Laundry (çamaşır) in Istanbul—washing your well-worn clothes—is an essential service for travelers.
Unfortunately, Istanbul does not have many coin-operated laundries (laundromats, laundrettes). (Turkish entrepreneurs have yet to discover that laundromats are goldmines.)
But Istanbul does have some traditional laundries(çamaşırhane) where a few people (often husband and wife) sit in a dingy room and wash (yıkamak) and iron (ütülemek) your clothes personally.
Here’s a map and here’s the list:
Old Istanbul
Hasgül Laundry & Gift Shop
(tel. +90 (212) 520 60 45 or (533) 661 76 48), Tayahatun Sokak No. 11, north of Darüssade Sokak (map) beneath the Hotel Erenler and just down the street from the Sirkeci Konak Hotel in Sirkeci. TL10 for 1 kilo of laundry, washed & dried. Ironing extra.
Hasgül Laundry
(tel. +90 (212) 520 60 45 or (533) 661 76 48), Safveti Sokak No. 20, literally down in a hole in the ground at the corner of Safveti Sokak, across Hüdavendigar Caddesi from the Red River Pub(map). The two hotels framing Savfeti Sokak are the Gülhane Corner Hotel and the Flower Palace Hotel.
Huzur Laundry
On Savfeti Sokak No. 9 opposite the Best Noble Hotel, up the hill from the Red River Pub. The two hotels framing Savfeti Sokak are the Gülhane Corner Hotel and the Flower Palace Hotel (map).
Laundry & Dry Cleaning
Akbıyık Değirmeni Sokak across the street from the Hotel Dersaadet (map).
Express Laundry
On İshakpaşa Caddesi down the hill from the Fountain of Ahmet III and the entrance to the walls of Topkapı Palace (map) has placed little signs around the Cankurtaran hotel area pointing the way to their services.
Beyoğlu
Several laundries are located off İstiklal Caddesi near the Changir neighborhood not far from Taksim Square(map):
Çamaşırhane ve Ütü
Sadri Alışık Sokak No. 40B, is between İstiklal Caddesiand the antiques shops district of Çukurcuma. The name means simply “Laundry & Ironing.”
Çamaşırhane
Billurcu Sokak No. 11 near the City Center Hotel off Sıraselviler Caddesi, will wash and dry your laundry or dry cleaning for you. For a set price you can have the entire washing machine load for your own clothes (ie, not mixed with those of other customers—helps prevent mix-ups).
Penguen Kuru Temizleme
Laundry and dry-cleaner on Sıraselviler Caddesi No. 56B, opposite the Türkiye İş Bankası and Cihangir Açık Otopark, to the right of the Türkiye Ekonomi Bankası.
Şahane Çamaşırhane
The “Splendid Laundry” is at Tel Sokak No. 8, across from the Taksim Ticaret Meslek Lisesi (Taksim Business High School) on a back street between İstiklal Caddesi and Çukurcuma.
Siderakis Kuru Temizleme & Laundry
In the Talimhane hotel district just off Taksim Square, at Lamartine Caddesi No. 43A, next to the Titanic City Hotel.
Kadıköy
Just three blocks inland from the Kadıköy Ferry Docks is Oya Çamaşırhane, an efficient, professional laundry with good service and prices. Thanks to Suzanne White for the tip on this.
Hotel Laundry Services
You can have your hotel do your laundry, but it will probably cost a lot of money. Actually, even though most hotels charge high prices for laundry, they do not really like to do it. Most of the time your clothes are taken to a laundry nearby, then brought back. It’s a hassle for everyone.
Wash It Yourself!
Here are my tips for doing your own laundry in Turkey. More…
—by Tom Brosnahan
| Washing Laundry in Turkey |
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