Express Laundry is only the third Laundromat in Minnesota to have a charge card swipe machine for its bigger washers.

The facility has 54 washers, including washers for a double-load, four-load, six-load and eight-load capacity.

Ever since David and Carol Larson moved to Albert Lea, they said they’ve always been on the lookout for what the community needs.

When they noticed a shortage of quality rental properties, they stepped into the real estate business and renovated some properties to rent, they said.

When the community needed a domestic abuse treatment program, David started that up.

Now, as the owners of the recently opened Express Laundry in the annex of the Skyline Plaza, they said they are looking to fill a need for laundry services in the southwest part of the city.

When they heard the owner of Westside Laundry off West Main Street was retiring, they said they wanted to make sure that part of town still had access to good laundry facilities.

They have also owned the Maytag Megaload Laundry in the strip mall near Walmart since October 2008.

“We’re believing that we’re offering a really quality service to people,” David said.

They opened Express Laundry in August 2009.

He said all of the machines in the Laundromat are state-of-the-art tumbling machines, which are better than agitating machines because they save water and get clothes cleaner.

Of the 54 machines in the facility, there are machines that will handle the equivalency of eight loads of laundry, along with double loaders, four loaders and six loaders.

Carol said all of the machines are front-load washers, which are more efficient on water.

“It’s actually cheaper to do laundry here,” David said. The machines use one-fourth of the water and as a result need less soap.

He said he and his wife aim to have a comfortable, pleasant environment for people doing laundry. People can sit at tables or watch television while they wait for their loads to complete. And they can even use wireless Internet.

The facility offers a coin changer and even a charge card swipe on the bigger washers.

The couple said they believe their prices are in the range of other companies in the area.

“Laundromats are different than they were 20 years ago,” David said.

The couple’s focus is on having a clean, pleasant environment where laundry can be done quickly.

“We feel we provide a really good service to the community,” he said.