How to Get Laundry and Dry Cleaning Done in Shanghai (2026)

Getting laundry done in Shanghai comes down to four options: a pickup-and-delivery app, a self-service laundromat, a neighbourhood dry cleaner, or your compound's own counter. Wash-and-fold runs about ¥30 to ¥50 a kilo, a dry-cleaned shirt ¥15 to ¥20, a two-piece suit ¥60 to ¥90. The catch nobody mentions before you move: most flats have a washing machine but no dryer, and that alone sends most people looking for help.

Does your Shanghai apartment have a dryer?

Almost certainly not. A washing machine is standard in a rented Shanghai flat, but a tumble dryer is rare, and this one fact shapes how everyone here handles laundry. Locals air-dry on racks, balconies and the little drying poles that stick out of every building. It works beautifully in dry autumn and gets miserable in the June and early July plum rain, when a shirt can sit damp for two days and start to smell. That gap between "I have a washer" and "I have nowhere to dry things fast" is exactly why the services below exist, and why a rainy week is when you will finally use one. If you are still flat-hunting, it is worth asking whether the unit has a dryer or even a washer-dryer combo, though the combo units dry slowly. Our renting guide covers what else to check before you sign.

What are the four ways to get laundry done?

You will mix and match these depending on the week. A normal load of everyday clothes goes in your own machine and onto a rack. Everything else has a home:

• Pickup-and-delivery apps for wash-and-fold and dry cleaning without leaving home. The easiest option if you do not read much Chinese.
• Self-service laundromats (自助洗衣, zì zhù xǐ yī) for a fast wash and a proper tumble dry, especially bedding.
• Neighbourhood dry cleaners (干洗店, gān xǐ diàn) for suits, coats and anything labelled dry-clean only.
• Your compound or serviced-apartment counter, the priciest but most convenient, often with same-day turnaround.

How much does laundry and dry cleaning cost in Shanghai?

Less than most newcomers expect. A week of wash-and-fold for one person is usually ¥60 to ¥120, and dry cleaning a work shirt costs about the same as a coffee. Central districts like Jing'an and Xuhui sit at the top of every range; a small shop in a residential lane a few streets back is often a third cheaper for identical work. Here is what to budget:

How do self-service laundromats work?

Shanghai has a growing network of 24-hour self-service laundromats, often tucked beside a convenience store or inside a residential compound. The machines are app-run: you scan the QR code on the machine with WeChat or Alipay, pick a wash or dry cycle, pay ¥25 to ¥45, and start it from your phone. A wash is around 30 minutes, a dry another 40 to 60, so budget about 90 minutes and bring something to read. This is the cheapest way to dry a duvet, a mattress topper or a load of towels that would take three days on a rack. Detergent is usually dispensed automatically or sold at the machine, so you can turn up empty-handed.

How do the pickup-and-delivery apps work if I don't read Chinese?

The delivery services are the expat favourite for a reason: a rider collects your bag at the door and brings it back clean in a day or two, and you never speak a word. The most widely used is e袋洗 (edaixi), booked through its WeChat mini-program; several dry cleaners also run their own pickup through Meituan and Ele.me. The flow is the same everywhere. Open the mini-program or app, set your address once, choose wash-and-fold by the kilo or dry cleaning by the item, and pick a pickup window. Use your phone's translate tool on the item list the first time and you will not need it again. Pay in-app through WeChat Pay or Alipay, which every service takes. If you have never set those up, start with our Alipay and WeChat Pay guide, since nothing here works without them.

What about the neighbourhood dry cleaner and delicate items?

For a good suit, a wool coat, a silk dress or anything you would be sad to ruin, a proper 干洗店 is still the move. Every residential cluster has one, usually a small shop with a rack of finished garments in plastic behind the counter. Point at the garment, hold up fingers for how many, and they will write a ticket; keep the ticket, because you hand it back to collect. Say the item out loud if you can: 衬衫 (chèn shān) shirt, 西装 (xī zhuāng) suit, 大衣 (dà yī) coat. For down jackets and heavy winter bedding, ask specifically for a wash rather than solvent dry cleaning, which most shops offer and which comes back fluffier. One humid-city warning: do not let a "dry clean only" item sit damp or bagged in plastic through the plum-rain weeks, because mould sets in fast. Air it, then store it dry.

Which option should you use?

If you want the least effort and no Chinese, use a pickup-and-delivery app for everything. If you are on a budget or drying bulky bedding, walk it to a self-service laundromat. If it is a suit, a coat or something delicate, trust the neighbourhood dry cleaner and keep the ticket. Most people here end up using all three across a month, and the whole system costs far less than laundry back home. The one thing worth setting up early is an ayi: many will run your washing and hang it to dry as part of a regular clean, which quietly solves the dryer problem for good.

Common questions

How much does it cost to dry clean a suit in Shanghai?

A two-piece suit is usually ¥60 to ¥90 at a neighbourhood dry cleaner, and a single blazer around ¥45 to ¥50. Central Jing'an and Xuhui shops charge toward the top of that; a small shop a few streets back from the main road is often noticeably cheaper for the same work. Turnaround is two to three days.

Is there self-service laundry in Shanghai?

Yes. Self-service laundromats (自助洗衣) are common, many open 24 hours, and they run on your phone: scan the machine's QR code with WeChat or Alipay, choose a cycle, and pay ¥25 to ¥45 a load. They are the cheapest way to tumble-dry a duvet or a heap of towels that would take days on a drying rack.

Do apartments in Shanghai come with a dryer?

Rarely. A washing machine is standard but a tumble dryer is not, so most residents air-dry on racks and balconies. That works well in dry months and becomes a problem during the June plum rain, which is when self-service dryers and delivery apps earn their keep. If a dryer matters to you, confirm it before signing a lease.

How do I use a Shanghai laundry app without Chinese?

The delivery services run almost entirely through the app, so you barely interact with anyone. Open a service like e袋洗 in its WeChat mini-program, save your address once, choose wash-and-fold or dry cleaning, book a pickup window, and pay in-app with WeChat Pay or Alipay. Use your phone's camera translate on the item list the first time and it becomes second nature.

Where can I wash a duvet or a down jacket in Shanghai?

A self-service laundromat with large machines is the cheapest route for a duvet, and a neighbourhood dry cleaner is go-to for a down jacket, where you should ask for a wash rather than solvent cleaning so it comes back fluffy. Budget ¥50 to ¥120 for a coat or a down jacket depending on size and filling.