launderetten.

1949 Vogue Oct. 102/2 A new and interesting development in housekeeping—the advent of the self-service launderette.

1952 Economist 20 Sept. 673 Self-service launderettes are shops where a woman ‘posts’ her washing into a machine which delivers it half an hour later, washed and semi-dried... It is basically the old ‘bagwash’ idea.

1955 J. B. Priestley & J. Hawkes Journey down Rainbow 117 Who does not understand the sudden success of our communal laundrettes?

1967 Which? July 216 Launderettes are shop-like premises, usually equipped with between 8 and 20 large automatic washing machines, supplied with hot water from a central source, and with about one tumbler drier for each three washing machines.

1968 Listener 7 Mar. 316/1 To me the world Strindberg created is like some enclosed launderette of the spirit—the underwear goes round and round but the water has been turned off.

1970 G. Greer Female Eunuch 227 Perhaps the failure of such community living could be avoided by including a pub and a laundrette in each block.

1973 E. Berckman Victorian Album 113 The enemy lumbered into sight carrying two fat plastic bags: obviously bound for the launderette in the High Street.