Cohousing-L Mailing List: Common Laundry Advice Needed

[Mike Swettenam (mikesw]

Hello Fellow Cohousers!

Greetings from Oak Creek Commons in Paso Robles California.  Approximately
2/3 of our households are moved in and our common house is within a week or
two of being finished.  Remember that exciting and exhausting time?

We're looking for advice from experienced cohousers on many aspects of
community life and hope you have time to give us some sage wisdom (or at
least insight into where your community finds itself and lessons learned
along the way).

We have a laundry in our common house which will has hook-ups for three
washers and three dryers.  We have money to purchase new machines and would
like to get energy efficient ones.  Approximately 16 households will use the
common laundry (a little less than half the community) for their personal
laundry.  The laundry will also service the common house needs.

Our questions are:

What recommendations do you have for the purchase of washers and dryers?
Anyone have experience with energy efficient models and have brands to
recommend?  What advice regarding residential vs. commercial machines?  What
type of features for both washers & dryers would you suggest.  Any
recommendations on size?

Do you charge for laundry?  If so, how did you determine what to charge?
Anyone use coin op machines?  How does your payment system work for you?

One thing we're considering is leasing the machines and paying an outside
contractor half the coin op proceeds with the other half going to the
community.  Anyone have experience doing this?  How has it worked for you?

How do you schedule use of the laundry for residents and the common house?

Thanks for any help you can send our way in answering these questions!

Nancy Scott &
Michael Swettenam
Oak Creek Commons Cohousing