SORABYCO | Life in Japan

Yes, leftover bathwater can be reused for some laundry in Japan, but it depends on your washing machine, detergent, and whether you used bath additives. It should not simply replace clean water for every part of the wash. When I first started living in Japan, reusing bathwater for laundry was one of those small household habits that surprised me. Some Japanese washing machines have a bathwater function, often labeled 「風呂水」, that uses a pump and hose to draw water directly from the bathtub. Seeing a whole tub of water after a bath, I could understand why people would want to use it again. I tried it myself for a while. But eventually I stopped. The method wasn't difficult; it just didn't fit the way I wanted to do laundry. These days, I no longer feel the need to reuse every tub of bathwater. If the bathroom needs a good clean, however, I sometimes use the leftover water there instead. Can Leftover Bathwater Really Be Used for Laundry? Using leftover bathwater for laundry is pos...

We have a washing machine at home, so I rarely use a coin laundry for everyday clothes. I usually go when I have a bulky comforter that I do not want to squeeze into our home machine. One day, while waiting for my bedding to finish, I noticed someone arrive with already-washed clothes, use only a dryer, and leave. Until then, I had always thought of coin laundries mainly as places for large items. That was when I realized how differently people use them in Japan. If you are using a coin laundry in Japan for the first time, the basics are simple. Choose whether you need washing, drying, or both, load your laundry, select the course, pay, and wait for the cycle to finish. Many modern machines automatically dispense detergent and fabric softener, so you may not need to bring your own. Prices vary by store and machine size, but a small wash may start at around ¥300, larger machines can cost around ¥700–¥1,000, and dryers are often charged in short time blocks. How Do You Use a Coin Laundry...

Have you ever picked up a freshly washed towel, used it after a shower, and suddenly noticed a musty smell? That happened to me recently with the towels we dry indoors at home in Japan. The towels had been washed, dried, and folded as usual, so I was confused when one of them started smelling again as soon as it became slightly damp. My first thought was simple: Should I just wash it again? After looking into it, I realized that repeatedly putting the same towel through a normal wash may not solve the problem. If your towels still smell after washing, start by checking four things: 1. Check the towel’s care label. 2. If the fabric allows it, consider an appropriate laundry treatment such as oxygen bleach. 3. Check whether you are using too much detergent or fabric softener. 4. If several items smell, not just one towel, check the washing machine too. Once the smell has been dealt with, drying laundry without leaving it damp for too long can also help keep the problem from coming back. ...

When I was a child, laundry detergent meant one thing: a large box of powder with a measuring scoop inside. Later, I started using liquid detergent. These days, as I get closer to 50, I mostly use laundry pods. It made me realize that even something as ordinary as laundry detergent has changed quite a lot during my lifetime. After living in Japan for many years, I have also watched the laundry aisle change. Japanese drugstores and home centers now sell powder detergent, liquid detergent, refill packs, concentrated formulas, and colorful laundry pods. In Japan, laundry pods are usually called “gel balls,” or ジェルボール. I did not move from one type to another because I believed one detergent was perfect. My choice changed gradually, depending on what felt easier in everyday life. Here is what I learned from using powder detergent, liquid detergent, and gel balls in Japan. Why I Stopped Using Powder Detergent Powder detergent is the type I remember most clearly from my childhood. There was a...