Doing Laundry in Italy – A Traveler’s Guide

Ways to Do Laundry While Traveling in Italy

The main ways to do your laundry in Italy are:

• Wash your clothes in the sink at your hotel or apartment
• Have your hotel wash your laundry
• Use a self-serve laundromat
• Use the washing machine at your accommodation
• Use a laundromat (drop-off/pick-up service)

I’ve used all of them here in Italy at one point, and I still do when I’m traveling for longer periods of time. There’s no favorite, as it all depends on the factors I listed above (season, where we’re staying, schedule, etc).

Do Your Laundry in the Sink at Your Hotel or Apartment

Washing your laundry in your hotel sink is a rite of passage for European backpackers, but it can also be an easy way to get a few pairs of socks or underwear clean during your Italy trip (especially if you’re only traveling with a carry-on). 

What It’s Called in Italian: Fare il bucato a mano

Ease: You’ll need to gather supplies (detergent or use hotel body wash in a pinch) and make sure you can plug the sink (bring a travel sink stopper or wad up a plastic bag to make one).  You’ll also need to find a place to hang your washed clothes to dry (rack in the bathroom of your hotel or a drying rack at your apartment).

Time:  Just a few minutes to wash your clothes out in the sink.  Helpful Tip:  Let them soak in the soapy water for a few minutes before washing them and rinsing them out.  Hang to dry and be on your way!

Cost: Free if you don’t use laundry detergent.  You can use your hotel’s soap or body wash.  I’ve also used travel laundry soap sheets or bar soap. 

Type: Best for small items like socks and underwear.  Italian hotel sinks aren’t large enough for larger items. 

Accommodation:  Best in hotel rooms, apartments (like AirBnBs), or villas. 

Season: Any season is fine.  In the winter, put your items near the heater (not on top of it!).

Have Your Hotel Wash Your Laundry

Handing off your laundry to someone else is easy!  For a premium, your hotel in Italy will wash your clothing and return it to you folded (and usually pressed).  This is a great option if you have items that need to be ironed (like a dress shirt) or for your plane clothes (traveling in clean clothes feels great to me, and probably also to people I sit next to on the plane).

What It’s Called in Italian: Servizio lavanderia

Ease: About as easy as it gets.  You will probably need to fill out a laundry form with your clothing listed by item. 

Time:  Hotel laundry service doesn’t require much time on your part, but the service may be 1-3 days.  Be sure to ask so you don’t end up checking out and heading to another Italian city without your laundry!  Some hotels do guest laundry on-site, while others send it to an outside laundromat.

Cost: This is the most expensive laundry option in Italy.  Some 5* hotels don’t blink an eye at charging €30 to launder a shirt.    

Type: Anything goes, from socks to shirts to pants.  Best for items that don’t have special washing requirements.  I sent my favorite cashmere sweater to be laundered, and it came back fitting my 10-year-old.  Oops.   This is also a good option for special occasion clothes (wedding guest attire, fancy dinner clothes, etc).

Accommodation:  Hotels with laundry service.    

Season: Any season is fine. 

Other:  Many hotels here charge for the nice cloth laundry bag in your room, so don’t take it with you unless you’re willing to pay for it.

Use a Self-Service Laundromat

Self-service laundry is a great option for families or groups that have large loads.  You can’t do laundry for an entire family in a hotel sink, and you won’t be able to find a place to dry it all.  Plus, it’s less expensive than using hotel laundry services.

What It’s Called in Italian: Lavanderia a gettoni, lavanderia self-service

Ease: You’ll need to find a way to get your laundry to the laundromat.  Bring a cloth laundry bag from home or use a garbage bag or reusable grocery shopping bag.  Italian self-service laundromats will have detergent and laundry products for sale, usually in machines that can be paid with Euro coins or cashless payment (like with a credit card).  If you have a laundry soap preference, you can buy your own at the grocery store.

Time:  This option will take a while on your part because you need to get to/from the laundromat and wait there while you’re washing and drying your laundry.  The washing cycles are usually fairly short (30-ish minutes) and the drying cycles depend on your clothing type and how much clothing you put in the machine.

Cost: Prices vary depending on where you are in Italy.  Expect to pay €4-10 per wash load and €5-15 per 30 minutes of drying.

Type: Wash and dry anything you like.  Be sure to check the machines to make sure you don’t leave anything behind!

Accommodation:  You can use this at any type of accommodation.    

Season: Any season is fine. 

Other:  Theft of laundry can be an issue, so please stay with your laundry while it’s washing and drying.  In larger self-service laundromats, you can often choose a smaller or larger washing machine.  Check opening hours before you go so you don’t end up with a load of wet clothes with the laundromat closing. 

Use a Washing Machine at Your Accommodation

If you’re staying at an apartment or villa, you may have a washing machine.  Some are included, some are now coin operated.  If I’m traveling with my family in Italy and staying in a place for 5 days or more, I always try to get a place with a washing machine.  You can pack less and do laundry at your convenience (like after the kids go to bed).

What It’s Called in Italian: Fare il bucato

Ease: This is one of the easiest options because you just need to make sure you have soap and sometimes your accommodation will provide it.  You can wash on your own time schedule too (unless your accommodation states otherwise). 

Time:  If you wash on the rapid cycle, it will take 30-60 minutes to wash, and drying time varies depending on if you have a dryer or not.  If you’ll be hanging your clothes to dry, drying time will depend on the weather.

Cost: It’s often free (plus the cost of your laundry detergent), but some places use coin-operated machines now.

Type: Wash and dry anything you like.  Make sure you use the proper settings for your clothing. 

Accommodation:  Available in apartments, villas, B&Bs, etc.    

Season: Any season is fine, but if you need to hang your clothes to dry, it will take longer to dry them in the winter.  You can place the drying rack by the heater to help speed it up.

Read my guide to Using an Italian Washing Machine

Use a Drop Off Laundry Service

You can drop your clothing off at some laundromats and pick it up later – washed, dried, and folded.  This is also a good option an article of clothing in your load needs to be drycleaned.

What It’s Called in Italian: Lavanderia

Ease: This is an easy option because you just need to get your clothing to the laundromat and pick it up at the scheduled time. 

Time:  A typical turnaround time is 24 hours, but always ask!

Cost: Cost varies by location, but it’s typically around €7/kg for washing and drying.

Type: Check with the laundromat for restrictions, but this is a good option for an entire load or just a few things.  Many laundromats will also wash more delicate items (at a higher cost) or dry clean clothing. 

Accommodation:  Available in any accommodation.    

Season: Any season is fine.

Buying Laundry Detergent in Italy – Where & What Type

If you’re doing your laundry in your hotel sink or using your accommodation’s washing machine, you’ll need laundry detergent. 

You can buy laundry detergent in a grocery store or a home product shop.  You can always ask someone:

Dove posso comprare detersivo per il bucato?
Where can I buy laundry detergent?

Laundry detergent is detersivo / detergente in Italian.

The main brands we have are:

• ACE 
• Bio Presto
• Chanteclair
• Dash
• Dixon
• Perlana
• Omino Bianco
• Napisan
• Winnie’s

I usually buy what’s on sale, but my top picks are Winnie’s (for everyday washes, worked well for my babies’ skin) and Napisan (for soiled clothing or anything that needs to be disinfected).  There are also special baby detergents labeled indicato per i capi dei bambini.

Besides detergent, you may also want to buy:

• Igienizzante – sanitizer
• Disinfettante – disinfectant
• Ammorbidente – fabric softener
• Smacchiatore / scioglimacchia – stain remover
• Candeggina – bleach

You’ll find many combos of the above.  For example, sometimes I use a detergente con (with) igienizzante.

Drying Your Laundry in Italy

If you’re doing your own laundry and need to try it, you have two options:  the dryer or drying racks. 

Use the drying racks (stendini) if the weather is nice.  You may not have a choice, as many Italians don’t have a dryer (including rental accommodations).  Stendini are great alternative to using a clothesline, because you can fit a lot of clothes in a small space.

Use the dryer (asciugatrice).  Heads up that the dryers here are probably different than what you’re used to at home.  From a US-perspective, the dryers here are smaller and they take a long time to dry.  For example, a load that takes 30 minutes to dry in the US may take 3 hours here.  So, you’ll need to plan ahead if you’re relying on the dryer.  You also need to make sure you keep the lint screen clean and that you empty the water container if required (ask your accommodation where it is).

Tips for Doing Laundry on Vacation in Italy

Bring your favorite stain remover (like a Tide stick) from home.  We have stain removing products here in Italy but there are different bottles for different types of stains.  For example, one will treat grass and makeup, another will treat red wine and coffee, another will treat blood and eggs, etc.  I find it easier to just have one all-in-one product with me when I’m traveling (even if it’s not quite as effective as these stain-specific removers we have here in Italy). 

Don’t wash clothes at the end of your trip if you don’t need to.  If you’re heading home in three days and you have plenty of underwear left, just put your dirty clothes in a laundry bag and worry about them when you get home! 

If you’ll be doing your own laundry, try to pack quick-dry clothing. 

Try to pack clothing that doesn’t show stains easily. For example, you’ll notice a tomato sauce stain on a plain white shirt, but not as much on a patterned shirt or a darker-colored shirt.

Bring your preferred detergent if you or someone in your group has sensitive skin.

When using a laundry service (at a hotel or in the city), confirm the pickup time.

Many hotels don’t want hanging laundry to be visible on patios or balconies.   

Need dry cleaning?  We call it lavaggio a secco and you can get it done at the lavasecco.  It’s a drop off service that typically takes a couple of days, but you can order express service for a premium.