Recently my washing machine decided it had had enough and stopped working. Being a mom of two, laundry is something I have to do daily just to try and keep up with it. So not having a washer isn't gonna cut it.

Thankfully there's a 24-hour laundromat about a five-minute drive from my house. I haven't had to go to one in a while and man have they gotten a facelift since the last time I was there.

24/7 Laundry on N. 2nd in Machesney Park is a great addition to the neighborhood. It's only been around for a couple of years, but already it's my new favorite laundromat in town. Also on the list is the 24-hour one in Rockford across the street from Mulligan's because you can time it outright so you may enjoy an adult beverage in between washing and drying your laundry. Plus there's one on S. Alpine that's really nice and never busy!

The upgrades at the laundromat were much needed in some cases and maybe not so much in others.

The first one I love is the machines will actually make change for your $20 instead of just giving you a whole lot of quarters. Plus if you're getting change for your $5 you'll get $1 coins.

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But if you're not into having all that change in your pockets or maybe you do your laundry in sweats so you do have pockets, then you'll really like this upgrade. You can now download an app and pay for laundry that way too.

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Machines are pretty much standard compared to the other laundromats I've been too and will run you $3 - $9.50 depending on the size of the machine you use. The dryers are also pretty decent. You get 7 minutes for .25c and they seem to dry a little better than other machines.

Now what to do with that downtime in between loads, why not grab a bite to eat?

You don't have to leave this location if you're getting hungry waiting for your clothes to wash. There's a Happy Wok and Genuine Broasters Chicken right on site! I've sampled the menu for both. It's nothing fancy, but it is tasty. And did see a sign about them carrying beer too!

If you're not hungry but don't want to drain the life from your phone battery, there's a mini arcade in the corner too. My kids like the California Speed driving game, I'm bummed the South Park pinball machine isn't working. They're not currently available for play but there are also slots in where the restaurants are.

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The one sorta "upgrade" I noticed that really isn't much of one is there are flat screens along the walls and they appear to have cable because the one TV in the corner by the dryers is always on BET.

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But that's just it. Every time I've been there the TVs are always on the same channels as the time before. So wither no one is really paying attention to tell, they're turned down so low you can't really hear them, or there's no way to change the channel anymore.

All in all, am I glad my washer broke? Not really. But it feels good to have done it all at once and get it out of the way. Plus it's nice to know in situations like these, there's a good place in the neighborhood to go.

*Almost forgot the COVID update. I guess I don't really think about it all that much. Roll with the punches, practice good common sense, and just hope it'll all be over soon. Anyhow, yes I did see hand sanitizer on a table, everything appears to be wiped down quite regularly (I normally go later in the day so an attendant just sorta checks in), there is no sign up indicated on whether or not a mask is required (some were wearing them, others were not), but it's a laundromat so normally everyone wants to get in, get their laundry done, and go. Meaning that proper social distancing is being followed*

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