Laundry / dry cleaning
Living in Korea

Laundry, dry cleaning & alterations

Most Korean homes have a washer but no dryer, and coats, 이불 bedding, and dry-clean-only items send you to the 세탁소 or 코인빨래방 — both gated behind a Korean-only sign or machine panel. 7 ways to get it done compared on price + turnaround (5 drop-off, 1 self-service), a step-by-step coin-laundromat how-to, and 8 tips — each with the Korean to say.

7 ways to get laundry done — filter by how

7 results

Wash & press (물세탁 + 다림질)

물세탁 / 와이셔츠
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

₩1,500–4,000 per item · 1–2 days

🟢 Easy
Best for
Dress shirts, work clothes you want washed + ironed crisp
Where: 세탁소 counter — dress shirts (와이셔츠) are the cheapest, often per-piece
Say this: 물세탁하고 다려 주세요. (Please wash and press this.)

Cheaper than dry cleaning — for everyday shirts and items that can be water-washed. Many 세탁소 price a 와이셔츠 (dress shirt) at a flat per-piece rate; ask for 다림질 (pressing) if you want it ironed.

Dry cleaning (드라이클리닝)

드라이클리닝
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

₩3,000–12,000 per item · 2–4 days

🟢 Easy
Best for
Suits, blazers, wool coats, silk, anything labeled dry-clean-only
Where: Any neighborhood 세탁소 (dry-cleaner) — look for the 세탁 / 크리닝 sign
Say this: 이거 드라이클리닝 되나요? (Can you dry-clean this?)

The default for tailored + delicate clothes. Hand the item over, point out any 얼룩 (stain), and you get a 보관증 (claim ticket). Pay on pickup. Small shops are often cash-friendly — bring some cash.

Coin laundromat (코인빨래방)

코인빨래방 (셀프 세탁)
🪙 Self-service (코인)

₩3,000–9,000 per wash + dry load · Same visit (60–90 min)

🟡 Medium
Best for
Big loads, bedding (이불), towels, drying when you have no home dryer
Where: 24h self-service 코인빨래방 (워시엔조이/크린업 chains) — pay by coin, card, or app
Say this: 이 기계 어떻게 사용해요? (How do I use this machine?)

You do it yourself: load a 세탁기 (washer), pick a cycle, pay, then move it to a 건조기 (dryer) and pay again per ~10-minute block. Panels are Korean-only — a translation app on the screen helps. Open 24h, great for 이불 bedding that won't fit a home washer.

Alterations & repair (수선)

수선 / 옷수선
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

₩3,000–30,000 per repair · 1–5 days

🟡 Medium
Best for
Hemming pants, taking in the waist, replacing a zipper, resizing
Where: 옷수선 shop or a 세탁소 that does 수선 — hemming, resizing, zippers
Say this: 바지단 좀 줄여 주세요. (Please take up the hem on these pants.)

Hemming trousers (바지단) is cheap and quick; a full resize or a new zipper costs more. Wear or bring the shoes you'll pair with the pants so they pin the length right. Point to where you want it taken in.

Wash-and-fold drop (빨래방 맡김)

빨래방 (맡김 세탁)
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

₩8,000–20,000 per kg or per load · 1–2 days

🟡 Medium
Best for
A backlog of regular clothes you don't want to do yourself
Where: Staffed 빨래방 / some 세탁소 — they wash, dry, and fold for you
Say this: 세탁 맡기고 싶어요. (I'd like to drop off my laundry.)

Drop a bag of regular laundry; staff wash, dry, and fold it, billed by weight or load. Less common than self-service coin laundry but a lifesaver when you have no dryer and a big pile — or use a pickup app (below).

Specialty cleaning (특수세탁)

운동화/패딩/가죽/이불 특수세탁
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

₩8,000–50,000 per item · 3–7 days

🟡 Medium
Best for
Sneakers (운동화), down padding (패딩), leather (가죽), comforters (이불)
Where: 세탁소 with 특수세탁, or a sneaker-cleaning (운동화 세탁) specialist
Say this: 이거 특수세탁 가능해요? (Can you specialty-clean this?)

Bulky + delicate items need special handling and cost more. Clean a winter 패딩 / wool coat before storing it in spring (the 세탁소 queue gets long then). Sneaker cleaning is its own niche — some shops + apps specialize in it.

Pickup-and-delivery app (세탁 픽업 앱)

런드리고 / 세탁특공대
📲 Pickup app

₩10,000–40,000 per order (bag/items) · 1–2 days, door-to-door

🔴 Korean-only-ish
Best for
No-contact wash-and-fold + dry cleaning without leaving home
Where: Apps: 런드리고 (Laundrygo) / 세탁특공대 — leave the bag at your door at night
Say this: (App-based — no counter; order in the app)

Order in the app, leave your laundry bag out at night, get it back washed/folded or dry-cleaned the next day. Apps are largely Korean-only and usually need a KR phone + card — set those up first (see /mobile-carrier + /pay). Most convenient once you're a resident.

Using a coin laundromat (코인빨래방) — 5 steps

  1. 1

    Sort + load the washer · 분류 + 세탁기에 넣기

    Separate lights/darks and anything delicate. Open a 세탁기 (washer), load it (don't overfill), and add detergent — most machines dispense it automatically, so you usually don't need to bring your own.

  2. 2

    Pick the wash cycle · 코스 선택

    Choose a course on the Korean panel: 표준 (standard), 이불 (bedding/large), 강력 (heavy). Bigger machines cost more. A translation-camera app pointed at the panel reads the buttons.

  3. 3

    Pay for the wash · 결제

    Pay by coin, card, T-money, or the chain's app — newer 코인빨래방 take card/app, older ones are coin-only. Bring a few 1,000원 bills + coins just in case. Press start.

  4. 4

    Move it to the dryer (건조기) · 건조기로 옮기기

    When the wash finishes, move everything to a 건조기 (dryer). Dryers charge per time block (often ~10 minutes), so heavy loads need several blocks — feel the clothes and add time if still damp.

  5. 5

    Fold + take everything · 개기 + 회수

    Fold at the counter and double-check the machines are empty — laundromats are unattended, so don't leave anything behind. Keep an eye on time if it's busy; people queue for free machines.

Tips — no-dryer culture, stains, seasonal coats, apps

  • Most homes have NO dryerKorean apartments usually have a washer but no dryer — clothes dry on a 건조대 (drying rack). For fast drying, big loads, or 이불 bedding, use a 코인빨래방 (coin laundromat) with 건조기 dryers, or a pickup app.
  • Pre-flag stains at drop-offAt the 세탁소, point out every 얼룩 (stain) and name it if you can — 커피 (coffee), 기름 (oil/grease), 김치, 와인. Pre-treating works far better than discovering it after; un-flagged stains may set permanently.
  • Clean winter coats before storingDry-clean 패딩 (down jackets) and wool coats before packing them away in spring — body oils + food set over summer and attract moths. The 세탁소 queue is longest in March–April when everyone does this, so go early.
  • Alterations are cheap — use themHemming pants (바지단) or taking in a waist at a 수선 shop costs only a few thousand won and is fast. Bring the shoes you'll wear so they pin the length correctly. Zippers + full resizing cost more but still beat replacing the garment.
  • Apartment 공동세탁실 (shared laundry room)Many officetels / 원룸 buildings have a 공동세탁실 — a shared laundry room with coin/card washers + dryers in the basement or on a floor. Cheaper than a street laundromat and you don't have to carry the load far. Check your building.
  • Pickup apps save a tripApps like 런드리고 (Laundrygo) + 세탁특공대 pick up your laundry bag from your door at night and return it washed/folded or dry-cleaned in a day or two. Mostly Korean-only and need a KR phone + card (see /mobile-carrier + /pay), but very convenient once set up.
  • Keep the 보관증 (claim ticket)When you drop clothes at a 세탁소 you get a 보관증 (claim ticket) — keep it to collect your items, and note the pickup date. Many small shops are cash-only and may not chase you, so don't lose track of what you left.
  • Read the care labelKorean care labels use the same international symbols — a tub means machine-wash, a hand in water means 손세탁 (hand-wash only), a circle means dry-clean, and a crossed-out square means do NOT tumble-dry. When unsure, the 세탁소 will tell you if water-washing is safe.

Phrasebook for the 세탁소

Can you dry-clean this?
이거 드라이클리닝 되나요?
Igeo deurai-keulilning doenayo?
There's a stain here.
여기 얼룩이 있어요.
Yeogi eollugi isseoyo.
When will it be ready?
언제 다 돼요?
Eonje da dwaeyo?
Please take up the hem on these pants.
바지단 좀 줄여 주세요.
Bajidan jom jullyeo juseyo.
How much per item?
한 벌에 얼마예요?
Han beore eolmayeyo?
How do I use this machine?
이 기계 어떻게 사용해요?
I gigye eotteoke sayonghaeyo?
I'd like to drop off my laundry.
세탁 맡기고 싶어요.
Setak matgigo sipeoyo.

See also

Pickup-app + counter logistics need a Korean number + card: /mobile-carrier and /pay. Setting up a new home: /housing-lease. Sending things back home instead: /post-courier.