The Hazards of Doing Laundry in China

Laundry is probably a vexatious household chore and you don’t want to waste your time on it. It can be difficult to clean your clothes at home. While in China doing laundry is a bit different than in other European countries. In this post, you will learn how it can be hard to do laundry in China. 

I will share everything about laundry in China, what you can expect, tips to get a better result, and the best services for you. 

Washing machines produce a Cold, Entangled mess

Washing machines are often included in furnished apartments. In a high-end apartment, you will find the same washing machine as in your home. However, in a typical apartment, you may not lucky to have this facility. In China, many washing machines are different than in the US, so it can be challenging for you to figure out how to operate them with buttons labeled in Chines characters. 

In China, the usual washing machine is a top-loader without the spinning arm that moves the clothes around. It included a drum with rounded bottom and speedily changing directions that spin the clothes and water and whirling everything into a big tangled mess. It seems like the engineer who designed this machine has never washed clothes, but the water mixing method is likely perfect. 

The swirl in a typical washer causes long sleeves pulled extra-long because the clothes get tied into knots, and they warped around other items. You can avoid this mess by using the clothes nets with zippers. You can easily find these clothing nets in supermarkets. You can use these nets for pants, long sleeves shirts, scarves, and other items that can be twisted or pulled. 

Most typical washers are connected with cold tap water they don’t have an internal heating system. So during winters, you have to wash your clothes with freezing cold water. However laundry detergent needs a little warm water to dissolve properly and I like to wash clothes in a bit hotter water. It is very hard to do laundry in cold water. 

Though, you can add hot water manually. Fortunately, my laundry corner is close to the hot water tap. You can also use a water pipe for hot water supply. 

You can use both powder and liquid from laundry detergents. There are various brands available including Omo and Tide. You can easily get detergents in supermarkets and local stores. 

Drying Clothes the Old way

In China, air drying is considered healthier. Therefore most people prefer air-drying clothes. Clothes dryers are usually not available in typical homes. So if you are living in a local apartment you have to hang-dry your clothes. 

In China, hang-drying clothes are the main use of a balcony; you will find it almost everywhere. For this purpose, every typical or high-end apartment has a balcony. The balconies are often fully bounded and have a proper system for cloth drying. Many balconies have attached drying rods. 

During winters or moist weather, drying clothes may take a while. However, in sunny conditions clothes dry very quickly. So it is easy to dry your clothes on your home balcony. In some typical apartments, the laundry corner is just close to the balcony. 

Dry Clean and Wash Services in China

If you don’t want to waste your time on laundry, there are many dry cleaners that can wash and iron your clothes at a very reasonable price. You can easily find a dry cleaning store near your home. They also wash bigger items like blankets, bed sheets, and carpets. There are many cleaning companies in Beijing, so you don’t need to break your back. Just find the right one near your home.

You can buy a prepaid card and get many deals. If you don’t have a prepaid card you can drop off your clothes for washing and then get them back after a few days. It is a more convenient way of washing your clothes and household items. 

A new laundry service called Laundry Town is available in ex-pat areas, they offer to pick and drop service. Once I tried their service, and they surprised me. They provide me a voucher. I really recommend their service. Their pick and delivery service are very convenient for everyone. The clothes were clean, smelled fresh, and the delivery was on time. When I opened the laundry bag, it smelled like the laundry in the US. I am just impressed they made my life so easy.