How to Ask About Laundry Facilities in Spanish: Laundromats, Hours, and Prices
Learn to ask 'Is there a laundromat nearby?' in Latin American Spanish, understand opening hours, and handle basic laundry questions with confidence.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you travel or rent an apartment in a Spanish-speaking country, laundry is one of the first practical problems you face. This lesson teaches you a small, focused set of phrases to find a laundromat, ask whether it is nearby, and understand its hours and basic services. You will practice the useful question structure hay ('is there / are there') and the phrase cerca de aquí ('near here'). The Spanish here is broadly useful Latin American Spanish; regional notes appear where usage changes.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether there is a laundromat or laundry service near my location.
- understand and ask about opening and closing hours.
- ask basic questions about price and self-service versus full service.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Hay una lavandería cerca de aquí?
Is there a laundromat near here?
ah-ee OO-nah lah-bahn-deh-REE-ah SEHR-kah deh ah-KEE
The most direct and widely understood question. Use lavandería for a laundromat or laundry shop. In some regions, lavandería can also mean a laundry room in a building, so context matters.
¿Dónde está la lavandería más cercana?
Where is the nearest laundromat?
DOHN-deh es-TAH lah lah-bahn-deh-REE-ah mahs sehr-KAH-nah
Use this when you want a specific location, not just a yes-or-no answer. Más cercana means 'nearest' and agrees with the feminine noun lavandería.
¿A qué hora abren y cierran?
What time do they open and close?
ah keh OH-rah AH-brehn ee SYEH-rrahn
A compact way to ask both opening and closing times. The verb forms abren and cierran are third-person plural, matching 'they' or 'you all' in Latin American Spanish.
¿Es autoservicio o servicio completo?
Is it self-service or full service?
es ow-toh-sehr-VEE-syoh oh sehr-VEE-syoh kohm-PLEH-toh
Useful when you want to know whether you wash the clothes yourself or drop them off. Autoservicio is widely understood; in some countries people may say 'de autoservicio' or simply 'para lavar uno mismo'.
¿Cuánto cuesta lavar y secar una carga?
How much does it cost to wash and dry one load?
KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah lah-VAHR ee seh-KAHR OO-nah KAR-gah
Una carga means 'one load' of laundry. This question helps you compare prices before you commit.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern ¿Hay...? means 'Is there...?' or 'Are there...?' and works for both singular and plural nouns: ¿Hay una lavandería? ('Is there a laundromat?'), ¿Hay máquinas para lavar? ('Are there washing machines?'). To ask about location, add cerca de aquí ('near here') or cerca del hotel ('near the hotel'). To ask about hours, use ¿A qué hora abren? ('What time do they open?') and ¿A qué hora cierran? ('What time do they close?'). Notice that Spanish often uses the third-person plural when the subject is understood: abren can mean 'they open' or 'you all open' depending on context.
When to use it
Use ¿Hay una lavandería cerca de aquí? with hotel staff, a host, or a neighbor when you need a quick recommendation. Use ¿Dónde está la lavandería más cercana? when you are ready to walk or take a taxi and need directions. Ask ¿A qué hora abren y cierran? before you carry a heavy bag across town. If you are staying long-term, ask ¿Es autoservicio o servicio completo? because some places wash and fold for you, while others only rent machines. In many Latin American cities, small lavanderías offer both, but hours can vary by neighborhood.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Disculpe, ¿hay una lavandería cerca de aquí?
Excuse me, is there a laundromat near here?dees-KOOL-peh, ah-ee OO-nah lah-bahn-deh-REE-ah SEHR-kah deh ah-KEESí, hay una a dos cuadras. Abren a las siete y cierran a las ocho.
Yes, there is one two blocks away. They open at seven and close at eight.see, ah-ee OO-nah ah dohs KWAH-drahs. AH-brehn ah lahs SYEH-teh ee SYEH-rrahn ah lahs OH-choh¿Es autoservicio o servicio completo?
Is it self-service or full service?es ow-toh-sehr-VEE-syoh oh sehr-VEE-syoh kohm-PLEH-tohEs autoservicio. Cuesta cinco dólares por carga.
It is self-service. It costs five dollars per load.es ow-toh-sehr-VEE-syoh. KWEHS-tah SEEN-koh DOH-lah-rehs pohr KAR-gahA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, lavandería commonly refers to a laundromat or laundry shop, while lavadero can mean a utility sink or wash area. In some regions, a building's shared laundry room may be called cuarto de lavado or área de lavandería. Prices and hours vary widely, so it is normal to ask directly. Using disculpe ('excuse me') before a question is polite and appropriate with strangers.
One thing to watch for
Using ¿Está una lavandería cerca? to mean 'Is there a laundromat nearby?'
Try this instead: Use ¿Hay una lavandería cerca? for existence. Está asks about location or state: ¿Dónde está la lavandería? ('Where is the laundromat?'). If you already know it exists and want its location, use está; if you are asking whether one exists, use hay.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Is there a laundromat near here?' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
¿Hay una lavandería cerca de aquí?
This uses hay for 'there is' and cerca de aquí for 'near here.' You could also say ¿Hay una lavandería cerca? and it would be understood.
2You want to know the opening and closing times. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿A qué hora abren y cierran?
This asks both times in one question. You could also ask ¿A qué hora abren? and ¿A qué hora cierran? separately.
3You want to know whether you wash the clothes yourself or drop them off. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
¿Es autoservicio o servicio completo?
Autoservicio means self-service and servicio completo means full service. Some speakers may say 'de autoservicio' or 'servicio de lavandería completo,' but the meaning is clear.
Memorize ¿Hay una lavandería cerca de aquí? and ¿A qué hora abren y cierran? first. These two questions solve most laundry problems, and you can add price or service questions as needed.
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