Laundromat: Wash-Dry-Fold Price

All versions

Wash-dry-fold is sold by the pound, but a small bag still ties up a machine and a folder. MAX prices the weight and quietly enforces your order minimum on the little ones.

Quick formula: Pounds times your per-pound rate, floored at the minimum:

=MAX(D2,B2*C2)

A 22 lb bag at $1.75 is $38.50; an 8 lb bag computes $14 but bills the $20 minimum.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

MAX

The example

Three orders, each with a weight, per-pound rate, and order minimum.

	A	B	C	D	E
1	Order	Pounds	$ / lb	Minimum	Price
2	Comforter bag	8	$1.75	$20	$20.00
3	Weekly bag	22	$1.75	$20	$38.50
4	Family load	35	$1.60	$20	$56.00

The formula

MAX returns whichever is larger — the weight price or the minimum:

=MAX(D2,B2*C2) // floor the by-the-pound price at the minimum

How it works

Two candidate prices; the bigger one wins:

B2*C2 is the weight price: pounds times your per-pound rate.
D2 is the order minimum that covers the machine and the fold time.
MAX returns the larger, so a light bag never underpays the labor.

Weigh the bag before quoting; customers routinely under-guess a full week of laundry by five pounds or more.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter the weight, per-pound rate, and your order minimum.

Pounds

$ per lb

Minimum ($)

Variations

Same-day rush

Add a rush multiplier for same-day turnaround.

=MAX(D2,B2*C2)*IF(Rush,1.5,1)

Round to the quarter

Round the ticket to a clean quarter-dollar.

=MROUND(MAX(D2,B2*C2),0.25)

Pitfalls & errors

Weigh the dry laundry on your scale, not the customer's guess — the price is only as good as the pounds you enter.

Set the minimum to cover one machine cycle plus the fold; small bags cost nearly the same labor as big ones.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Laundromat: Wash-Dry-Fold Price practice workbook

Edit the yellow Pounds, $ / lb, and Minimum cells; the Price recalculates.

Frequently asked questions

What is a typical wash-dry-fold rate?

Rates commonly run $1.25–$2.00 per pound with a small order minimum. The formula works with whatever rate and minimum you set.

How do I add a rush fee?

Multiply the result by a rush factor: =MAX(D2,B2*C2)*IF(Rush,1.5,1) adds 50% for same-day service only when the rush flag is on.

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Function references: MAX