How to use a laundry, laundromat, laundrette or laverie in Paris to wash your clothes

On my last visit to Paris I was looking for a laundry/laundromat/laundrette or laverie to wash my clothes close to our apartment in the 11th arrondissement.

I had totally forgotten that the majority of apartments in Paris don’t have washing machines or dryers – it’s a relatively new thing. Admittedly it’s many years since I first lived in Paris, but I still remember taking my washing to a laundromat in the Place des Vosges each weekend, meeting a friend from work who lived close by, and having a coffee in a nearby cafe while we waited. But I digress …

You see, the last apartment I rented for a month was fabulous and it DID have a washing machine.

Unfortunately, I’d forgotten how awful French washing machines were … and please don’t take offence. To wash a small amount of clothing might take 2 hrs, just because that’s the way the washing machines are designed. Yes it’s crazy. No I don’t know why they are like this :-)  I was sure I’d broken the washing machine in the apartment, but when I rang the owners they said, “No, no, c’est normale!” (meaning, “No, no, that’s normal!”) and that I shouldn’t worry.

Above: in this laundromat I visited, the signs were in French and English.

Well, the problem was I expected the washing to take 30 mins then I could hang the clothes out to dry – all ccomplished before I had to leave for an appointment.

My solution? Take the wet clothes across the street to the closest laundromat, be in and out in 30-40 minutes – longer if I wanted to use the dryers.

More? Read my page on HOW to use the washing machines, with translations if everything’s written in French :-)

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