Spain - doing laundry

I didn't do laundry in Granada but did find a small laundromat in Sevilla.

Check google map and type; "lavanderías", to see where the laundromats are located.
Some are self- serve, some you'll drop off and pick up later or the following day.
Many hotels also offer a laundry service.

We did laundry in Madrid a few weeks ago - there are laundromats there and our hotel directed us to the closest one. However, we were dismayed to find out that we could not use our own unscented soap because their machines automatically add their own soap/fabric softener. We've never heard of this before and were kind of stuck there. So we had clean clothes but our clothes were too fragrant for our tastes for the rest of the trip. We had to wash everything 4-5 times when we got home and some things still smell fragrant. Good luck!

This information is at the start of most chapters under the heading of Helpful Hints (e.g., Barcelona info is on p. 40). Locations are also often located on maps in the hotel section for that city (e.g., p. 130).

Hotel staff often know what's nearby if they don't facilitate an affordable washing service themselves.

Thanks for the info.
It's not in my book. The 'helpful hints' for Barcelona talk only about crime, internet, and luggage storage. All I see is in the practicalities chapter which mentions that hotels can help locate a launderette ... the pages you mention are different in my copy (purchased last December sale)... Thanks

We used a variety of methods from hand washing in the room to a washing machine in a rental apartment to full service wash/dry/fold. In fact, the only method we didn't use was a laundromat where we did it ourselves - kind of. In Seville we took our laundry to one lavanderia we thought was full service. The attendant had us put it in a machine. Came back at the end of the day and she had us take it out of the dryer. So for 10 euro she put in soap and moved it from the washer to the dryer..

We were in Seville three weeks ago, and our hotel recommended the same laundry service mentioned in the RS Spain travel guide - Lavanderia Tintoreria Roma. For 7 Euros, they provided wash and fold, same day service.

The hotel had its own laundry service, but it was ridiculously expensive. They had no problem suggesting a cheaper place, which I appreciated.

I was looking at the 2018 edition of RS Spain that just arrived, but the info has been in the same parts of the book for years. Your Helpful Hints list should continue onto another page with topics like Pharmacy, Laundry, and Bike Rental. In the hotel section, the map I was looking at is the one for Barcelona's Old City Hotels.

The Granada chapter mentions Tintoreria-Lavanderia Duquesa and Lavanderia TLavo.

... let's make things easy :)... @ revdramh, when in Barcelona, where exactly are you staying?

There are coin-operated laundromats in all those places - some instructions are in Spanish and some Spanish and English (that's what Google Translate is for). The machines are generally all the same - learn one you're good to go.

Use Google Maps and search 'laundromats near me' or ask at the hotel. Best to have some coins (wash is around 3.5 euros per load), though some do take credit cards, like the ones in Paris. The machines in Lisbon injected the soap automatically - very handy, though all the ones' I used sold the soap too - sort of large pills.

And, it's an excellent opportunity to chat up the locals!

Thanks for good thoughts - hadn't occurred to use Google maps that way. Not sure which city I'll need to look, but now have some good ideas.

@Laura RS Team - I know, I have used Rick's books for years. In mine (Apr 2016), at Barcelona "Helpful Hints" ends after crime, internet, baggage storage in the middle of a column and is followed by "Barcelona Walks" (p. 43) - the same is true in the Madrid chapter (p. 158). That's why I decided to ask...

I would agree with the comments to check at your hotel when you arrive about lavanderías. We just did laundry yesterday in Granada.

Using the RS2007 Spain guide there was nothing much listed for self-service. I tried Google Maps and there appears to be a new one just a few blocks from the Plaza Nueva but it was was hard to confirm. When we checked in the clerk showed us two options (neither was the one I found). He pointed out which was closer and we were set. Just needed a lot of pocket change for the machine.

Be sure to plan it into your travel schedule. I was planning to do laundry in Ronda on Sunday but the location in Rick’s book said it would be closed. For smaller destinations it’s quite likely that may happen. Just one more thing to check when putting together your itinerary.

Thanks, Pricilla, I have just come to the conclusion that Granada will be my best spot time-wise. Your info is helpful.

If you are staying in hotels all the above comments are very useful. We stayed in different Airbnb's for 3 weeks in different cities (Barcelona, Valencia etc. and south to Granada and Malaga). All the Airbnb's had small washing machines, no dryers, but have drying racks or lines out the windows & clothes pins. All were supplied with laundry soap. However we carried our own laundry sheets, unscented. Our brand is WashEZE but there are lots of choices, They are light, don't spill (like powder or liquid) and of course get through TSA. We travel with carry-on only and did laundry 3 times. It was a dry sunny October everywhere and all clothes dried within 12 hrs or less of washing.