洗濯をする

You can use this phrase in almost any setting. In casual speech, people often drop the particle を and just say 洗濯する. If you want to be polite, change する to します. It’s very flexible. You can add time words like 今から (from now) or 週末に (on the weekend). It’s like a Lego block for your daily schedule. Just snap it into a sentence and you're good to go!

Use this when you're talking about your household routine. Use it when a friend asks what you're doing. "Oh, just doing laundry." Use it when you're checking the weather. In Japan, the weather determines your laundry fate. If it’s sunny, it’s a 洗濯をする kind of day. You might also use it when talking about chores with a roommate or spouse. It’s a very practical, everyday expression.

Don't use this for things that aren't clothes or linens. If you're washing your hands, use 手を洗う. If you're washing the dishes, use 皿を洗う. Also, if you are taking clothes to a professional dry cleaner, don't use this phrase. Instead, say クリーニングに出す. 洗濯をする implies you are the one doing the work, usually with a machine at home. Don't use it for "washing your image" or metaphorical cleaning either!

Laundry in Japan is a serious business. Most Japanese homes don't have large electric dryers. Instead, people hang their clothes outside on balconies. This makes the morning weather report crucial. There is even a "Laundry Index" (Sentaku Shisu) on TV! It tells you how fast your clothes will dry. Hanging laundry outside is a common sight in Japanese neighborhoods. It’s considered the "natural" and best way to get clothes fresh.

You’ll often hear 洗濯機を回す, which means "to run the washing machine." It’s a bit more specific. If you’re talking about the items themselves, you use 洗濯物 (sentakumono). To say you’re hanging them up, you say 洗濯物を干す. When they are dry and ready to be put away, you say 洗濯物をたたむ (to fold laundry). If you’re lazy like me, you might just say 洗濯がたまっている (the laundry is piling up).