Richmond Municipal Code Ch. 9.36 Public Laundries

It is unlawful for any person to hereafter establish, maintain or carry on the business of a public laundry or a public wash-house where clothes or other articles are cleansed for hire within the limits of Fire District No. 1 and Fire District No. 2 of the City of Richmond, as the fire limits are described and set forth in the laws of the City of Richmond creating and establishing fire zones, and the amendments thereto, without having first complied with the conditions hereinafter specified.

It is unlawful for any person to conduct or maintain a public laundry or public wash-house within the fire district limits without first having obtained a certificate signed by the director of public health that the floors of the laundry are constructed of concrete, and the premises properly and sufficiently drained, and that all proper arrangements for carrying on the business without injury to the sanitary condition of the neighborhood have been complied with, and particularly that the provisions of all regulations pertaining thereto have been complied with; also a certificate signed by the chief of the fire department of the City that the stoves, chimney, washing and drying apparatus, and the appliances for heating smoothing irons are in good condition, and that there is no danger to the surrounding property from fire.

(Amended by Ordinance No. 348 N.S.)

No person engaged in the business of conducting, operating or maintaining such public laundry or wash-house, shall permit any person or persons to lodge or sleep within or upon the premises used by such person for such purposes.

It shall be the duty of the director of public health and also the chief of the fire department to inspect the premises on which such laundry or wash-house business is being conducted from time to time, with a view of ascertaining whether the premises are provided with proper drainage and sanitary appliances; also whether the provisions of all regulations relating thereto have been complied with.

It is unlawful for any person conducting, maintaining or operating a public laundry or wash-house within the limits of the fire districts to dry any article of clothing washed in such laundry in any place other than a room used exclusively for drying purposes, which room must be entirely cut off from any other room, excepting that it may be connected with another room by means of a door opening thereto, in which event such door shall always be kept closed when not being used by a person when leaving or entering the room, and the drying room, unless provided with a steam drying process, must be ventilated by at least two windows opening to the outer air, one of which windows shall be on the side opposite to another one of such windows.

The provisions hereof are not intended to apply to any person doing laundry work of not to exceed five private families, but they are intended to and shall apply to the conducting, maintaining and operating of public laundries within the fire districts.

(Source: Ordinance No. 1746)