In Sweden, where you wash depends on where you sleep. This guide covers where visitors can do laundry, how to use a shared laundry room as a guest in someone’s building, and what the Swedish words on the machines mean.
When you need this
You’re a week into a road trip and the suitcase is running out. You’ve just checked into a campsite, hostel or rental apartment and can’t see any machines. You’re standing in a basement laundry room in front of a booking board you can’t read. Or you’re in a supermarket holding a detergent pack with a dosing table in Swedish.
Why laundromats are rare in Sweden
If you’re used to walking into a coin laundry, Sweden will surprise you. The country has only a handful of self-service laundromats (tvättomater). In Stockholm, one business has described itself as almost alone in the city in offering self-service washing.
The reason is housing. Almost all older apartment buildings have a shared laundry room, the tvättstuga, usually in the basement. Residents never needed a public laundromat, and most of the ones that existed were replaced by these building laundries. So don’t walk the city looking for one. Plan your laundry around where you’re staying.
Where visitors wash
| Where you stay | What to expect | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Campsite | Machines in the service building; free at some sites, paid at others | Coins, reception booking, or a booking system? Is detergent included? |
| Hostel (including STF) | Some have guest machines or a guest laundry room | Is there a fee? Does it need booking? |
| Rental apartment | The building’s shared tvättstuga | Key tag or code, and how to book a slot |
| Holiday cabin | Maybe a washing machine, often no dryer, just a rack | Is there a machine at all? |
| Hotel | Laundry or pressing service, priced per item | Turnaround time |
Campsites are the most reliable laundry stop on a camping or motorhome trip. The system varies from site to site. One campsite’s machines take only 10-krona coins and need no booking. Another books its machine through reception, lends you the key and hands out the eco detergent you must use. A third is free to guests but expects you to bring your own detergent. Some sites use booking systems where guests book and pay by themselves. The simple rule: ask at reception when you check in.
Hostels vary in the same way. One STF mountain hostel rents out its washer and dryer for a fee. An STF mountain hotel has a guest laundry room with a washer, dryer, drying cabinet and iron, all bookable. See our guide to hostels and STF for what else to expect.
Hotels usually offer a laundry or pressing service, priced per item. That’s handy for a shirt and expensive for a week’s clothes. For suits, coats and delicate fabrics, a kemtvätt (dry cleaner) is the answer. Staffed laundries also take service washes: you drop your bag off and pick it up later.
Using the tvättstuga as a guest
If you rent an apartment, the building’s tvättstuga is usually your laundry. It comes with the tenancy, so there’s no fee per load. But it runs on rules, and as a guest you’re using a system your neighbors take seriously.
No national law governs the tvättstuga. Booking limits, opening hours and cleaning duties are house rules (ordningsregler), set by each landlord or housing cooperative and usually posted on the wall. What they have in common:
- Book a slot. Use the booking board (bokningstavla) or the building’s app with the key tag or code your host gives you. Slots usually run two to four hours. Book even if the room is empty.
- Stick to the hours. Laundry rooms are daytime-and-evening facilities. One cooperative allows use from 07:00 to 22:30.
- Start on time. At Svenska Bostäder, the City of Stockholm’s housing company, a slot not started within 30 minutes is lost.
- Don’t overrun. The same landlord blocks programs longer than the time you have left once 45 minutes remain.
- Clean up. Empty the tumble dryer’s lint filter and the drying cabinet’s filter, wipe the machines and tables, and sweep the floor if the rules ask.
The booked slot belongs to the person who booked it. Many expat blogs repeat that you can take over a slot the booker hasn’t started within an hour. The national tenants’ union, Hyresgästföreningen, says there is no general rule like that. Only the building’s own rules decide.
Good to know: Never open, move or unload someone else’s laundry during their slot. It’s the fastest way to get a note on the wall and a complaint to your host. Residents can’t be evicted just for poor cleaning, but a guest’s complaint lands on the host.
Common bans in the house rules include dyeing clothes in the machines, washing pet blankets, putting rugs in the ordinary machines, and bringing animals into the room, because of allergies. One large landlord asks for underwired bras to go in a wash bag, to protect the machines.
Ask your host to pre-book a slot for your stay, or to show you the booking board when you arrive.
Detergent and Sweden’s soft water
Every detergent pack sold in Sweden must show the dose for soft, medium and hard water (mjukt, medelhårt, hårt vatten), in Swedish, plus how many washes the pack gives. Svenskt Vatten, the association of Swedish water utilities, says most Swedish households can dose for soft water. So choose the lowest dose on the table.
It’s not only about saving detergent. In Västerås, the local utility notes that washing water reaches Lake Mälaren within hours, and overdosing just sends more of it there. There are harder pockets, though. Within one southern utility’s area, hardness ranges from very soft (3.3 °dH) to hard (14 °dH). If you’re unsure, search the town name plus vattnets hårdhet for the local utility’s figure. Our tap water guide explains the water itself.
A new EU detergents regulation entered into force on March 22, 2026. It applies only from September 23, 2029, so nothing changes on the shelf before then.
Reading the machine
Swedish machines and dryers speak Swedish. These are the words you’ll meet:
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| tvättmaskin / torktumlare | washing machine / tumble dryer |
| torkskåp / torkrum | drying cabinet / drying room |
| kulörtvätt / vittvätt | colored wash / white wash |
| fintvätt / ylle / handtvätt | delicates / wool / hand-wash program |
| centrifugering | spin |
| tvättmedel / sköljmedel | detergent / fabric softener |
| luddfilter | lint filter |
| tvättpass | booked laundry slot |
A drying cabinet (torkskåp) is a tall heated cupboard you hang clothes in. It’s common in laundry rooms and the fastest way to dry hiking gear. More everyday Swedish is in our basic Swedish phrases guide.
Mistakes to avoid
- Searching for a laundromat. Plan washes around campsites, hostels and rentals with machines.
- Assuming whoever is there first gets the machines. In a tvättstuga, book, even if the room is empty.
- Leaving the lint filter full. Every set of house rules asks you to empty it.
- Using the hard-water dose “to be safe”. Use the lowest dose unless the local utility reports hard water.
- Arriving at a campsite without coins or detergent. Some machines take only coins; see cash in Sweden.
For a short trip, pack quick-dry clothes and wash small items in the sink. Supermarkets sell detergent; see Swedish supermarkets.
In summer, campsite laundries are busiest, so wash early in the day or when you arrive. In winter, many campsites and some hostels close or cut services, so check laundry when you book.
Practical information
| Item | What it costs | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment tvättstuga | Included in the rent; no per-load fee | Your host |
| Campsite washer / dryer | Free at some sites, per load or per hour at others; no national tariff | Campsite reception or website |
| Hostel machines | Free or for a fee, set per hostel | Hostel page or reception |
| Hotel laundry, service wash, dry cleaning | Per item or per load, set by the business | Front desk or shop |
FAQ
Are there laundromats in Sweden?
Very few. Sweden has only a handful of self-service laundromats, and in Stockholm one business has described itself as almost alone in offering self-service washing. The reason is that almost all older apartment buildings have a shared laundry room, so residents never needed public ones. Visitors do better planning laundry around campsites, hostels, apartment rentals and hotel services.
What is a tvättstuga?
A tvättstuga is the shared laundry room in a Swedish apartment building, usually in the basement, with washing machines, a tumble dryer and often a drying cabinet. Residents book slots, typically two to four hours long, on a board or app. The rules — hours, lateness, cleaning — are set by each landlord or housing cooperative, not by national law.
Can I use the laundry room in my rental apartment?
Usually yes, if your host gives you access: the key tag or code, and a booked slot. Treat the room as a resident would — book, start on time, never touch someone else’s laundry, and clean up afterward, including the dryer lint filter. House rules differ by building, so ask your host to show you the booking system on arrival.
What happens if I’m late for my laundry slot?
It depends on the building. At Svenska Bostäder, Stockholm’s municipal housing company, a slot not started within 30 minutes is lost. Contrary to a common belief, there is no general national rule letting others take over a slot after an hour; only the building’s own posted rules decide. If in doubt, treat the full slot as the booker’s.
How much detergent should I use in Sweden?
Usually the lowest dose. Every pack sold in Sweden shows dosing for soft, medium and hard water, in Swedish, and Svenskt Vatten says most Swedish households can dose for soft water. Some southern areas are harder, so check the local water utility’s website if you are unsure. Overdosing wastes detergent and ends up in lakes.
Can I do laundry at Swedish campsites?
Yes, campsites commonly have washing machines and dryers in the service building, but the system varies by site. Some charge per load or per hour, some take only 10-krona coins, some are free and booked through reception with a borrowed key. Detergent may be included, handed out or not provided. Ask at reception when you check in.
Related guides
- Swedish campsites — the laundry and shower stop on a camping trip
- Hostels in Sweden and STF — what a hostel stay includes
- What to expect in a Swedish holiday cabin — a washing machine, but usually a drying rack
- Cash in Sweden — why a few coins still earn their place
- Swedish etiquette — the unwritten rules the tvättstuga makes written
Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: Hyresgästföreningen, Svenska Bostäder, HSB, Svenskt Vatten, VA SYD, Mälarenergi, Kemikalieinspektionen, Svenska Turistföreningen and campsite operators — full register in this topic’s source file. No prices or laundromat names are published here: they vary by site and change. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.