There are no laundromats in Sweden

Did anyone else know that?  I learnt it shortly before we came here, read it in someone else's blog I think.  It's true.  In the past (1970's I think) the government decided that all apartment blocks should have free laundry in the basement. This leads to the lack of public laundromats as noone needs them.  Too bad for backpacking tourists, great for us.  Communal laundry is also quite scary, in fact it was one of things I was most nervous about before moving here. Sweden is generally a polite country with little crime, but breaking the laundry room laws can incite levels of aggression in Swedes that involve the police.

But so far, so good.  Our building only has about 10 apartments that share one washer and dryer.  There's a board you lock in your time (literally, so no one can move it).  You have 3 hours and one hour for drying.  Do not start early, do not go over.  But the system seems to work efficiently (like many other things here) and I have yet to actually see someone in the room.

There's one washer, one dryer, a drying closet (picture below), a machine to press your sheets and a room that you can hang your clothes up in and then turn on a huge fan with which to dry them.  I am amazed.  The washing machine is tiny, probably half the size of mine at home.  The dryer larger and less efficient, very few people seem to use it.  The drying closet is literally a closet you hang your clothes in and run air through much like the room with the clothes line.  The pressing machine is two rollers and use cloth and pressure to iron sheets and anything else you're brave enough to put through the machine.  Overall I can get my wash, dry and ironing done in about 4 hours and so far haven't been locked in a room or my family drawn into a blood feud.