Crystal Aikin, Tacoma's angelic gospel singer, was back in town this weekend to wash clothes.

Not her clothes. Your clothes.

Debby Abe had a terrific story in Saturday's paper about the Tide CleanStart Mobile Laundromat coming to town. Crystal, winner of BET's inaugural "Sunday Best" gospel singing competition (sort of like the gospel version of "American Idol"), brought the laundromat to town as the community service part of her awards (She was also driving the black 2008 Toyota Camry she won. Yay, Crystal!)

I visited the big orange laundromat Saturday afternoon to catch up with Crystal, whose life has been a whirlwind of activity in the past six months.

Since she performed a Dec. 28 "thank you" concert for the South Sound fans who voted her into the show's top spot, she's been to: Saint Lucia (in the Caribbean, for the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival), St. Louis, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Denver, Oregon, North Carolina and about a zillion other places. It's been a constant stream of performances and appearances at colleges, churches, gospel TV shows, awards shows and other events.

Is it difficult to find time for Tacoma?

"We just put it on the schedule and make it happen," Crystal said, laughing.

She was all smiles as she returned freshly wrapped and bagged bundles of clean laundry to folks who had dropped their clothes off Friday or Saturday.

Typically, the laundromat can handle about 250 loads per day, said coordinator Courtney Carr. They had nearly hit 700 loads by about 4 p.m. Saturday, she said. They aren't able to accept new loads but will continue washing the clothes they've received Sunday.

Crystal is still working on her first album and said she hopes to release a single before the end of the year.

"That's the key," she said, "to release a really powerful single."

With that in mind, she's also spending some time songwriting and arranging, she said.

One of the contenders for her first single is a song entitled "The Clouds," about forgiveness, restoration and newness of life after troubles, Crystal said. In a metaphorical way it reminds her of Tacoma and the Northwest, she said, where skies aren't always as sunny as they were Saturday – but the sunshine always returns.

In her travels, she's bumped into dozens of stars including L.L. Cool J, Chris Brown, Anita Baker, Michael Bolton, Wyclef Jean and many others.

And her next high-profile visit to Tacoma will be for a concert she'll headline Oct. 12 at the Pantages Theater. In the meantime, here are a few shots of Crystal to "Tide" you over. Get it? "Tide" you over?