German Laundry Vocabulary — Waschsalon and Washing Machines
After this lesson you can work a German washing machine and read the settings.
Do this first: der, die, das
Übungen
Eight exercises on what you just watched. Get 80% and the lesson is marked done and added to your A1 progress.
1 / 8 · Type the missing word
2 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
I do the laundry on Saturday.
3 / 8 · Word order
Put the words in the right order.
Where is the detergent?
4 / 8 · Choose
What is die Wäsche?
5 / 8 · Choose
What is das Waschmittel?
6 / 8 · Choose
What is der Weichspüler?
7 / 8 · Choose
What is der Trockner?
8 / 8 · Choose
What does Kochwäsche mean?
In short
A German washing machine is labelled in German: die Wäsche (laundry), das Waschmittel (detergent), der Weichspüler (fabric softener), die Schleuderdrehzahl (spin speed). Buntwäsche is colours, Kochwäsche is a hot wash, and Feinwäsche is delicates.
How it works
Doing laundry is where German compound nouns suddenly become useful rather than intimidating. Waschmaschine is Wasch + Maschine. Waschmittel is Wasch + Mittel (washing agent). Schleuderdrehzahl is Schleuder + Dreh + Zahl — spin + turn + number. Once you can break the words apart you can read the dial.
The programme names tell you the temperature and the fabric. Kochwäsche is the 90-degree hot wash for whites, Buntwäsche is the everyday colour wash at 30–40, Feinwäsche is delicates, and Wolle is wool. Pflegeleicht — literally "easy-care" — is the gentle synthetic programme.
A shared machine in a building or a Waschsalon brings its own vocabulary: der Waschsalon (laundrette), der Trockner (dryer), die Waschküche (the shared laundry room in the basement), and der Waschplan — the rota that says which day is yours. In many German buildings the laundry rota is genuinely binding.
| German | English | Built from |
|---|---|---|
| die Waschmaschine | washing machine | wash + machine |
| der Trockner | tumble dryer | from trocknen, to dry |
| das Waschmittel | detergent | wash + agent |
| der Weichspüler | fabric softener | soft + rinser |
| die Schleuderdrehzahl | spin speed | spin + turn + number |
| das Waschprogramm | wash programme |
| German | What it means |
|---|---|
| Kochwäsche | hot wash, 90° — whites |
| Buntwäsche | colours, 30–40° |
| Feinwäsche | delicates |
| Pflegeleicht | easy-care, synthetics |
| Wolle | wool |
| Schleudern | spin |
| Vorwäsche | pre-wash |
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Waschsalon | laundrette |
| die Waschküche | shared laundry room |
| der Waschplan | laundry rota |
| die Wäscheleine | washing line |
| Wie funktioniert das? | How does this work? |
| Ist die Maschine frei? | Is the machine free? |
Examples
- Ich wasche die Wäsche am Samstag.I do the laundry on Saturday.
- Wo ist das Waschmittel?Where is the detergent?
- Ist die Maschine frei?Is the machine free?
- Wie funktioniert das?How does this work?
- Ich wasche bei 30 Grad.I wash at 30 degrees.
- Das ist Feinwäsche.That's delicates.
- Der Trockner ist kaputt.The dryer is broken.
- Wann bin ich mit dem Waschplan dran?When is my turn on the laundry rota?
- Das Hemd darf nicht in den Trockner.The shirt mustn't go in the dryer.
- Die Wäsche ist noch nass.The laundry is still wet.
Mistakes to avoid
✗ Reading Kochwäsche as "cooking laundry"
✓ Reading it as "boil wash"
kochen means to boil as well as to cook. Kochwäsche is the 90-degree programme — it will destroy anything delicate.
✗ Using Weichspüler as detergent
✓ Waschmittel is the detergent
Weichspüler is fabric softener and goes in a different compartment. Confusing them means a load washed in softener.
✗ Ignoring the Waschplan
✓ Checking whose day it is
In buildings with a Waschküche the rota is taken seriously. Using someone else's slot is a genuine source of neighbour disputes.
✗ Expecting a dryer
✓ Expecting a Wäscheständer
Tumble dryers are far less common in Germany than in the UK or US. Most people air-dry on a rack — der Wäscheständer.
Wortschatz
The words from this lesson.
| die Wäsche | laundry, washing | |
| waschen | to wash | |
| die Waschmaschine | washing machine | |
| das Waschmittel | detergent | |
| der Weichspüler | fabric softener | |
| der Trockner | tumble dryer | |
| trocken | dry | |
| nass | wet | |
| das Hemd | shirt | |
| funktionieren | to work, to function |
Kulturnotiz
Two things surprise newcomers. Tumble dryers are uncommon — most German households air-dry on a Wäscheständer, partly on cost and partly on principle. And in an apartment block with a shared Waschküche, the Waschplan is close to law: your slot is your slot, and quiet hours mean no machines running on a Sunday. Laundry disputes are a genuine staple of German neighbour life.
Common questions
+What is the difference between Waschmittel and Weichspüler?
Waschmittel is the detergent that cleans; Weichspüler is the fabric softener added in the rinse. They go in different compartments of the drawer.
+What does Kochwäsche mean?
The 90-degree boil wash, for white cottons. kochen means to boil, not just to cook — putting anything delicate on this programme will ruin it.
+What is Pflegeleicht?
Literally "easy-care" — the gentle programme for synthetics and shirts. It washes cooler and spins more slowly than the colour wash.
+What is a Waschplan?
The rota for a shared laundry room in an apartment block, assigning each flat a day or time slot. It is generally enforced, and taking another flat's slot causes real friction.