Photos by SAMANTHA WHITE

Steve and Doris Davison plan to open The Country Washboard later this month.

Noticing a need in the community for a self-serve laundromat, Steve and Doris Davison plan to open The Country Washboard later this month.

The Davisons originally intended to start their business inside an existing building, but they were unable to find the right fit. Thus, they decided to build their laundromat from the ground up, beginning construction in January.

Located at 134 SW Circle Drive in Hines, the brand-new building is conveniently situated next-door to the Hines post office and across from Hines Park.

With 11 washing machines and 13 dryers, The Country Washboard will offer all the amenities that customers have come to expect from a laundromat and more. In addition to standard-size machines, the laundromat boasts large-capacity appliances

that are ideal for bulky bedding and sleeping bags. Carts and tables will also be available to assist customers with transporting and folding their laundry.

With heating, air conditioning, high ceilings, abundant natural and artificial lighting, plenty of seating, and a beautiful view of the park, customers are bound to find The Country Washboard comfortable and inviting. Vending machines, powerful Wi-Fi, and a children’s reading area will also enhance the experience. The building is even equipped to accommodate a coffee shop, if someone is interested in installing one. There’s also an extra commercial space available for rent inside the building.

The Davisons enlisted Sage DesignWorks, a local graphic-design company, to help spruce up the space. A number of local ranchers said Sage DesignWorks could use their livestock brands to create the artwork that adorns the laundromat’s walls.

“We wanted to incorporate the ranches because we came from Fields, Oregon and lived on a ranch up there,” Doris said, explaining that she and Steve moved to Fields in 2014.

In addition to being comfortable, the Davisons said they want The Country Washboard to be safe and secure, which is why they installed security cameras, built their business near state and city police stations, and chose not to use coin-operated machines.

To discourage break-ins, the laundromat’s washers and dryers will accept plastic value cards. Customers will purchase the cards at the laundromat and then load and reload them using a machine that accepts bills.

“Once they get that card, then they keep it forever,” Doris said. “That’ll be their card for The Washboard.”

Each washer and dryer includes a card reader that will start the machine and tell customers their balance.

Steve noted that the laundromat will be attended most of the time.

“We will definitely be in here on the first days because we want to teach everybody how to run everything,” Doris said.

Steve and Doris noted that they’ll open and close the laundromat daily and check in regularly to maintain cleanliness.

The Davisons also have backup appliances to promptly replace machines that are in disrepair. Fortunately, Steve — who was a machinist for several decades — has plenty of experience working on laundry equipment.

When asked why they decided to start The Country Washboard, Steve said, “We really wanted to do something that the community would accept and [that] would be helpful.”

The Davisons said they will announce The Country Washboard’s opening on Facebook, so stay tuned!