Laundry in Hamburg: your options and what they cost

Doing laundry in a German flat

Many Hamburg flats, especially in older buildings (Altbau), have no space for a washing machine in the apartment. Instead there is a shared laundry room in the basement, the Waschkeller. Sometimes every tenant has their own machine there, sometimes you share one.

Dryers are less common than in the UK or the US. Most people dry their clothes on a folding rack, the Wäscheständer. If you dry indoors, open the windows wide for a few minutes several times a day (Stoßlüften). This keeps humidity down and prevents mould, which landlords take seriously.

Many buildings also have house rules (Hausordnung). They often ask you not to run noisy machines late at night or on Sundays. Check yours before you start a load at 11 pm.

Laundromats in Hamburg

Self-service laundromats are called Waschsalon. You will find them in most central neighborhoods. One large chain opens all its Hamburg locations seven days a week, from 6 am until 10 or 11 pm.

At a large Hamburg laundromat chain, a regular wash costs €4.50, drying costs €2 per 15 minutes and detergent €0.50. One load including drying usually ends up at around €7 to €9. If you separate darks and lights, that is two loads and around €14 to €17. Plan about an hour and a half including the walk there and back. You fold everything yourself.

Wash and fold at a laundry

A traditional laundry (Wäscherei) washes, dries and folds your laundry for you. You drop it off and collect it a few days later. One example from Hamburg: €13 for up to 8 kg, washed, dried and folded. That is about €1.60 per kilo. If darks and lights are washed separately, it can be two loads and up to €26.

The catch: you need to get there twice during opening hours. Do not confuse a Wäscherei with a Reinigung, which is a dry cleaner for coats, suits and delicate items.

Laundry pickup and delivery

With a pickup service, someone collects your laundry at your door, has it washed and folded, and brings it back. No trips, no waiting, no carrying a bag across town.

Pickup services usually charge per kilo plus a pickup fee, or set a minimum order. At Treatly, for example, you pay €6.49 per kilo in a rhythm (every two weeks, once or twice a week) or €7.99 per kilo for a one-off pickup, plus €3.98 per pickup and a 3 kg minimum. Shirts, suits, dresses and coats go in the same basket and are billed per item. Always compare the total: 4 kg at €6.49 is €25.96, or €29.94 including pickup.

Comparison: one person, one week

What does a week of laundry really take? Example for one person with 3 to 4 kg of laundry, about two loads per week, and no machine in the flat:

Compared with the laundromat, a pickup service costs about €9 to €13 more per week and gives you back around an hour and a half. That is less than €10 for every hour you no longer spend on laundry, or around 6 hours a month for the things you actually moved here for.

Have a machine at home? Then washing yourself costs only about €1 per load for electricity, water and detergent (Öko-Test), so about €2 a week for two loads. You still spend 60 to 80 minutes a week washing, hanging and folding.

Which option fits you?

• Long working days, no time on weekends: a pickup service.
• No machine, a laundry on your way to work: drop-off wash and fold.
• No machine, tight budget, flexible evenings: a laundromat close to home.
• A machine and space to dry: washing at home is the cheapest way, if you have the time.

Useful German words

Laundry pickup in Hamburg with Treatly

Treatly picks up your laundry at your door in Hamburg, has it washed by certified Hamburg laundry partners and brings it back folded. Everything goes into one basket, no sorting needed. Shirts, suits, dresses and coats can go in too: they are cleaned individually, billed per item and come back on a hanger.

You pay by actual weight: €6.49 per kilo in a rhythm (every two weeks, once or twice a week) or €7.99 per kilo for a one-off pickup, plus €3.98 per pickup and at least 3 kg. On a regular schedule, your laundry comes back at your next pickup, or after 3 working days for €1.99. Book a one-off pickup and it is always back after 3 working days at no extra cost. No minimum term, pause or cancel any time.

We cover many neighborhoods, including Eimsbüttel, Eppendorf, Ottensen, Winterhude, Barmbek, HafenCity, Wandsbek and Blankenese.

How Treatly compares

Laundromat

Drop-off laundry

Pickup and return at your door

No waiting, no carrying

No opening hours, book online any time

Washed and folded for you

One-off booking, no subscription

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Frequently asked questions