super-modern (I spotted a few top loaders), it's all in perfect working order, they offer wash and fold, and when it comes to its carbon footprint, the Beach Solar is, without a doubt, as washing-forward as a laundromat can be. Hours: 5:00am - 10:30pm, 7 days a week.

The Laundry Centre (3075 Pharmacy Ave.)
Though pretty removed from the downtown core, The Laundry Centre is a laundromat that takes laundry to the next level. It boasts a huge range of the latest Electrolux machines, all digitally operated. Depending on the type of wash, you can control how much you want to spend (the difference between a quick wash and long one can be anywhere between $1 and $1.50). The place is located in a strip mall off of Finch Ave., so not a whole lot is going on in the surrounding area. But they remedy it with WiFi, TV, a pop/snack machine, a kids' corner and even--gasp--a washroom! Hours: 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, with the attendant on-site between 9:00am - 7:30pm.

Jumbo Coin Laundry & Convenience (1067 College St West)
From the street, Jumbo looks like a neighbourhood corner shop, but step inside, and you'll find a laundry palace. The place is enormous and divided into sections for different-sized machines (each in mint condition), a spacious seating area and a variety store in the back. They also offer wash and fold services. You won't be making friends with the owner--he's a bit grumpy--but with so many available washers, your laundry will be done in no time, and there's plenty of parking on the street, for a quick getaway. Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm, 7 days a week.

Wash World King West (1182 King St. West)
Located between Liberty Village and West Queen West and perfectly maintained, this laundromat is guaranteed to keep your plaids and denims intact. It boasts lots of washers in all shapes and sizes (a few top-loaders still linger in the corner, but the rest are upgraded and energy-efficient), plenty of dryers, and a wash and fold service. You can relax, watch TV, hop on the free WiFi, or run across the street to gawk at the guitars in the Gibson Lounge window--Wash World makes doing laundry a pretty painless experience. Hours: Mon.-Thurs. between 7:30am - 11:00pm; Fri. - Sun. between 6:30am - midnight.

Wash World St Clair West (150 Kenwood Ave.)
There are more laundromats in this neighbourhood than wire hangers in your closet, but this little gem takes the cake. Tucked in between Wychwood and Kenwood (just a few steps away from the gorgeous Cedarvale Park), it offers everything from wash/fold to dry cleaning to alterations. There's always a smiling face behind the counter, ready to answer the most tedious questions. The place is never busy and as clean as they get--I walked in to find the owner scrubbing a washing machine with a toothbrush. There's also plenty of parking in front so you can stop by, drop off your load and go for a nice hike in Cedarvale. Hours: 8:00am - 10:00pm, 7 days a week.

Writing by Inna Gertsberg. Photos (in order) courtesy of Lady Zebra, jentse, RebootYourComputer and -stacey- in the blogTO Flickr pool.