Laj Thaj Self-Service Laundry

Laj Thaj was the first self-service launderette in Tirana and runs its sites twenty-four hours a day with commercial American-built washers and dryers, the wash…Laj Thaj was the first self-service launderette in Tirana and runs its sites twenty-four hours a day with commercial American-built washers and dryers, the washing cycle from twenty-five minutes and the drying in about fifteen. The operator names students, tourists and short-let apartments as its market, and it takes the bulky loads that a rented flat cannot handle: duvets, blankets and bedspreads two at a time.

This is the central site, opposite the colonnaded government building on the main boulevard; a second machine hall sits to the west. There is no attendant, so bring coins or a card and follow the instructions on the wall. For a visitor two weeks into a trip it is the most useful address in this directory.