Laundry Self Service In Singapore

Laundry – Self-serve in Singapore.

Laundry is the dreaded word while travelling.  Pretty easy to get the jocks and socks done by hand as required, but in the tropics where getting sweaty, and clothes quite grubby from your sweaty body, not to mention a bit smelly too, usually requires a more serious effort to get the clothes of everyday use washed.

While the traditional adage of one set on, one set being washed and one set in the bag is still a sound approach, it is when you are staying somewhere for a while and you need to wash a load or two that it can be tricky.

Commonly hotels charge really high prices for laundry.  Yes, they come back nice and clean and pressed [and on a hanger or folded and wrapped too], but you sure pay for the service.  Prices for washing shirts and trousers in many decent level hotels in Asia can be $15 – 30 each [or Ringgit, Won, Baht whatever].  That seems VERY expensive.

In Singapore one of the few hotels with their own laundry has been the Holiday Inn group.  They have a self-service laundry in the premises and that is a convenient and great cost saver.  Almost all of the Holiday Inn branded places will have one throughout Asia, but not always at other parts of the IHG group, eg Crown Plaza brand.  Pity……..they could follow the example of their more consumer friendly counterpart brand!

Singapore has been a bit of a problem with a paucity of self-serve laundry services around.  Yes, there are outside places that do laundry at more reasonable prices, but most were not self-serve.

Now there are a few decently organised and operated places starting to appear, many are open 24 hours too.  A S$5 wash and a 5min drying for $1 Singapore [allow $5 to get a load fully dry] is a reasonable price.  Clean, airy and pleasant and with liquid washing detergent added automatically it is a fairly painless 40 minute experience for a wash.  Read a book or the paper – easy as can be.

We used the new Easywash facility in Chinatown at 4 Sago Lane between S Bridge Road and Eu Tong Sen Street opposite the Chinatown Complex.  Other ones are around the main tourist areas of the city.  The Chinatown set up is a few minutes walk from the Chinatown MRT, and can be easily combined with a visit to Chinatown.  I would use it again.

Chinatown EasyWash

Chinatown Complex opposite

Wonder Wash is here http://wonderwash.com.sg/locations/ with 36 locations around Singapore from 2010, but most are outside the main tourist areas although easy enough to get to for many. Not all are close to MRT locations.

We used http://www.easywash.sg/ at their Chinatown site, and they have other sites at Beach Road near Kampong Glam, Braddell near the MRT and another about 5mins walk from Commonwealth MRT.

You do need to get the washing done.  Now definitely a bit easier in Singapore.