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 turnaround (5 drop-off, 1 self-service), a step-by-step coin-laundromat how-to, and 7 tips — each with the Korean to say.

7 ways to get laundry done — filter by how

7 results

Alterations & repair (수선)

수선 / 옷수선
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

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.

Coin laundromat (코인빨래방)

코인빨래방 (셀프 세탁)
🪙 Self-service (코인)

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 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 for drying time. Panels are Korean-only — a translation app on the screen helps. Open 24h, great for 이불 bedding that won't fit a home washer.

Dry cleaning (드라이클리닝)

드라이클리닝
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

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.

Pickup-and-delivery app (세탁 픽업 앱)

런드리고 / 세탁특공대
📲 Pickup app

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.

Specialty cleaning (특수세탁)

운동화/패딩/가죽/이불 특수세탁
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

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.

Wash & press (물세탁 + 다림질)

물세탁 / 와이셔츠
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

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.

Wash-and-fold drop (빨래방 맡김)

빨래방 (맡김 세탁)
🏪 Drop-off (세탁소)

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).

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, 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, 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.

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.