If you’re trying to figure out how to do the laundry in Japan, where you can find a laundry service, what 24 hour coin laundry is, or what laundry detergent you should use; here’s a coin laundry guide for you!

The Rise of Coin Laundry in Japan

Coin laundry is the popular term for laundrettes (or laundromats) in Japan. The laundry service industry has been booming for the last few years in Japan due to an increase in demand.

You can often find a laundry service nearby a public hot spring (sento) since a lot of people like to pop their laundry in and then go for a nice bath.

Some apartments don’t have the space for a laundry machine, so they have to rely on coin laundry places to do the laundry. Or, for others, a quick trip to a laundry service is worth being able to have some extra space in the apartment instead of a mashing machine. Village House has spacious apartments that can accommodate laundry machines. Check out their available properties near you.

The majority of laundry machines in Japan don’t have drying settings, which means people are relying on being able to hang their laundry out to dry outside or sometimes inside if there is space for it. Although it’s much more environmentally friendly and economical, this can be quite a hassle when the weather isn’t cooperating! If you own a washing machine, remember to regularly clean it so that it keeps washing your clothes properly. Find out the best way to do so in our article on how to clean your washing machine.

Additionally, there are so many 24 hour coin laundry places that it is a really convenient way to do the laundry at any time.

Finding Coin Laundries in Japan

Since living spaces are close together and the walls are often thin, if you have a washing machine, you need to be conscious about when you do the laundry if you don’t want to bother your neighbors! With busy lives and long working days, this can be difficult for some people! The abundance of 24 hour coin laundry services allows people to do washing whenever it’s convenient.

Most laundrettes are 24 hour coin laundry, so you don’t need to worry about timings! Be sure to look up 24 hour coin laundry near me to show an abundance of places that will serve your needs.

A useful tool to search for coin laundries in your area is coin-laundry.co.jp. This comprehensive website helps you locate coin laundries nationwide, featuring an interactive map that makes it easy to find one near you.

If you are looking for a place that is open 24 hours, you can filter your search to ensure the facility meets your needs. You can also refine your search results by various other criteria, such as the availability of dryers, parking spots, IC card payment options, and more.

Laundry Detergent

There is usually laundry detergent available to purchase at most coin laundry places. However, it’s normally cheaper to buy it in advance from a supermarket, convenience store, or drugstore.

Attack (アタック) is a popular laundry detergent, as well as Nanox. There are different types of laundry detergent available in powders, capsules, or liquid. Popular international brands such as Ariel are also available at a lot of stores.

The laundry machines can be big and industrial. If you have delicate clothing or just to be on the cautious side, it may a good idea to bring a laundry net to avoid any of your clothing getting damaged!

How Much is the Coin Laundry Service?

First off, it is very important to bring 100-yen coins to the laundrette, since these are normally the only change the washing machines accept. Some may accept 500 yen coins too.

As expected, prices do vary between different laundrettes. Washing machines come in different sizes – some taking smaller loads and others able to take much larger loads. If you have a lot of washing, it’s usually cheaper to put it in a larger load than in two smaller washes.

The average price for about 10kg of clothing is around 500 yen. However, prices can range from about 200 yen to 1000 yen.

The cost of drying is usually around 300 yen for 30 minutes. If you are going to dry your clothes, you may also want to bring fabric softener sheets for the machine.

How to do the Laundry at Coin Laundry Places

Before you leave to do the laundry, make sure you have your laundry detergent and a load of 100-yen coins. You may also want to bring fabric softener, and some things to keep you entertained whilst you wait. You could also head to the sento for a relaxing bath if there’s one nearby!

Laundrettes in Japan tend to be very comfortable; they are very much a step up from the small and cramped dingy laundrettes that may come to mind. There are often even TVs and other forms of entertainment if you choose to wait around at the laundrette.

When choosing a machine, avoid the ones with a basket on top of them, since this suggests that someone else is using that machine. Then make sure to choose a machine that’s the right size for your laundry load. You don’t want to choose one too big if you can get away with a smaller one which will be cheaper!

Normally you just add the detergent in with the clothes. If you see any other instructions – it’s best to follow these!

After loading your clothes and detergent into the machine, you can close the door. Next, you put the coins in, and the machine should just start automatically. Now it’s waiting time!

Laundry machines will usually take up to around 40 minutes for one wash and around 30 minutes to dry. After this, you’re all good to go!

In conclusion, if you know how to use them, coin laundries in Japan are both easy-to-use and convenient. If you still prefer the comfort and convenience of having your own laundry machine, consider renting with Village House. Many of Village House’s apartments offer space for a laundry machine and they would be happy to support you in your search for a new home! 

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