‘This wasn’t my goal. At first I...

‘This wasn’t my goal. At first I thought, “Oh, how boring! Doing laundry for people? Boring! Totally boring!” ’

In 1961, when Virginia Heskett’s husband was stationed with the Marine Corps in New Jersey, she remembers wailing: “I want to go home! I want a washing machine and a dryer!” Now, the 48-year-old Heskett has 33 washing machines and 15 dryers, and cautions people about what they wish for. Heskett is the proud, and very involved, owner of the Clothes R Clean coin-operated laundry on Voltaire Street in Point Loma. She came to San Diego from Cleveland after the death of her parents and a drawn-out divorce. She wanted a clean start, but she never dreamed she would find herself in the laundry business. Heskett has created a coin laundry that oozes a kind of homey charm. She spends most of her time there, proffering cups of her famous coffee, or practicing her operatic scales near the detergent dispenser. She makes fluffing and folding fun, and using fabric softener becomes a virtual Mardi Gras . Times staff writer Caroline Lemke interviewed Heskett between rinse cycles, and Bob Grieser photographed her.

It’s my place. I’ve had it for 2 1/2 years, and it’s my own place. I wanted to buy a restaurant, but a very close friend of mine talked me out of it due to the failure rate in restaurants. We were going to do a partnership, but we kind of backed out of it, and I think I shocked him when I just upped and did it myself. I think he about died the night I came in and said, “Guess what I bought today?”

This wasn’t my goal. At first I thought, oh, how boring! Doing laundry for people? Boring! Totally boring! But as I got into this place and realized the people contact I have, I’ve got a lot of contact. It’s amazing what you can know about people by their laundry, too.

I’ve had a few little problems, but I feel very protected in here most of the time. I never have to lift a case of soap. There’s always one of the guys. But I do a lot of extra things for them. I help them with their spots and their stains, and I’ve salvaged a lot of pink underwear. I believe in the very old-fashioned principle “do unto others.” I treat them good, and I get treated good in return.

I joined the choir at All Hallows Catholic Church in La Jolla. I sing two Masses every Sunday. That’s my joy in life. I also go to Grossmont College; I’m taking an opera workshop out there. One night I was here at the Laundromat closing all by myself, and I got a little carried away because I got nervous. And I was singing, and I didn’t realize how loud I had gotten. I was singing “Summertime,” which you can really belt out, and a man came in from down the street and said, “I thought that was you!”

I have a ball in this place. I work hard. I go home so tired sometimes I’m going to drop, but yet I get more hugs than anybody I know. I get hugs from all these good-looking young guys. I have a very good rapport with my customers. I feel like a local counselor. I have lots of kids come in and tell me their boyfriend problems, a lot of stuff, and I’ve been to numerous weddings of customers.

If I don’t feel good or something, the customers sense it and a lot of them help me out. It’s amazing, but it goes back to my main principle, “do unto others.” I’ve been known to sew buttons on for customers. I had a guy come in one time in a rush on his way to an interview and he said, “Do you know anybody who can sew a button on?” I said, “Yeah, you know darn well you’re looking at her.” I had another guy call me one day who asked if I had an iron here. I really don’t, but I think I’m going to start keeping one here, though I’m not going to iron because that’s against my religion. That’s the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not iron. I believe in it firmly.

I’m fortunate. I’m a very blessed, lucky lady in many ways, and I know it. I’ve been sweating it out here. There’s times when I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to make it or not, but somehow I know I will.