Ultimate Laundry Guide for Europe (2025)
If you wash clothes in Europe — at home, in a dorm, on business trips or while moving between countries — this guide is for you. It turns scattered “laundry lore” into one clear, city-aware routine that keeps colours bright, whites crisp and fabrics living longer. No fluff: just the steps that work.
What you’ll get
- A repeatable routine that works in Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, Amsterdam, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Dublin, London and beyond.
- How to dose detergent for soft vs. hard water (without guesswork).
- Temperature & fabric cheat-sheets you can trust.
- Stain removal you can run on autopilot.
- Eco & cost-saving moves that still clean perfectly.
- Maintenance steps so your washer stays fresh and efficient.
1) The 9 rules of consistently good laundry
- Sort less, but smarter. Whites / colours / delicates. Add a “heavy-soil” pile (kitchen towels, sports gear).
- Check pockets + zips. Coins ruin drums; zips eat fabric. Close zips & hooks; turn jeans, hoodies, prints inside out.
- Dose by water + soil, not by the cap. Use the minimum that still cleans (see section 2).
- Cool most of the time. 20–30 °C for everyday colours; 40 °C for towels/underwear; 60 °C occasionally for hygiene.
- Use the right cycle length. Longer cycles clean better at lower temps (modern EU machines are designed for this).
- Pre-treat stains. Small dab beats hot-washing whole loads.
- Don’t overfill. A closed fist should fit at the top of the drum.
- Spin high, dry low. Higher spin cuts drying time; heat is what ages fibres.
- Rinse your habits. If clothes feel stiff, reduce dose; if they smell, increase dose or temp — not both at once.
2) Water hardness across Europe — and how to dose right
Hard water (lots of calcium/magnesium) “eats” detergent; soft water needs less. Cities vary by district and season, so avoid exact numbers unless you check your utility. A practical rule of thumb:
- Soft & softer-side cities: Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, parts of Scotland & Ireland, mountain areas.
- → Start with low dose (≈ ⅔ of label’s “normal”) and increase only if whites grey out or odour persists.
- Moderate: Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Prague, Vienna, Zurich, many parts of Poland & Germany.
- → Use label’s normal dose for medium soil. Heavier soil (sports, kitchen) = +25%.
- Hard to very hard: London & SE England, parts of northern Germany, the Low Countries’ older districts, some Spain/Italy regions.
- → Use label’s high-hardness dose. If you see limescale film or dull colours, keep the dose but add a monthly machine clean.
Quick trick to “calibrate” at home:
Pick a mid-soil colour load. Wash at 30 °C.
- If fabrics feel slick/slimy or smell perfumey → over-dosed → reduce next time by 20–30%.
- If they smell “damp” or look greyed → under-dosed → increase next time by 20–30% or pick a longer cycle.
About softeners:
Use sparingly on towels (they lose absorbency). Skip on sportswear, microfibre cloths and anything labelled “moisture-wicking”.
3) Temperatures & fabrics — a simple map
Everyday colours
- 20–30 °C · colour-safe detergent · low/med spin · inside out.
- Add an oxygen booster if stained.
Whites
- 40 °C routine, 60 °C occasionally (bedding/underwear) · powder or liquid with oxygen bleach.
- Avoid chlorinated bleach on elastics and prints.
Denim
- 20–30 °C · inside out · low spin · line-dry flat at the waist.
- Space out washes; spot-clean when possible.
Delicates (wool/silk/viscose)
- Cold to 30 °C · wool/delicate programme · mesh bag · flat dry.
- Don’t wring. Reshape while damp.
Sportswear/tech
- 20–30 °C · liquid detergent (no powder fillers) · no softener.
- Add a hygiene cycle (60 °C) occasionally for odour control — check care label first.
Baby items & sensitive skin
- 40 °C routine; 60 °C for hygiene cycles.
- Extra rinse; fragrance-light products; avoid optical brighteners for darks.
4) Stain removal — run this playbook
Golden rules
- Treat ASAP; fresh beats set.
- Blot, don’t rub. Push stain deeper = harder to remove.
- Cold first for protein (blood, milk, egg). Warm first for oils (makeup, butter).
- Check after wash before drying. Heat sets stains.
Quick recipes (always test on a seam first)
- Grease & oil (butter, mayo, makeup, motor oil)
- Dab liquid detergent or mild dish soap.
- Wait 10–15 min.
- 30–40 °C long cycle. Heavy? Sprinkle oxygen booster.
- Wine, berries, juice
- Rinse cold from the back.
- Soak in cool water + oxygen booster 30–60 min.
- Wash 40 °C (colour-safe). Avoid heat until gone.
- Coffee/tea/chocolate
- Cold rinse.
- Liquid detergent pre-treat.
- 40 °C wash. Chocolate: pre-scrape solids.
- Blood, dairy, egg (protein)
- Rinse cold only.
- Enzyme pre-soak 30 min.
- 40 °C wash. Repeat if faint shadow remains.
- Mud & grass
- Dry, brush off chunks.
- Pre-treat enzymes.
- 40 °C colours. For grass on whites add oxygen booster.
- Deo/yellow under-arm
- Paste: oxygen booster + a little water.
- 30 min on the patch.
- 40–60 °C whites/ lights.
- Makeup (foundation, lipstick)
- Dab makeup remover on cotton; blot.
- Liquid detergent on spot.
- 30–40 °C.
- Ink/marker
- Alcohol-based hand gel on cotton; dab behind the stain.
- Blot until transfer slows.
- Enzyme wash 40 °C.
Don’t mix: chlorine bleach + ammonia/acid; never on wool/silk/elastic. Ventilate; wear gloves for heavy jobs.
5) European washing symbols — decode once, stop guessing
- Tub 30/40/60/95: max wash temp.
- Line under tub: gentle cycle. Two lines: very gentle (delicates).
- Triangle: bleaching allowed (struck = no bleach).
- Square + circle: tumble dry (dots = heat). Square + line: line-dry.
- Iron: dots = heat. X = don’t iron.
- Circle (P/F): dry-clean symbols.
Take 10 seconds: scan the label, pick lowest risk setting that still fits soil level. If between two settings, choose the gentler cycle and add time, not heat.
6) A routine that works in every EU city
Mon — Colours (20–30 °C, long eco cycle)
Wed — Lights/Whites (40 °C, add oxygen booster if needed)
Fri — Towels/Underwear (40–60 °C)
Sat — Delicates or “heavy-soil” (choose fabric-safe settings)
1× / month — Machine clean (see below)
This spreads wear, keeps baskets light and stops panic-washing before trips.
7) Washer care (kills odour, saves money)
- Door & gasket: wipe after every wash; leave door & drawer open to dry.
- Filter: clear lint/coins monthly.
- Monthly clean: empty drum, hottest cycle (60–90 °C) with oxygen cleaner or machine cleaner.
- Descale: if you see chalky film, run a dedicated descaler as per label (or a cautious citric-acid cycle — but avoid rubber contact; follow manufacturer guidance).
- Hoses: check for kinks/leaks each season.
8) Eco & cost-savers that still clean
- Lower temps + longer cycles = same cleaning, less energy.
- High spin cuts drying time; line-dry when possible.
- Full loads (fist-space rule).
- Concentrates: smaller dose, less plastic.
- Microfibre filters/bags (e.g., laundry filter bags) reduce fibre shedding into water.
- Cold washes for colours preserve dyes and save energy.
9) City-to-city notes (practical, not “exact science”)
- London, Amsterdam, parts of northern Germany: often hard water. Expect more limescale; keep doses on the higher side; do monthly machine clean.
- Paris, Brussels, Vienna, Prague, Zurich: moderate on average; follow label’s “normal”; use longer cycles for odour-prone loads.
- Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, much of Scotland/Ireland: often softer; reduce dose by ~⅓ and check smell/whiteness to calibrate.
- Southern Europe hotspots (Madrid, Lisbon, Rome): heat outside doesn’t mean heat in the drum — still wash most colours at 20–30 °C to preserve fabrics.
Always trust your local utility for official hardness maps if you want exact numbers; your clothes will tell you the rest.
10) Capsule cheat-sheets (copy these into your notes)
Perfect everyday colour load
- Sort → Inside out → Liquid colour detergent → 30 °C eco → High spin → Line-dry.
- For visible stains add oxygen booster or pre-treat.
Fresh white towels
- 40 °C weekly; 60 °C every few cycles.
- Skip softener or use sparingly; higher spin; thorough dry.
Smelly gym kit
- Pre-rinse cold; 30 °C with enzyme liquid; no softener; long cycle; high spin; quick dry.
- If odour persists: one 60 °C cycle (check label).
Baby week
- 40 °C with extra rinse; fragrance-light; 60 °C for nappies/cloths as needed.
11) Laundry on the move (hostels, hotels, laundrettes)
- Pack a mini kit: 100 ml liquid detergent, oxi booster sachets, mesh bag, pegless line, stain stick.
- Search terms: “self-service laundry + city” (e.g., “self-service laundry Berlin Mitte”).
- Hostels/Airbnbs: check machine model; choose eco cycles; ask about water hardness if doses seem off.
- Drying: skip radiators; hang where air moves. In humid cities, tumble a short low-heat finish to avoid mustiness.
12) Safety basics (good for every household)
- Keep products away from children & pets; never decant into drink bottles.
- Ventilate when using chlorine/strong cleaners; never mix bleach + acids/ammonia.
- Follow care labels; test stain solutions on seams.
- Store closed, dry, away from heat; respect REACH/CLP warnings on labels.
13) FAQ — fast answers
How much detergent is “right”?
Start with the label’s “normal” for medium soil. Calibrate by feel/smell: slick = too much; musty/grey = too little (or hotter cycle).
Why are my whites grey?
Low dose, overfull drum, too-cool quick cycles, or softener on towels. Increase time/dose slightly; add oxygen booster; rinse well.
Do I need softener?
Optional. Skip on sportswear/microfibre; use lightly on towels (better spin + line-dry beats heavy softener).
How to stop colour bleed?
Sort better; wash cold; colour-catcher sheets help but don’t replace sorting.
My washer smells.
Door open after washes, gasket wipe, monthly hot clean, correct dosing. Persistent smell = check filter/drain.
14) Your 1-page laundry plan (print & stick)
- Sort: whites / colours / delicates / heavy-soil.
- Water: decide soft / moderate / hard → pick dose.
- Stains: pre-treat now, not later.
- Cycle: long & cool for most; hotter occasionally for hygiene.
- Dry: spin high, heat low; line-dry when possible.
- Monthly: hot empty clean; wipe gasket; clear filter.
15) Where to get help
Questions about dosing, symbols or tricky stains? Write to us — we’ll help you tune the routine for your city and machine.
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