How a Laundry Collection Service Works — Step by Step

A laundry collection service sounds straightforward: someone picks up your laundry, cleans it and brings it back. But if you have never used one before, you might wonder exactly what the process involves — what happens to your clothes, how pricing works and what you are responsible for. This guide explains all of it, step by step.

Step 1: You book a collection through the app

With Laundry Free, everything starts in the app. You open it, choose a collection date and time window, and confirm. The whole process takes under a minute. You do not need to specify what laundry you have or how much — that comes later.

Collections are available Monday to Sunday, 8am to 8pm, across Epsom, Leatherhead, Ashtead, Ewell and Fetcham in Surrey. Once you have confirmed, the booking is locked in and you will receive a reminder closer to the time.

Step 2: A driver collects from your door

At your chosen time, a driver arrives at your address and collects your laundry. You hand it over however it is — in a bag, a laundry basket, or loose. There is no requirement to sort by colour, fabric or temperature. There is no minimum or maximum amount.

This collection is free. There is no charge for the driver visiting your address, regardless of how much laundry you hand over.

Step 3: Every item is logged at the facility

When your laundry arrives at the cleaning facility, a team member goes through every piece individually. Each item is identified, logged against your order and given a price according to a published price list. Shirts, trousers, bedding, delicates — each one has its own entry.

This itemised list appears in the app so you can see exactly what was collected and what each piece will cost. If you have enabled Price Review in your preferences, you will receive a notification and can approve all charges before any cleaning begins. Nothing is processed without your knowledge.

Step 4: Cleaning to the care label

Each item is cleaned according to the care label attached to it. This matters more than most people realise. A cotton shirt and a merino wool jumper require completely different wash temperatures, spin speeds and drying methods. A service that puts everything on one cycle risks damaging delicates or under-cleaning everyday items.

Where an item has no care label — older garments, for example — the cleaning team applies their professional experience to determine the safest and most effective cleaning method. Your preferences for stain treatment, folding style and other details are also applied at this stage, based on what you have set in your account.

Step 5: Your clothes are returned, clean and folded

Once cleaned, everything is neatly folded and packed. A driver delivers your laundry back to your address in the delivery slot you selected when you booked. The entire turnaround from collection to delivery is within 48 hours.

Delivery is free. If your plans change before the delivery goes out, you can change the delivery slot directly in the app at no extra charge.

What about payment?

Payment is taken after your items have been logged and priced, not at booking. You are charged only for what was cleaned — at the per-item prices listed in the app. There are no membership fees, no minimum order charges and no delivery fees added at checkout.

If you want full control before paying, enabling Price Review means you explicitly approve every charge before it is taken. The app shows you the complete breakdown and waits for your confirmation.