How to Use a Self-Service Laundromat in Korea: Photo Guide

To use a self-service laundromat in Korea, load a suitable washer, select and pay for a wash course, then move the finished laundry to a separate dryer. At the laundromat shown in our photos, detergent and fabric softener are dispensed automatically, so you do not need to add your own.

This guide uses original photographs of a 27 kg washer and a 25 kg dryer to explain the Korean labels, prices and operating instructions. Use the photos to recognise the controls when you visit a self-service laundromat.

Find a laundromat near your accommodation

Search your map app for 셀프빨래방 (self-service laundromat) or 코인빨래방 (coin laundromat). Check the entrance, opening hours and recent machine photos before carrying your laundry over. A listing called 세탁소 may be a staffed laundry or dry cleaner, so look specifically for self-service washers and dryers.

Ask your hotel or guesthouse whether it has guest laundry first. When comparing accommodation, laundry access is one useful question alongside location; our Seoul accommodation guide covers the location side of that decision.

Read the washer: detergent is already included

Look below the course-price table in the photo. 세제와 섬유유연제는 자동 투입됩니다 means “Detergent and fabric softener are added automatically.” Detergent is included on this machine; check for the same notice at the shop you use.

The large 4 is the machine number. 27 KG is its stated capacity. The dotted line on the door is labelled 세탁량 적정선, the recommended loading line. Leave room for the laundry to move rather than packing the drum tightly.

Empty pockets and sort items according to their care labels and colours. The notice above this machine says pillows and stuffed toys can split and release their filling; it asks users to wash those items separately in the provided laundry net. Check both the item’s care label and the shop’s restrictions before washing bulky or filled items.

Choose a wash course and understand the price

These are the prices printed on the photographed washer. Its table also lists 통세척, drum cleaning, at ₩500, and 추가헹굼, an extra rinse and spin, at ₩1,000. Drum cleaning is a separate function, not a ₩500 clothes-washing course.

Choose a course suitable for your items and follow the payment instructions for that machine. Confirm that your cash, card or mobile wallet is accepted before loading the machine.

The control-panel instruction says to press the course button, then the start button; for the standard course, it says to press start. The yellow notice reads 세탁기 작동 중 결제 금지 — do not make a payment while the washer is running. Pay for your own selected machine before the cycle starts, following the shop’s payment sequence.

When the wash has finished and the door unlocks, check the drum for small items and transfer the load to a dryer. The wash price does not include a drying session on the separate machine.

Use the dryer: choose temperature, then start

The photographed dryer is numbered 7 and marked 25 KG. Its instructions show four actions: load the laundry → insert coins → select the drying temperature → press start. The coin illustration shows ₩500; the tariff is expressed as ₩1,000 per five minutes. Use the payment display to check how much time your coins add.

The temperature labels are 저온 (low), 중온 (medium) and 고온 (high). Choose according to the garment care label. Use a lower setting for items that require gentler drying.

The door’s dotted line, 건조량 적정선, marks the recommended drying load. Leave room for items to tumble freely, especially when transferring a large washer load.

The sign states ₩1,000 per five minutes, and the round sticker confirms ₩6,000 for 30 minutes. Extra coin payment adds time according to the instructions. The time needed depends on the fabric and load size.

A wash-and-dry budget from these machines

A ₩6,000 standard wash + ₩6,000 for 30 minutes of drying = ₩12,000. If you add ten more minutes at the posted dryer rate, drying becomes ₩8,000 and the combined total becomes ₩14,000. This example uses the rates shown above.

When drying bedding, I have added an extra ten minutes because it felt fluffier to me. For travel clothes, check thicker seams and pockets for dampness before deciding whether to add time.

Before you fold and leave

Allow the dryer’s programme to finish and take care around a hot door or hot laundry. Check the drum for socks and other small items. Fold on a clean surface and avoid packing damp items straight into a suitcase.

The dryer notice specifically warns about laundry contaminated with oil: it says to use the dryer only after oily residue has been fully removed in washing. If an item remains oily or its care label prohibits tumble drying, keep it out of the dryer.

If a machine stops or the payment appears on the wrong machine, note the machine number and use the shop’s displayed support contact. Do not add repeated payments without checking the current status. Collect your finished load promptly so another customer can use the machine.

Korean words you will see on the machines

세제가 자동으로 들어가나요?
Is detergent added automatically?

이 옷을 건조기에 넣어도 되나요?
Can this garment go in the dryer? Show the care label when asking.

건조 시간을 10분 더 추가하고 싶어요.
I would like to add ten more minutes of drying.

For another practical task between hotel stays, see our Seoul luggage-locker photo guide. It explains storage sizes, the English screen and the posted four-hour fees at Sinnonhyeon Station.

At your laundromat: follow the current machine instructions for detergent, payment and prices. The photos above show one washer-and-dryer setup.