Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Last Of Its Kind?

The Chow Keong Hand Laundry is probably the last of the hand laundries in Toronto. It was opened on Avenue Road in 1946 by Chow Keong and is run today by his son Dennis who is in his eighties and Dennis's wife. If you bring your clothes in they are all carefully hand-washed and ironed and ready to be picked up several days later. I took this on a Sunday afternoon and the laundry was closed but I could see Dennis in there working away. And of course there are lovely bonsai plants in the window!
Taking part in Signs, Signs. Click HERE to see more signs from around the world.

31 comments:

Lowell said...

I can't imagine such a place! Probably expensive? But worth it? I buy all my clothes at discounted prices so I hate to pay more to clean them than I paid to buy them... :)

EG CameraGirl said...

I had no idea there were hand laundries any more! I'm fascinated!

John @ Beans and I on the Loose said...

Okay, I'll be thinking about this one for awhile.

Sharon said...

Wow, I haven't heard of a hand wash laundry in years. That really is amazing and I can think of a couple of clothing items that I'd love to let them wash for me. My hand washing skills are not the best.

VP said...

Almost incredible, a real rarity!

Anonymous said...

Another huge blast from the past, although we do still have several items of clothing that still require hand washing! I imagine this business is still quite popular though?

Luis Gomez said...

Pretty amazing!

Stephanie said...

Quite interesting that someone still does hand washing laundry these days!

Marleen said...

I suppose people still bring their laundry there otherwise they wouldn't be there.

Halcyon said...

Hand wash? I don't even hand wash my own stuff anymore!

Tom said...

For me this is a history lesson.

orvokki said...

Lovely window.

Gosia said...

lovely place

Nonnie said...

amazing that a hand-washed laundry still exists! great find

Revrunner said...

Don't think I've ever seen one.

Andy said...

Amazing that the shop has survived so many years. The son is in his eighties and is still able to run the business... that is amazing too.

William Kendall said...

I know a couple of the laundries here offer to do your laundry for you, but that's still by machine, not by hand.

Mo said...

In the current economic climate they are growing here

TexWisGirl said...

neat.

Jim said...

Don't see many of these nowadays.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I'm guessing maybe the last of its kind anywhere! Wow.

Lois said...

How wonderful that it is still there! I've never seen one before.

In answer to your question on my blog, yes, many of the names of these cities are first nation (or native American, as we would say here in the US). In fact, there are native American mounds not far from my house and when we first moved here many years ago, my kids often found arrowheads in our yard and on the playground at their school.

Kate said...

I think the trend is away from clothes that need dry cleaning to fabrics that do not need that level of care. Nothing looks better tho than a newly cleaned and pressed garment right out of the cleaners.

genie said...

This is an amazing story. I know they go work that you do not see anymore. They are special people.

Cloudia said...

Something very praiseworthy about all that!








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Photo Cache said...

They have a good business to be up all these years.

Frankly My Dear

Gerald (SK14) said...

I also like the reflection showing the street opposite

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Hand laundry!! Well that's a first for me Pat, launderettes, yes. I have a friend who washes most of her clothes by hand, I mean, who has the time, or inclination to do that :)

Unknown said...

What a fantastic place, that's so cool. Lovely reflection in the window as well...

Laura. M said...

Gradually they disappear. For here too :((

Unknown said...

Hand-washed? WOW!