Washers - yes, but no dryers... how do you dry clothes in Budapest?

You hang them to dry on one of these: https://www.mall.hu/ruhaszarito

There are sevceral self-service laundries in the city, find them on google maps.

In bathroom or kitchens because that is where the water inlets and outlets are located. Few apartments were or are build with specific spaces for washing machines (especially the older ones).

And drying as atomheart said. And there are even models that fits over your bathtub edge -- so with a washer in the bathroom, you just remove your cloths and immediately hang them up to drip dry into the bath.

https://www.kamody.hu/leifheit-pegasus- … 81540-6980

Or over your heater to dry things faster:

https://www.kamody.hu/leifheit-universa … 81413-6853

atomheart wrote:

You hang them to dry on one of these: https://www.mall.hu/ruhaszarito

If you don't have a garden or a balcony, do you keep this in your apartment?  How odd is that???  Is there no common place in apartment buildings where people can hang their laundry out?

It will take some getting used to after 40 plus years of instant dry clothes with no wrinkles (the hot dryer smooths out the fabric and when folded neatly, most need no ironing)...  I guess, one can always buy a dryer and stick in a corner someplace...

I have been living in Australia for almost two years now and they actually prefer to hang laundry outside when living in a house, even though people have dryers.  Tradition; I guess... In apartments, however, they have dryers.  Just like in the U.S., there is usually a "laundry room", or at least a closet that holds a washer and dryer.  If there is a space problem, they use stackables... Larger homes have entire rooms with kitchen-type cabinets for storage, sink, etc. - a spacious set-up just for laundry. 

https://www.beeyoutifullife.com/35500-s … le-washer/

Affordable housing neighborhoods either have a laundry in the complex or have laundromats within walking distance to the homes with washer/dryer set-ups.  City apartments have laundromats in the basement with a dozen washers and dryers for all to use.  In big cities, they have dry cleaner service everywhere, where they also do bulk laundry for a fee.  You bring your laundry bag in the morning, and they give it back to you all nice and folded in the afternoon - used to be $8 (about 2,000 HUF) per bag, about a week's laundry. 

I guess there are certain things I will miss about the "West"...

atomheart wrote:

You hang them to dry on one of these: https://www.mall.hu/ruhaszarito

If you don't have a garden or a balcony, do you keep this in your apartment?  How odd is that???  Is there no common place in apartment buildings where people can hang their laundry out?

It will take some getting used to after 40 plus years of instant dry clothes with no wrinkles (the hot dryer smooths out the fabric and when folded neatly, most need no ironing)...  I guess, one can always buy a dryer and stick in a corner someplace...

I have been living in Australia for almost two years now and they actually prefer to hang laundry outside when living in a house, even though people have dryers.  Tradition; I guess... In apartments, however, they have dryers.  Just like in the U.S., there is usually a "laundry room", or at least a closet that holds a washer and dryer.  If there is a space problem, they use stackables... Larger homes have entire rooms with kitchen-type cabinets for storage, sink, etc. - a spacious set-up just for laundry. 

https://www.beeyoutifullife.com/35500-s … le-washer/

Affordable housing neighborhoods either have a laundry in the complex or have laundromats within walking distance to the homes with washer/dryer set-ups.  City apartments have laundromats in the basement with a dozen washers and dryers for all to use.  In big cities, they have dry cleaner service everywhere, where they also do bulk laundry for a fee.  You bring your laundry bag in the morning, and they give it back to you all nice and folded in the afternoon - used to be $8 (about 2,000 HUF) per bag, about a week's laundry. 

I guess there are certain things I will miss about the "West"...

klsallee wrote:

And drying as atomheart said. And there are even models that fits over your bathtub edge -- so with a washer in the bathroom, you just remove your cloths and immediately hang them up to drip dry into the bath. -

https://www.kamody.hu/leifheit-pegasus- … 81540-6980

Or over your heater to dry things faster:

https://www.kamody.hu/leifheit-universa … 81413-6853

I guess, I will appear to be insanely spoiled by saying this, but OMG!!!  (Oh, My God)

After 40 plus years of instant dry clothes and no fuss, now I will have to hang things all over the room and wait for them to dry...  In the U.S. that would be unheard of...  No one would do that! 

NEW DISCOVERY:  I just looked online in Hungary for dryers, and found out that now they make machines that are "all-in-one" washer/dryers...  Did not even know that they exist!  So, for HUF 200,000 or so, problem solved! 

https://edigital.hu/haztartas-otthon-la … uga-c28504

I'm not in Hungary, but have a similar problem. Basically, you get used to slightly damp clothes about half the year. And to clothes hanging around drying everywhere inside when it's raining, making the paint peel. Which is about half the year.

If you're getting a new washer, go for a top-end model with a very high-speed extraction cycle. Your stuff will come out of the machine damp not soaking.

As for a dryer, if you get one make sure you can vent it properly.

zif wrote:

I'm not in Hungary, but have a similar problem. Basically, you get used to slightly damp clothes about half the year. And to clothes hanging around drying everywhere inside when it's raining, making the paint peel. Which is about half the year.

If you're getting a new washer, go for a top-end model with a very high-speed extraction cycle. Your stuff will come out of the machine damp not soaking.

As for a dryer, if you get one make sure you can vent it properly.

Thank you for your comments! 

Oh, boy... This is getting worse by the minute!  They actually have washers that don't spin the water out of clothes? 

So, even if I rent a place that has a washer in it might not spin the clothes nearly dry as the machines in the U.S. and AU and even in Fiji do?  I am DEFINITELY buying a dryer or a washer/dryer combo!  For me, it is a MUST investment...  Did not even know that they have the "combo" types until I just looked it up.  It will cost me about HUF 200,000, but to avoid the hassle, it is worth it.

https://edigital.hu/haztartas-otthon-la … uga-c28504

Oh, I think all washing machines spin to a degree. But more expensive machines have stronger motors and spin faster. You can get a Zanussi with a 500rpm spin cycle. Or one that does 2800rpm. That's power!

Hell, some peoply here wash their clothes by hand! 

Panni36 wrote:

NEW DISCOVERY:  I just looked online in Hungary for dryers, and found out that now they make machines that are "all-in-one" washer/dryers...  Did not even know that they exist!  So, for HUF 200,000 or so, problem solved!

As Zif said, normally any sort of dryer often requires a vent to the outside. Either through the wall or up a single purpose vertical pipe to the roof. Difficult to do in an apartment. So you should check the venting requirements of any dryer system before purchase and installing to see if it needs venting or not and of what type. Venting issues are probably the main reason most people do not have dryers (that and the space, electrical cost/energy efficiency issues).

Also check your space before purchase. In some places there is little room to open the forward loading machines and a top loader may be better.

zif wrote:

Oh, I think all washing machines spin to a degree. But more expensive machines have stronger motors and spin faster. You can get a Zanussi with a 500rpm spin cycle. Or one that does 2800rpm. That's power!

500 is too slow. Our 12 year old LG 5 KG washer spin cycle goes up to 1000. And at that speed things are easy to hang dry. And If I remember correctly, it was only about 80,000 HUF at the time. Not expensive (IMHO).

Our Whirlpool washer has a drying cycle in it but when my husband looked at the meter turning at a high speed he shut the dryer off.
I honestly have forgotten how to use that cycle, no matter my husband does the laundry. The only housework he does.
If I could get him to iron, then my life would be perfect... Actually he does iron most of his clothing, mine not so much.
They sell actual clothing dryers here now some sets are very nice, maybe just a bit over $1,000 for a new set.
Finding room however inside the flat can be a issue in smaller places.
Our friends redid their flat and have a stacking washer dryer set built into the wall in their bathroom, vents were put in to let out the air and no hoses from the washer are exposed.
Nice , really nice.
We planned to use "Bubbles" a do it yourself laundry. Only 1,000 F for a wash and another 1,000 to use the dryers.
Just got used to doing it at home but if our washer ever breaks we may start going there, just up the st. a few blocks away.
We have a large loft inside our flat so we hang any large pieces up there, have a "fruglie" ( probably spelled that one wrong" in our bathroom for small pieces to dry, just turn on the bathroom fan.
Just hard in wet weather, takes days for somethings to dry.
Have to check the weather before laundry day.
We have some neighbors who hang their clothing and blankets over the railing to dry which looks a bit "cheesy" to us.
Who wants to air their "clean" as opposed to dirty laundry for the world to see?
I'm always thinking about purchasing a pair of huge granny panties, XXXL size, putting a mess of food stains on them and letting them fly free in the wind, maybe then our neighbors might get the hint as to how disgusting it is to see their laundry all the time.
Actually that's just part of living in Hungary, you get used to it.
When we go to Vegas and visit our son I often forget they have a clothing dryer, nothing better then a nice hot freshly dried towel straight  out of the dryer....
I also forget to use their dish washer etc.
Not a big deal, you can buy a dryer here these days if it's that important for you.
My good clothing is hand washed or dry cleaned.

In the old days before people got greedy , when the gov, owned all the flats and everyone paid rent to the gov., Every house had a drying room up on the roof.
People hung their clothing up there to dry on racks or lines.
They have converted every space into something to make money now, added more flats etc. so no more drying room for the houses.
The thing is here in Hungary you can live exactly the same way as in the west, if you're willing to pay the price.
You can find anything here, dryers,dishwashers whatever, just be willing to pay for them, utilities will go up with usage.

You have to remember this is central Europe and not Australia or America and it's very common to have the washing machine in the bathroom, this also applies to houses that has a bit more space.

There are machines that wash and dry your clothes but as these do 2 jobs they are a bit more expensive, also come with a problem if the dryer side becomes broken for some reason you are left without the washer until you can get it fixed.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

We planned to use "Bubbles" a do it yourself laundry. Only 1,000 F for a wash and another 1,000 to use the dryers.
...............
hang any large pieces up there, have a "fruglie" ( probably spelled that one wrong" in our bathroom for small pieces to dry, just turn on the bathroom fan.
Just hard in wet weather, takes days for somethings to dry.

Now that you described the realities of doing laundry in Budapest, I think I will probably opt for Bubbles...  I guess, I will need to rent a place that is close to one.  I could not possibly live with wet clothing hanged everywhere...  I grew-up like that, but it was such a long time ago, I don't even remember.  Had instant dry and unwrinkled close for over 40 years - don't wish to go back in time...  2,000 Ft sounds reasonable for getting all the laundry done. 

These are the kind of realities that one has to think about when planning a major move to a different culture.

Thanks so much for the details!

Panni36 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

We planned to use "Bubbles" a do it yourself laundry. Only 1,000 F for a wash and another 1,000 to use the dryers.
...............
hang any large pieces up there, have a "fruglie" ( probably spelled that one wrong" in our bathroom for small pieces to dry, just turn on the bathroom fan.
Just hard in wet weather, takes days for somethings to dry.

Now that you described the realities of doing laundry in Budapest, I think I will probably opt for Bubbles...  I guess, I will need to rent a place that is close to one.  I could not possibly live with wet clothing hanged everywhere...  I grew-up like that, but it was such a long time ago, I don't even remember.  Had instant dry and unwrinkled close for over 40 years - don't wish to go back in time...  2,000 Ft sounds reasonable for getting all the laundry done. 

These are the kind of realities that one has to think about when planning a major move to a different culture.

Thanks so much for the details!

But the new washing machines are a lot better these days and as it's been stated they spin 2800rpm. The clothes are not wet, but damp maybe and dry in no time at all.

I forget what our machine is, but it has a high RPM and we have no problem in drying our clothes.

So if you buy a good brand with high RPM you will not have wet clothes hanging around.

klsallee wrote:

zif wrote:

Oh, I think all washing machines spin to a degree. But more expensive machines have stronger motors and spin faster. You can get a Zanussi with a 500rpm spin cycle. Or one that does 2800rpm. That's power!

500 is too slow. Our 12 year old LG 5 KG washer spin cycle goes up to 1000. And at that speed things are easy to hang dry. And If I remember correctly, it was only about 80,000 HUF at the time. Not expensive (IMHO).

That's not too bad, however, the more I find out, the more I think I will just use a laundromat - I heard (from Marilyn) that Bubbles is a chain in Budapest and I can do a week's laundry and dry it for 2,000 Ft.  Now renting an apartment will have to depend of where Bubbles is located... 

I wonder if there is a service available in BP...  In the U.S. every dry cleaner offers laundry service.  You drop off a bag of laundry in the morning, and it is ready all clean and folded by the afternoon.  Was quite affordable...

SimCityAT wrote:

So if you buy a good brand with high RPM you will not have wet clothes hanging around.

And, of course, part of the fun of being an expat is doing things the local way.

Quite frankly, It was rather easy getting use to not having a dryer. But, yes, a good high speed RPM rinse on the washer makes that easier.

SimCityAT wrote:

I forget what our machine is, but it has a high RPM and we have no problem in drying our clothes.

So if you buy a good brand with high RPM you will not have wet clothes hanging around.

I guess; I will find a place close to Bubbles (just in case); rent an apartment with a good washer; see about installing a dryer, and see how it goes.

Thank you so much for the information!

Also having a dryer, you will be burning more electricity, spending more money than is not necessary IMO. 

Use a laundromat, but if you are on the top floor of an apartment building do you wish to be lugging clothes up and down?

Panni36 wrote:

SimCityAT wrote:

I forget what our machine is, but it has a high RPM and we have no problem in drying our clothes.

So if you buy a good brand with high RPM you will not have wet clothes hanging around.

I guess; I will find a place close to Bubbles (just in case); rent an apartment with a good washer; see about installing a dryer, and see how it goes.

Thank you so much for the information!

In all honesty, I would rather look for a nice apartment in a nice area than being close to "Bubbles". That would be my priority, after all, you wish to be enjoying your retirement and taking it easy.

klsallee wrote:

And, of course, part of the fun of being an expat is doing things the local way.

Quite frankly, It was rather easy getting use to not having a dryer. But, yes, a good high speed RPM rinse on the washer makes that easier.

I understand the sentiment...

I have lived in Australia for almost two years and spent three months in Fiji.  Had washer and dryer most of the time, but only a washer since December in the spacious 200 sq meter (2,100 SqFt) house I share just outside of Sydney with a friend. 

It is summer here, so I do not mind hanging the laundry outside in the large private garden we have, but in Budapest, I will be likely living in about a 50 sq meter space.  Being a neat freak, it would really bug me if I had to have drying clothes all over my living space.

In the long run buying a dryer would be cheaper then running to Bubbles every week.
Even with just one load and dry a week that would be nearly $65. a month at 2,000F a pop.
My husband took my cousin to Bubbles 2 summers ago.
He and his wife were doing a 3 week EU trip and wanted to wash in between.
Husband said it was pretty nice, I've only looked inside the place as we often pass by the area.
My poor cousins wife though, she had  some really nice fitting white jeans and he put them in with something red...
Bummer for her, hope she liked pink.

If you're doing detailed calculations on this, don't forget that commercial laundries tend to be a lot harder on your washing than DIY. Stuff'll probably wear out faster.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

In the long run buying a dryer would be cheaper then running to Bubbles every week.
Even with just one load and dry a week that would be nearly $65. a month at 2,000F a pop.

How so? 

2,000 Ft is only $8  -  that would average out to $35 per month....

Of course, the convenience of doing laundry at home is more appealing, but with all the issues of venting, electricity capacity and charges, I will have to evaluate what works best.

All this input helps a lot!  Thanks!

Panni36 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

In the long run buying a dryer would be cheaper then running to Bubbles every week.
Even with just one load and dry a week that would be nearly $65. a month at 2,000F a pop.

How so? 

2,000 Ft is only $8  -  that would average out to $35 per month....

Of course, the convenience of doing laundry at home is more appealing, but with all the issues of venting, electricity capacity and charges, I will have to evaluate what works best.

All this input helps a lot!  Thanks!

True, guess I was thinking of not mixing the colors with the whites.
Unless of course you like pink panties.

Panni36 wrote:

I will have to evaluate what works best.!

Absolutely. Get here, see how the land lays, then work out the details over time. Best idea.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

True, guess I was thinking of not mixing the colors with the whites.
Unless of course you like pink panties.

Almost everything I wear is black...  I like dark color bed sheets, but ONLY baige and cream towels.  The few things that are not dark and delicate, I wash by hand.  So, it is only the towels that need to be washed separately and I can do just one batch per month.

zif wrote:

If you're doing detailed calculations on this, don't forget that commercial laundries tend to be a lot harder on your washing than DIY. Stuff'll probably wear out faster.

Hmm...  Did not think of that.  Why would that be?  I used to use the commercial service for a while in the U.S. and it was fine.

Who would have thought that "laundry" would be a HUGE consideration in moving my life to a new world...?    : ))

Panni36 wrote:

zif wrote:

If you're doing detailed calculations on this, don't forget that commercial laundries tend to be a lot harder on your washing than DIY. Stuff'll probably wear out faster.

Hmm...  Did not think of that.  Why would that be?  I used to use the commercial service for a while in the U.S. and it was fine.

Who would have thought that "laundry" would be a HUGE consideration in moving my life to a new world...?    : ))

But it really isn't?

" . . . don't forget that commercial laundries tend to be a lot harder on your washing than DIY."

"Why would that be?"

My understanding is that large commercial laundries push the wash through fast, to get the best use of their facilities. That means strong detergent, steaming hot water, fierce agitation and extraction, as well as very high heat on drying. That takes a toll on your clothes.

Of course laundries in Budapest may be different. Perhaps at Bubbles there's a roomful of elderly Hungarian ladies gently dunking your undies in the sink.

Hi everyone,

Please note that some posts ( flamming) have been removed from this thread.

Thank you,

Priscilla
Expat.com team 

Hello everyone,

I've been trying to find a hypermarket for washer dryers in Budapest. Can anyone advise one?
I saw there's an Auchan on the left bank, top corner of the map. Would you consider it?

Have any of you got a recent "cheapest" one, but which would not shrink clothes? The basic Indesit does downsize any garments you might have, except towels.

Thank you for your time.


Regards

diana.dole000 wrote:

Hello everyone,

I've been trying to find a hypermarket for washer dryers in Budapest. Can anyone advise one?
I saw there's an Auchan on the left bank, top corner of the map. Would you consider it?

Have any of you got a recent "cheapest" one, but which would not shrink clothes? The basic Indesit does downsize any garments you might have, except towels.

Thank you for your time.


Regards

Have a look in Media Markt they have 10 stores in Budapest.

Bubbles:  quite good if you want to wash carpets, curtains and so on as you can use heavy loads.  People put all sorts in those machines. Not sure you want your smalls in after someone's greasy overalls or stained mats.

Media Markt: bit of a rip off, pricey place hardly worth visiting nowadays.

Auchan:  Get an Auchan loyalty card, buy your washer/dryer there and get the points to get money off your next purchase.

Argep etc: check out your intended purchase by model in say, Auchan, use Argep to compare prices. You can save considerable amounts of money by buying online

Dryers with vents:  You can get a dryer that collects the moisture in a tank you empty every so often.  Some of them connect to a separate drain pipe so the condensate is directly pumped away.  In a washer/dryer combo, it uses the same pump as the washer to get rid of the water.   

AquaStop/Washers in Bathrooms: Most machines these days have "Aqua stop" which cuts off water in the event of a leak.   This is one of the reasons the machines are in the bathroom as lots of (older) properties had floor drains.  So if something went wrong, there was less damage.

We have a floor drain in our bathroom, now I know what is is for.
I can say that having taken several long trips out of HU and returning has been a "smelly" affair in the bath.
The water is shut off before we take a trip and it makes the water flow in the WC low or non exisistant. The entire WC smells like a sewer drain when we return home.
Takes days of airing out and using the fan and allot of incense to clear the "aroma" out.
Wonder if there is a better way to keep the WC from smelling like Hadas on our returns?

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

We have a floor drain in our bathroom, now I know what is is for.
I can say that having taken several long trips out of HU and returning has been a "smelly" affair in the bath.

The water is shut off before we take a trip and it makes the water flow in the WC low or non exisistant. The entire WC smells like a sewer drain when we return home.
Takes days of airing out and using the fan and allot of incense to clear the "aroma" out.
Wonder if there is a better way to keep the WC from smelling like Hadas on our returns?

It's not a bad thing to turn off the water.  Just in case. Not much you can do about the WC itself as there should be water in there. Although you could put some bleach in it perhaps before you go away.

The drain in the floor also allows you to flush the floor too and move wet things around or if you get out of the bath dripping and of course the washing machine overflow. 

There's a knowledge gap on drains generally all over the world.  As with all parts of the bathroom waste, the floor drain has a water trap in it and if you aren't there it could dry out.  That's if it's installed correctly.  You should once a month put 1 or 2 litres of water in it with a bit of bleach in it to refill the trap.   That should block any smells or insects or whatever coming up from the sewers below. Same for baths, showers and basins.  People use the floor drain less these days and they mop rather than flush so they get smelly as they get a straight connection to the sewer.

Reason I know about it was planning modernisation of my house and I was having discussions with the plumbers about if it was necessary.  I also did a fair bit of research on it. In the end, I bought the actual drain, but then didn't install it due to issues with construction (floors not thick enough and gradient insufficient).  We decided to risk it without a drain.

Not to alarm you, it's a public health issue as well - dried out water traps were thought to be a  cause of the spread of SARS in Hong Kong.  You can read about it here: Floor Traps and SARS in Hong Kong

We did put some Hypo in the bowl last trip, ( I call it, Hypochondriac) this time we forgot to do so.
Still after many months away there is little you can do about the smell.
It's gone now for the most part after these few days back .
We knew we needed to clean out the water heater , it is fairly new but with the hard water here in Hungary it needs to be cleaned once in awhile.
My husband did it in the past, had to disconnect the electric wires, take the heater coils out and clean them up, rewire the heater.
Glad he is handy because although we knew it was about time to scrape the kunk off the coils we thought we would  clean it when we returned to HU as the water would be shut off.
Well, got home from the states around midnight and had no hot water when we turned it on, the unit was burnt out from being too plugged up with hard water particals.
My husband took the unit apart after 20 some hours of travel and fixed it by the next morning.
One night of heating up hot water on the stove to bathe was enough for me.
No idea where he got the energy from to do it after that long trip .
One way to beat jet lag I suppose.
I'm sure that many people just think their water heaters went bad and replace them without thinking of having the heating coils cleaned up first.
Most people would have to hire an electrician or plumber to do the job as it is tricky to rewire the line.
These old flats need allot of work done every so often, those are the times I wished I rented instead of owning, much easier to just ring up the owner and tell them there is an issue then to deal with fixing it yourself.
Back to hanging clothing on the( frigally - spelling?) do miss the nice quick clothing dryers at times.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
We knew we needed to clean out the water heater , it is fairly new but with the hard water here in Hungary it needs to be cleaned once in awhile.
My husband did it in the past, had to disconnect the electric wires, take the heater coils out and clean them up, rewire the heater.
Glad he is handy because although we knew it was about time to scrape the kunk off the coils we thought we would  clean it when we returned to HU as the water would be shut off.
Well, got home from the states around midnight and had no hot water when we turned it on, the unit was burnt out from being too plugged up with hard water particles.
.....
Back to hanging clothing on the( frugally??? - spelling?) do miss the nice quick clothing dryers at times.

We have the same problem here.  The water is incredibly hard.  Tastes OK though.

All one needs to do with gunked up water deposits is put the heating element parts (not the whole thing*) in some supermarket 20% strength vinegar in sink/basin and leave for a few hours.  It'll dissolve the deposits no problem - give it a helping rub sometimes with an old tooth brush.

It's the same stuff  they use in kettle descaler.  Works a treat and it's a lot cheaper than the packaged stuff.   Smells a bit but soon disperses.

All of our taps get gunked up with deposits and we just remove it with a old toothbrush and a bit of vinegar.   Really nice shine afterwards. Remarkable reviver actually.

Vinegar really is a wonderful cleaning agent. Excellent for cleaning windows too!  Insects don't like vinegar either so that helps with your windows.

* clearly don't put  electrical bits under water/vinegar!