Washing Baltimore’s laundry since 1932
Ricky Tsao holds a photograph of his grandfather, Chak Wing Tsao, in the family’s T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry. His grandfather, who died in 1995, started the business in 1932.
Shirley Tsao, whose family owns TC Wing Laundry in Roland Park, chats with long-time customer Charles Johnson of Baltimore, who is a retired equities trader and investment banker.
Members of the Tsao family have been faithfully washing Baltimore’s shirts, blouses and linens at the T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry in Roland Park since 1932. This is the city’s only remaining Chinese laundry.
Chak Wing Tsao, an immigrant from China, started the business. Since his retirement in 1978, grandson Ricky and his wife Shirley have been carrying on the tradition of customer care and personal attention. Each garment is carefully cleaned and ironed, then wrapped in brown paper and tied with string.
Shirley Tsao is the friendly face behind the counter, who considers her customers members of her family. “I am so fortunate to have the most wonderful customers,” she said. Over the years she has visited them in their homes and attended weddings and special events for 5 generations of families.
Shirley quips that one day, if she ever gets to retire, she’s going to write a book about all the small-town Baltimore stories she hears from her customers. She has the title, but needs time to write the novel. “Dirty Laundry,” is what it will be called, she says with a laugh.
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- T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry in Roland Park has been a family-run business since 1932.
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- A pair of antique irons which were used for many years by the founder of TC Wing Laundry, are preserved in the laundry’s front window.
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- Ricky Tsao, right, and his wife Shirley, left, hold a photograph of his grandfather, Chak Wing Tsao, in the family’s T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry. His grandfather, who died in 1995, started the business in 1932. Ricky and his wife Shirley have been carrying on the tradition for the last 40 years.
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- Shirley Tsao, whose family owns TC Wing Laundry in Roland Park, chats at the counter with long-time customers Judy Kasper, left, and Gregg Bernstein, right.
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- Shirley Tsao sorts garments in her family’s business, the T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry in Roland Park, which was started by her husband’s grandfather in 1932.
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- Shirley Tsao, whose family owns TC Wing Laundry in Roland Park, rushes by a rack of clean shirts.
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- Shirley Tsao, whose family owns TC Wing Laundry in Roland Park, irons a blouse.
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- Shirley Tsao, whose family owns TC Wing Laundry in Roland Park, chats with long-time customer Charles Johnson of Baltimore, who is a retired equities trader and investment banker.
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- Shirley Tsao, whose family owns TC Wing Laundry in Roland Park, irons a blouse. They are the city’s last remaining Chinese hand laundry. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun)
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- Shirley Tsao, whose family owns TC Wing Laundry in Roland Park, buttons a blouse she has just ironed.
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- Packages of shirts and some hangers are on a table at TC Wing Laundry, which is the city’s last remaining Chinese hand laundry.
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- Shirley Tsao places shirts in brown paper to be wrapped in her family’s business, the T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry in Roland Park.
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- Shirley Tsao places shirts in brown paper to be wrapped in her family’s business, the T.C. Wing Hand Laundry in Roland Park, which was started by her husband’s grandfather in 1932.
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- Clean shirts are packaged in brown paper and tied with string at TC Wing Laundry.
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- Packages of shirts lay on a shelf waiting to be picked up at TC Wing Laundry.
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- The cash register at T.C. Wing Laundry is the original one purchased by founder T.C. Wing.
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- Bill Patternotte of Baltimore, left, whose family have been customers at T.C. Wing Laundry for 5 generations, talks with Shirley Tsao, right, whose grandfather-in-law founded the family business in 1932.
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- Shirley Tsao looks through a rack of cleaned shirts in her family’s business, the T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry in Roland Park.
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- Long-time customer Richard Chisholm of Baltimore, left, suggested an arm-wrestle with Shirley Tsao, right, for which she cheerfully obliged.
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- Long-time customer Richard Chisholm of Baltimore leaves T.C. Wing Laundry with a batch of clean shirts.
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- A buddha on a shelf at T.C. Wing Laundry was brought from China by the laundry’s founder, T.C. Wing, who is the grandfather of the current owners. The framed poster has writings that are a tribute to the family’s ancestors.
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- Ricky Tsao holds a photograph of his grandfather, Chak Wing Tsao, in the family’s T.C. Wing Chinese Hand Laundry. His grandfather, who died in 1995, started the business in 1932.
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