Can you do your own laundry in a hotel?

An affordable and generally fairly quick option is to do your own laundry at the hotel, if they have a washer and dryer available to guests. Most laundry facilities sell single-use detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets, or you can bring detergent and other supplies with you from home or buy them locally.



Yes, you absolutely can, and there are several ways to go about it depending on the hotel type and your budget. Most high-end and mid-range hotels offer a professional valet laundry service where you leave a bag in your room, but this is notoriously expensive, often charging per item (e.g., $5 for a pair of socks). For a more DIY approach, many "extended stay" brands like Residence Inn, Homewood Suites, or budget-friendly chains like Ibis and Holiday Inn Express provide coin-operated or app-based self-service laundry rooms for guests. If these aren't available, the "sink wash" method is a time-honored traveler tradition; you can use the bathroom sink with travel-sized detergent or even hotel shampoo, then hang items to dry on the retractable line often found in the shower. For those who want professional results without the hotel markup, the best tip is to use a local "wash and fold" service nearby, which usually charges by the weight of the bag. In 2026, many savvy travelers also use portable "scrubba" wash bags, which act as a portable washing machine, allowing you to clean clothes efficiently in your room without making a mess.

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Most hotels offer a laundry service where you place your dirty clothes in a bag you can find in your in-room closet, fill out an attached card listing the items you need laundered and the additional services you require (such as dry cleaning or ironing), and leave the bag in the hall.

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Housekeepers will often collect linens from guest rooms and take them to a linen room for transportation to laundry facilities. Some linen items may be collected separately, such as staff uniforms or kitchen towels. Guest laundry is handled separately from hotel linens to ensure their safe return.

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Most hotels offer a laundry service where you place your dirty clothes in a bag you can find in your in-room closet, fill out an attached card listing the items you need laundered and the additional services you require (such as dry cleaning or ironing), and leave the bag in the hall.

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Some hotels offer complimentary use of their laundry facilities as part of their amenities, while others may charge a fee. It's important to check with the hotel beforehand to determine if there are any charges associated with using the machines. If there is a fee, it may be per load or based on the duration of use.

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A laundry attendant is in charge of ensuring that clean linens are supplied to the entire hotel. Among the responsibilities include sorting, washing, drying, pressing, and folding clothing and other textile items.

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Laundry Valet Attendants are responsible for the pickup of soiled and delivery of clean guest laundry in establishments such as hotels and cruise ships, while Laundry Attendants usually perform services solely in the laundry facility.

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Over a year's time, a 150-room hotel will spend approximately $75,000 on its laundry operation, and of that total, about 25 percent will be for linen replacement. By effectively removing stains, a hotel can help optimize its laundry operation and save money by reducing the need to purchase new linens.

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A guest laundry is a laundry facility that you offer to your paying guests as an added benefit. It's a clean place where they can do their own laundry whenever they want for a nominal fee.

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Yes, they are washed in huge loads, but they are washed in commercial washers, with commercial detergents, and washed with much hotter water than you have at home.

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If it's something that can be cleaned, washed or sanitized and used more than once, it belongs to the hotel, and taking it is STEALING. If you take a towel or towels you may find a charge on your credit card.

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