Nudist Laundry de Luxe

This establishment is not easily identifiable from the street. There is no signage save the address marker. The brownstone building front looks mostly like a well-to-do apartment building or small hotel; when passersby get a peek inside the normally-closed front door, they can see only a small lobby, carpeted in red and paneled in dark wood with a few brass fixtures, containing a small reception desk. Knowledge of the establishment travels only by word of mouth.

Proceed through the front door into the modest but rich lobby, carrying your bag of dirty laundry. Upon entry you barely notice the familiar whirring above you that is indicative of the business upstairs. On a cord around your neck is your photo membership card, which you show to the desk clerk; the clerk welcomes you and verifies your membership status. On the way past, stop at the magnetic-stripe reader in the corner and swipe your card, to make sure you have enough money in your house debit account for today's work. Then if you wish you may pick up a brass cart for your laundry, which you wheel into the small mirrored elevator, and you proceed upstairs.

As the elevator doors open, you emerge into a large room, with hardwood floors and painted walls, which is dominated by the standard rows of washers and dryers. All the washers, dryers, and vending machines are card-operated, so nobody has to deal with coins. Between the rows of machines are soft chairs and couches, which may be fitted with clean linens available in nearby cabinets. You may read a book, converse, play cards, or simply relax and enjoy the idea that all your clothes will be clean when you've finished. On one end of the room is a fireplace, used in the colder months. At the back there is a smaller room with shower stalls in it, so you can meet your clean clothes feeling refreshed yourself. Towels and bathrobes are supplied; soap and shampoo, if you haven't brought your own, are available for a small fee taken from your card. (If the management finds it necessary to cover expenses, the showers themselves may be card-operated and timed).

According to custom, you may wash the clothes you are wearing, keeping shoes and any valuables in the appropriate lockers to one side, which are locked and unlocked using your card. Though there are no particular requirements, the policy is clothing-actively-discouraged to promote an equitable atmosphere and to prevent people from joining out of voyeurism.

Identifiable personnel maintain a constant presence to replenish linens and to maintain security. In case of fire, the facility has a private exit to a walled and canopied courtyard behind the building. Under the seats are insulated robes wrapped in plastic, in case the weather is inhospitable in such an emergency.