Hamilton Washery owner Stephanie Anderson said that her business offers a laundromat experience you’ll never forget.
“I have customers come from distances,” Anderson said. “I have people from Bordentown, people from Roebling, people from Florence. I have people from Pennsylvania that actually come.”
Anderson believes her business’ friendliness, customer service and cleanliness is the reason customers are willing to drive the extra mile.
“Usually a laundromat has a one mile radius,” she said. “But that’s not the case here.”
Before owning Hamilton Washery, Anderson worked in the financial industry for 28 years. Due to instability in the economy, she decided it was the right time to pursue a personal dream of owning a business. She researched for about two years before coming across the laundromat in September 2010.
Hamilton Washery opened in July 2011.
For 20 years, the location had been an existing laundromat, but it had been closed down for about a year. Since then, the building has been totally renovated from the ceiling tiles to the floor.
Hamilton Washery has Wi-Fi for customers who come in to do their laundry, and also features “drop and dash” for customers who want to drop their laundry off before work and pick it up after work to save them time. There are also wash and fold services and commercial accounts. Dry cleaning services will be coming soon.
The laundromat has 28 60-pound big-load, family size washers and 28 30-pound high-efficiency dryers.
But above all the amenities, Anderson said that it’s most important for her customers to feel at home at Hamilton Washery.
“My customers are like family,” she said. “It’s a family oriented place. We have a children’s play area in the back with a TV. I buy toys and puzzles and things like that. We even provide child-care. We’ll take the kids while their parents fold and wash and do what they have to do. One time, I was carrying a child around in my arm for about an hour.”
Anderson’s number one priority is customer service. She said that she and her employees really cater to their customers. They open the doors to them and help them in and out with their laundry.
On occasion, she’s also tried to help them get jobs.
“I try to help with the contacts that I’ve made throughout the years working in the financial world,” she said. “I’ve helped somebody redo their resumé, and I’ve sent it on to some contacts that I have.”
Anderson said that helping people out and making a difference is what makes the job worth it for her.
On the flip side, it seems customers have appreciated Anderson’s approach and have made Hamilton Washery a hangout of sorts. Anderson recalled two frequent customers who met at Hamilton Washery, and are now friends who chat about their hobbies.
“People meet people,” she said. “I’ve seen friendships evolve just from the couple months that I’ve been here.”
Anderson couldn’t help but smile as she discussed the impact her business has had on members of the community. She said people have thanked her for opening, including one woman who had always had her own washer and dryer for 30 years or so until she went through a divorce and had to downsize to an apartment.
“She had her first laundromat experience somewhere else, and she was so depressed that she cried,” Anderson said. “She just went home; she couldn’t do it. Then she found us, and she thanked me. It meant so much to her to come to a place and feel comfortable and do her laundry. She said the people that work here are just so friendly and everyone is so caring. One day, she said she was having a hard time, and she came here to make herself feel better.”
Anderson said it’s important to her to know everyone personally and by name. She takes pride in owning a place where people can come, do their laundry, socialize, get ample attention and feel better.
“That’s why I do what I do,” Anderson said. “This is where I’m supposed to be in my life. There’s no doubt about it.”
Hamilton Washery is located at 121 Graffam Avenue in Hamilton. It is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. For more information, call (609) 931-9135 or visit hamiltonwashery.com.
Owner Stephanie Anderson stands with laundry by some dryers at Hamilton Washery
