Moving to the Seattle Eastside? Laundry Setup Checklist

Welcome to the Eastside. Whether you're relocating for work, upgrading from Seattle, or moving to the area for the first time, there's a lot to figure out — and laundry is one of those things you don't think about until you're standing in your new apartment with a pile of dirty clothes and no plan.

This guide covers everything you need to know about laundry on the Seattle Eastside: what to do if your apartment doesn't have a washer/dryer, how to handle moving day laundry, and the options available whether you want to do it yourself or never touch a washing machine again.

If Your Apartment Has No Washer/Dryer

This is more common on the Eastside than you might expect, especially in older apartment complexes along the 520 corridor, in Redmond's Overlake neighborhood, and in parts of Kirkland and Bothell. Some buildings have shared laundry rooms with coin-operated machines; some have nothing at all.

If you're in this situation, you have two good options:

Option 1: Self-Serve Laundromat

Overlake Laundromat is the only established, full-service laundromat in the Overlake/Redmond area. Our self-serve facility has commercial-grade washers and dryers in multiple sizes — from standard loads to extra-large machines for comforters and bulky items.

Advantages of our self-serve machines over shared apartment laundry rooms:

• Bigger machines: Commercial washers handle larger loads in fewer cycles, saving you time
• Cleaner machines: Our machines are professionally maintained and cleaned regularly — no mystery residue from previous tenants
• All sizes available: Wash a comforter, rug, or sleeping bag that won't fit in a residential machine
• No waiting: Multiple machines available vs. the 2-3 machines in a typical apartment laundry room

Option 2: Pickup & Delivery (Never Go to a Laundromat)

If you'd rather never set foot in a laundromat, our pickup & delivery service brings the laundromat to you. Here's how it works:

1. Schedule a pickup online or by calling (425) 881-0303
2. Bag your laundry and leave it at your door
3. We pick it up, wash & fold everything at our facility using commercial machines
4. We deliver it back — clean, folded, and ready to put away — usually within 24 hours

This is the most popular option for Eastside apartment residents without in-unit laundry. No hauling bags to a laundromat, no waiting for machines, no folding. $3.15 per pound with free pickup & delivery.

If You Have In-Unit Laundry But Hate Doing It

Having a washer/dryer in your apartment is convenient, but it doesn't mean you have to use it. Many of our customers have perfectly functional in-unit laundry and still use our wash & fold pickup & delivery because they'd rather spend their time doing literally anything else.

The math works out, too. Factor in the cost of your time, plus detergent, plus electricity and water usage on your utility bill, and professional wash & fold at $3.15/lb is competitive — especially when you consider that it includes sorting, stain pre-treatment, and professional folding.

A lot of our customers use a hybrid approach: they wash quick daily items at home (a shirt here, a pair of pants there) and send the bulk loads — towels, sheets, workout clothes, kids' clothes — to us on a weekly pickup schedule.

Moving Day Laundry: Start Fresh in Your New Place

Moving generates a surprising amount of laundry. By the time you've unpacked, everything that was packed in boxes smells like cardboard and packing tape. Your bedding, towels, curtains, and clothes all need washing before you can settle in. On top of that, you're exhausted from moving and the last thing you want to do is laundry.

Here's our recommendation: bundle everything into one large pickup order the day after your move.

• All bedding: Sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers, blankets — wash everything before making the beds
• All towels: Bath towels, hand towels, kitchen towels — fresh towels for your first shower in the new place
• Curtains and window treatments: These often pick up dust and odor during the move
• Any clothes that were packed: Anything that sat in boxes benefits from a fresh wash

Schedule the pickup for the day after your move. We'll wash, dry, fold, and deliver everything back so you can make your beds with fresh sheets and stock your bathroom with clean towels. It's one less thing to worry about during the chaos of moving.

City-by-City Neighborhood Guide

Here's what to know about laundry options as you settle into different Eastside neighborhoods:

Bellevue

Downtown Bellevue's newer high-rises (Avalon, SOMA Towers, Bellecrest) typically include in-unit washer/dryer. Older apartments around Factoria, Crossroads, and Lake Hills are more hit-or-miss — always ask about laundry before signing a lease. Overlake Laundromat serves all of Bellevue with free pickup & delivery.

Redmond

The Overlake neighborhood (where we're located) has a mix of older apartments near Microsoft campus that may lack in-unit laundry and newer developments in Marymoor Village and downtown Redmond that include it. Overlake Laundromat is the go-to self-serve option for Redmond residents, and our pickup & delivery covers the entire city.

Kirkland

Downtown Kirkland and the Totem Lake area have a range of apartment options. Kirkland's older apartment stock (near the waterfront and in Juanita) often has shared laundry rooms or no laundry at all. We deliver to all Kirkland neighborhoods — from downtown to Finn Hill to Kingsgate.

Sammamish

Sammamish is primarily single-family homes, most of which have in-unit laundry. But even homeowners use our pickup & delivery for the convenience factor — especially busy families. We cover all of Sammamish with free delivery.

Issaquah, Bothell, Woodinville, and Beyond

Our delivery area covers the full Seattle Eastside: Issaquah, Bothell, Woodinville, Mercer Island, Medina, Clyde Hill, Newcastle, Kenmore, and Yarrow Point. Wherever you land on the Eastside, we can pick up and deliver your laundry. Check our complete service area map for details.

Tech Worker Relocation: Microsoft, Google, Meta, and Nintendo

A huge percentage of people moving to the Eastside are tech workers relocating for jobs at Microsoft (Redmond campus), Google (Kirkland), Meta (Bellevue and Redmond), Nintendo of America (Redmond), and other tech companies with Eastside offices.

If you're in this camp, here's what we see from other tech workers who've made the move: the first few weeks are chaos. You're onboarding at a new job, learning a new city, setting up a new apartment, and trying to establish basic routines. Laundry falls to the bottom of the priority list.

Our recommendation: set up a weekly pickup schedule from day one. It's one less thing to figure out during the transition. Once you're settled and have a routine, you can decide whether you want to continue with pickup & delivery or switch to doing your own laundry. Most tech worker customers who start with our service end up keeping it — the time savings are too valuable, especially with demanding work schedules.

We also see a lot of tech relocations from the Bay Area, where laundry pickup & delivery services are common. If you used a service like that in San Francisco or San Jose, you'll feel right at home with ours — except we use commercial machines at our own facility, not someone's home washer.

New to the Area? Save $10 on Your First Pickup

Explore Your Laundry Options

• Self-Serve Laundromat — commercial machines, all sizes
• Wash & Fold Service — drop off or pickup & delivery
• Pickup & Delivery — free across the Eastside
• Laundry Service for the Seattle Eastside
• Service Areas — full delivery coverage map
• Pricing — $3.15/lb wash & fold, comforter pricing, and more

More Helpful Guides for New Residents

• The Complete Guide to Wash & Fold Laundry Service
• How Much Does Laundry Pickup Cost in Bellevue & Redmond?
• Is Your Laundry App Using Someone's Home Washer?
• Spring Cleaning Laundry Guide

Frequently Asked Questions