Helpful housekeeping notes
Handy links and tips for washers, dryers, and drying clothes in Japan.
Washing machines
- Japanese Decoded: Washing Machines And Dryers - Savvy Tokyo
- Ultimate Guide to Japanese Washing Machines | Japan Switch
Drying clothes in Japan
There are a few common options for drying clothes in Japan:
- Hang clothes outside on a balcony using a drying rack (most common method) ☀️
- Washer-dryer combo machines
- Space-saving but weaker drying performance compared to standalone dryers.
- Allows for washing and drying done without moving clothes.
- Standalone clothes dryers
- Takes up more space but provides better drying performance.
- Dehumidifiers for the room
- Multi-purpose device and can dry the room as well as clothes hung nearby.
- Longer drying times and louder compared to dedicated clothes dryers.
- Coin laundromats with large dryers
- Useful for bulky items like bedding or large loads of laundry.
- Convenient but involves travel and cost per use.
- Modern bathrooms with built-in drying functions
- Newer apartments may have the drying feature in the bathroom (with bathtubs) which uses warm air circulation to dry clothes hung on a rod and the bathroom itself.
- Similar to a dehumidifier but built into the bathroom setup.
For more details, read Useful things to buy for your Tokyo apartment.