When you’re living abroad, the most simple tasks can sometimes be the most complicated. Seemingly easy things, like shopping at the grocery store or getting money out of a cash machine, take on a new level of complexity. One such task is doing your laundry at the self-service laundromat or laverie. Getting your clothes cleaned isn’t rocket science, but figuring out how to work the washing machine and what products to use is trickier than it sounds, especially if you don’t understand French.
If you’ve got dirty laundry spilling over your hamper, use our mini guide to get your pile of whites and darks washed and dried. After your first visit to the laundromat, you’ll get the hang of it. You may even end up doling out help to puzzled Parisians who sometimes have trouble figuring out the laundry machine directions themselves!
(If you have clothes that need dry cleaning or you’d prefer to use a laundry service, read our earlier post here.)
Useful Vocabulary
| laundry | le linge |
| wash | la lessive |
| washing | le lavage |
| laundromat | la laverie |
| washing machine | la machine à laver |
| detergent | la lessive |
| to wash or scrub | lessiver |
| softener | l’assouplissant or l’adoucissant |
| stain | la tache |
| stain remover | le détachant |
| bleach | l’eau de Javel |
| to dry | secher |
| dryer | le sèchoir |
| dry | sec (m), sèche (f |
(For information on international fabric care symbols, visit this link.)
Typical Laundromat Signage
THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!
I was almost sorry when we finally figured out how to use the washing machine in our rented apartment! We always had fun in the laundromats in Paris. We didn’t want to leave our clothes unattended so we sat and read. Inevitably we would meet other people and had some memorable conversations.