I can’t speak for those coming from other countries, but for an American, washing clothes in Thailand comes with a learning curve.

WASHER

Washers and Dryers

The washers and dryers in Thailand are from Asian or European manufacturers. They are much smaller than what we are used to in the States, and come in both top and front loader designs. They also have various designs of combo units that do both the washing and drying in one machine, or a separate washer and dryer built into one unit. Basically it’s all about saving on space and energy consumption.

WASHER & DRYER

Don’t be surprised if nothing is in English. The washer that came with my room is Italian, and everything on it is either in Italian or Thai. It took a little experimentation to figure out what settings delivered the best results.

These units heat their own water, so you have to be careful, because they may not detect the water temperature before hand. This is important, because most apartment and condo buildings store water in tanks on the roof. During the day that water heats up. Thus, you could end up with some scalding hot water if the machine is not taking this into consideration. I have that problem with the water heater in my shower.

I have no experience with using a dryer in Thailand. Most people don’t use them, as they run up the electric bill and heat up the room. The more common method for drying laundry is air drying. Most people use one or more drying stands that come in a wide range of sizes, and design configurations. Some will even fold up for storage when not in use. It is also common to find a shower curtain rod mounted to the opposing side walls of a small balcony. It is used for hanging wet clothes on hangers, or draping larger items, such as sheets and towels. In addition, there are a variety of smaller devices that can be hung from most anything and have clothes pins attached for drying smaller items like sox and underwear. They come in both square and round designs and often fold up for easy storage. Some apartments and condos even have metal brackets that extend out from the wall, near a window, for hanging laundered items on.

Laundry Supplies

Laundry soap, fabric softener and bleach are available at any grocery, Big C, Tesco, and most convenient stores. The problem is not supply, but identification. While bleach is easy to recognize, everything is in Thai, so you have to look at the packaging carefully to determine what its soap or softener. On top of that, soaps are made for hand washing only, machine washing only, or both. Images on the packaging should give you clues as what each product can be used for.

Laundry Services

Any hotel or serviced apartment complex will offer a laundry service. They typically charge by the piece, and that price can be quite high compared to using an outside service. All items should come back clean, ironed, folded or on hangers. Most hotels don’t mind if you do a little laundry in your room and hang it in the bathroom. It’s a great way to save on the per item cost of washing sox and underwear.

If living in an apartment or condo it’s usually fairly easy, with the aid of a Thai that speaks English, to locate an independent laundry service. These are often done by someone working in the building, or living in the neighborhood. Pricing can be either by the piece, or a monthly flat rate. I believe the average piece rate is 30 baht, but it does vary. I used a service like this in the last place I lived. It was provided by a lady working in the downstairs administrative office. I paid her 1000 baht a month to twice weekly wash, iron, fold or put on hangers all of my laundry. This also covered the cost of all cleaning supplies and use of coin operated washing machines located near the building I lived in.

I can only speak from my experiences, but she never used bleach, so I had to periodically soak my whites in a bucket of bleach and water, then air dry them on the balcony. I never lost any clothes, but occasionally got back someone else’s items. She air dried the laundry up on the roof of the building, as is typical in a lot of apartment and condo buildings. Every once in awhile I’d get an item back with bird shit on it. And if the weather was overcast or rainy, it was common to get back some items with that mildew smell in them. About twice a year she would take a five to seven day holiday, but not tell me. So I’d end up with a bunch of dirty clothes and nothing to wear.

Laundromats and Facilities

Many apartment and condo buildings have two or more coin operated washers for the residents to use. If not, there’s always one or more neighborhood laundromats close by. In Thailand the typical laundromat is a small shop with two or more washers. Dryers may or may not be available. The usual cost per washer load is 20 baht, but I’ve seen some charging 30.

NEW LAUNDROMAT

At a minimum, these shops have a small selection of drinks and snacks for sale. Others are actually part of a neighborhood convenience store, or the more typical place to buy items, sit down and have a cooked meal, or drink beer and whiskey while visiting with others living in the area.

Once the washing is done, people carry the wet items back to their room for air drying.

Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaners are easy to find in most neighborhoods, but many may not offer quick turn around times. The one in my area takes four days. In hotels, take extra care to make sure staff understand you want something dry cleaned, or it may end up in the laundry service.

General Washing Tips

Air drying cloths is the norm in Thailand. Unfortunately mildew often sets in on humid overcast days. If chlorine bleach is used in the wash, whites usually won’t have a problem, but it can set in rather quickly with the colors, particularly those items that take a long time, like pants and towels. The best solution I’ve found is to bring the drying rack (a stand you clip your cloths on for drying) inside and point a floor fan at it. This speeds up the drying process and reduces the risk of mildew because of the air movement. Done in an air conditioned room is even better, because there is less moisture from the air.

The only way I know how to get rid of mildew it is by soaking the item in water and laundry detergent for about an hour. Then rinse, wring it out, and air dry in front of a fan or in direct sun light. Of course, with whites soaking them in water and bleach does the trick. I’ve read, but not tried it yet, that soaking colors in water with lemon juice and salt will kill the mildew. When storing clothing in a humid climate, mothballs prevent mildew from setting in.

If you have a washer in your room, it’s a good idea to leave the lid or door open slightly between washes. Extra care needs to be taken to dry things out in the humid conditions of Thailand, or you might invite mold.

When it comes to the inexpensive clothes purchased in small independent shops, it has been my experience, particularly with pants, that you have to be careful not to mix colors with whites as they tend to bleed forever. The newer an item, the more you want to mix it with other very dark colored clothes, particularly during the first few washes. However, no matter how many times an item has been washed, there is still risk of bleed over when mixed with whites. Someone told me you can set colors by tossing a teaspoon of salt in with the first wash of new color items. I’ve tried it once so far and it seems to work.