Laundry Day in Richfield Springs—Then and Now
Tired of competing for machines at the local laundromat? We’ve got good news for future residents of THE BANK LOFTS. Each of our nine apartments will have its own in-unit washer and heat-pump condensing tumble dryer.
LAUNDRY THEN
There is profundity to explore, but also laundry to do.
—Bruce Feiler, author The Council of Dads (William Morrow & Co.)
Back when THE BANK LOFTS building was new, “laundry day" involved a laborious ritual of soaking dirty clothes overnight in a bath of lye, hand-scrubbing stubborn stains on washboards, boiling large quantities of water to sanitize and rinse the linens, wringing out items (again, by hand), heating a weighty cast-metal iron on the stove—or hiring professionals to do the work for you.
A circa 1907 image in the collection of the Richfield Springs Historical Association and Museum(above) shows the employees of M. J. Hedden’s “City Steam Laundry” posed outside their business establishment on Center Street in the Village of Richfield Springs, New York.
Hedden’s laundry opened up shop in the clapboard building, just a few steps from THE BANK LOFTS (then the First National Bank of RIchfield Springs), in 1901. [Note: The site—a vacant lot by the early 21st century—will soon function as a new off-street parking area for residents of THE BANK LOFTS.]
The word steam in the name “City Steam Laundry” had nothing to do with Hedden’s cleaning methods, by the way. It touted the fact that the facility employed modern, Industrial Revolution-era inventions to get this potentially back-breaking “women’s work” done faster: Boilers and steam engines—fueled by greenhouse-gas-emitting coal or kerosene—were used to heat the water that powered the establishment’s wringers and pressing machines.
Above: An advertisement in the Richfield Springs Mercury in 1901 called attention to the attributes of City Steam Laundry, a commercial laundry service owned by M. J. Hedden.
LAUNDRY NOW
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) website offers up-to-date info for homeowners on how heat pump condensing dryers work to help our environment and household budgets. Learn more about energy-efficient household appliances at nyserda.ny.gov
For residents of multifamily buildings like THE BANK LOFTS, having access to a clean, well-maintained, on-site laundry facility is more than a convenience. It’s a necessity that saves weekly journeys to a crowded laundromat or local wash-and-fold. Even better? Having a personal washer/dryer in one’s own apartment.
An in-unit washer/dryer ranks as one of the top living amenities renters say they desire most in their homes.
That’s just one reason why we were thrilled to welcome the delivery truck from Schenectady, NY–based Marcella’s Appliance Center at THE BANK LOFTS project site earlier this month.
On board the truck were:
9 easy-to-clean (without toxic chemicals that impact health and air quality), ceramic-top electric ranges
9 Energy Star-rated microwave ovens
9 Energy Star–rated refrigerator/freezers
and, perhaps the biggest perk of all, 9 new front-loading electric washing machines and 9 new heat-pump condensing tumble dryers—one for each of our nine new loft-style rental apartments.
Our team from Simple Integrity, LLC, was on hand to accept delivery, and installation is well underway.
Special delivery! It's time to install some appliances in THE BANK LOFTS kitchens!
Above: Nine suites of home appliances have arrived for THE BANK LOFTS’ nine loft-style apartments.
Heat Pump Condensing Dryers 101
The energy-saving technology behind heat-pump condensing dryers makes them well suited to a carbon neutral retrofit project like THE BANK LOFTS, which is dedicated to achieving Passive House standards for safety, sustainability, and occupant comfort.
Obvious benefits include improved air quality and lower operating costs: Heat-pump condensing dryers are more climate friendly. They eliminate on-site combustion, significantly improving indoor air quality by reducing the quantity of carbon expelled into our atmosphere. Less energy also means lower operating costs.
Equally important: Unlike conventional gas and electric dryers, which must be exhausted to the exterior of a building, heat-pump condensing dryers are ventless. The fewer vent openings in the building envelope, the fewer opportunities for thermal bridging and air leakage, contributing to a cleaner, more stable, and more comfortable interior living environment.
Aesthetic considerations: Heat-pump condensing dryers look like conventional appliances, without the big exhaust vents. Because they are ventless, heat-pump condensing dryers can be placed just about anywhere the appliances make the most sense in an apartment’s layout. The appliances don’t eat up valuable exterior-wall space you’d rather devote to a window opening, favorite artwork, seating area or TV.
At THE BANK LOFTS, the addition of nine new exhaust vents would have compromised the beauty of the historic brick-veneer façade that our architecture and construction teams from River Architects, PLLC, and Simple Integrity, LLC, are working painstakingly to rescue and revitalize.
LEARN MORE about heat pump condensing dryers and other energy-saving laundry-day appliances from the pros at NYSERDA, at https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Residents-and-Homeowners/Use-Efficient-Appliances-and-Lighting/Major-Appliances/Laundry