wasserijen

Wasserijen (singular: wasserij) is the Dutch term for a laundry facility where clothes and textiles are washed, dried, and finished, often also ironed or dry-cleaned. The word combines wassen (to wash) with -ij, a suffix denoting a place or business. In the Netherlands and Flanders, wasserijen historically served both households and commercial clients such as hotels, hospitals, and factories; they could be public, cooperative, or privately run.

Historically, wasserijen developed with urbanization and industrialization. Early operations relied on hand wash tubs, but from the late 19th century many facilities adopted mechanized washing, steam power, and later drying and pressing equipment to handle larger volumes and to provide textile finishing.

In the late 20th century, the spread of domestic washing machines and consumer dryers reduced demand for traditional public wasserijen. Many facilities closed or reoriented toward industrial laundry services, textile finishing, and contract cleaning for institutions. Today, the term survives primarily to describe professional laundries—often part of the broader industrial laundry or textile-care sector—and, in consumer contexts, self-service laundries known as wasserettes.

See also: Laundries; Industrial laundry; Textile finishing.