laundry in Rome

I would not bring soap or even the sheets. All of the laundries we have used in Rome have attendants who do it for you. Generally I think it was about 10E from wash to dry per load. All of then had dryers and most use an extractor which is a very high spin which really sucks the water out of the clothes. Since, we have very little cotton based clothes, our clothes are very close to being dry when they come out of the extractor.

We found a great full service laundry in Campo dei Fiori: Lava e Secco. They washed, dried and folded an entire suitcase (21" size) for 20 euros. Freed us up to have fun!

Hi sue.. I don't know where you travelling in Italy but the other posts were pretty much on the mark. If you'll be through termini anytime, there are a number of laundrys close by. Just ask a local. If anywhere else like smaller cities, then just ask upon arrival. It shouldn't be a worry for you...Youll get it sorted easy once you get there.

There are self-serve laundromats everywhere and they have dryers. Also soap. I think it's a great opportunity to kick back, catch up on my journal and write postcards (I still write postcards..)

We just got back from Rome and used the Ondablu self-service laundromat near Termini (Via Principe Amedeo, 70/B) twice. Cost was 3.50 euros to wash in a 7kg machine and about the same to dry - the dryers are unusually efficient for self-service laundromats, but if you want things bone-dry, you may have to pay another 3.50. Figure on a little less than a hour to wash and dry one load if you don't need things bone-dry. Directions are posted in multiple languages, including English, and this particular franchise had a helpful English-speaking attendant. Only problem was that the machines take exact change only and there's no change machine (the attendant made change for me, but don't count on availability of change). You can buy soap at some exorbitant price, but if you have special needs (e.g., fragrance-free), bring your own (I read somewhere that fragrance-free detergent is hard to come by in Italy). The machines are the modern front-loaders that don't use a lot of detergent. Ondablu website that lists their locations and hours and also gives sample directions (the bit about not adding your own soap was wrong in our particular case): http://www.ondablu.com/ (helps to know a little Italian, but otherwise, Google translate is your friend). Ondablu is a chain run by franchisees. I have read a post on TripAdvisor indicating that someone had a bad experience at one of the franchises, but we had no problems. You can also ask your hotel (email them before going) about the location of the nearest laundromat. And finally, general info about using Italian washing machines and buying laundry products in Italy: http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/instructions/laundry_howto.htm

Your hotel can point you to the nearest laundry. Many are self-service but also have drop-off service. You'll pay a little more for the drop-off but save time. Really your choice as waiting on laundry is a good time to catch up on journal, postcards or planning. You can buy soap at the laundramat. Bring your own dryer sheets if you desire those.

In Rome I found a laundromat north of Termini. I think they supplied the soap and did my laundry for me while I was there. The laundromat was engaged in doing the laundry for the area's hotels, so they were very busy and fitted in personal laundry as they could. Wash and dry took less than an hour and my clothes were almost dry when I got them back. There were computers for use while using the laundromat. Very convenient. Laundry cost 7 Eu and the internet was 1 Eu. This was November 2010.