Can you do laundry on Sunday in Switzerland?
Usually not. In most Swiss apartment buildings the shared laundry room is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The house rules set the hours, typically Monday to Saturday, 7:00 to 21:00.
Ep. 1 · This is Ueli · 64 seconds. Watch
The real rule
Why the Swiss laugh, and what it means if you're new here.
Most Swiss flats have no washing machine of their own: the whole building shares one laundry room, and the landlord's house rules split it into days on a Waschplan. That is why your neighbour knows your day, and why Sunday stays quiet. As a newcomer, ask for the Waschplan when you move in, keep to your slot, and clean the filter after.
Blüemli's verdict: Ding. True. Most Swiss laundry rooms: closed on Sundays and holidays.
WASCHKÜCHE: literally: “washing kitchen”; really: the shared laundry room Ueli's Word
Be like Ueli.
Learn more: Swiss Sunday rules
The rule, explained
Most Swiss tenants share one laundry room, the Waschküche, usually in the basement. The landlord sets a booking plan, the Waschplan, in the house rules: each flat gets its day. Unless the house rules say otherwise, the room is not used on Sundays and public holidays, and the usual hours are Monday to Saturday, 7:00 to 21:00. A tenants' association lawyer told 20 Minuten that house rules may forbid washing during quiet hours. Each building has its own rules, so read yours, and leave the machine clean: clean the filter and wipe the drum.
Sources: myky.ch (formerly hausinfo.ch), Trocknungsraum im Mehrfamilienhaus; 20 Minuten, 5 February 2026; SWI swissinfo.ch, 27 June 2026
Questions people ask
Is it illegal to do laundry on Sunday in Switzerland?
There is no national law. The ban comes from the house rules, and most apartment buildings close the laundry room on Sundays and public holidays.
What are the usual laundry room hours in Switzerland?
Typically Monday to Saturday, 7:00 to 21:00, on the day the Waschplan gives you.