Rug washing sites

There are 19 rug washing sites available for Tampere residents free of charge. All of the sites are accessible by car. All rug washing sites are equipped by default with washing basins and boards, a mangle for compressing water out of the rugs, as well as drip-drying beams. There are also benches, which are made of recycled material, for users to enjoy snacks or a packed lunch.

Opening hours and use of rug washing sites

Rug washing sites open in mid-May and are closed for the winter in mid-September. The water pumps at the rug washing sites are set to be open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Only wash rugs and other textiles in the basins. As there are only a few drip-drying beams, please use them only to let excess water drain from your washed rugs. We ask that you take your rugs home to let them fully dry.

Water for the rug washing sites is drawn from the lakes the sites are on; only the Halkoniemi and Santalahti sites use tap water for washing.

Maintenance and fault reports

Rug washing sites are maintained by Pimara Kunnossapito Oy, and they are the ones that fault reports should be sent to. The bulletin boards on each rug washing site have telephone numbers for reporting vandalism and faults.

Phone: 040 1588 706 (primary) or 040 1588 907

Non-urgent reports by e-mail: [email protected]

Environmental protection

The most environmentally friendly way is to wash your rugs is to do it at a washing site with a sewage connection. All wastewater created at the washing sites is directed to a sewer, not soaked into the surrounding soil.

Do not wash your rugs in the lakes or other waterways, or on ground in a way that the wash water gets to drain into the waterway or a nearby ditch. Washing rugs in the lakes spoils the waterways, causing, among other things, clouding of the water, littering on the shores, and increasing algae growth. Washing rugs in the waterways is, therefore, prohibited in the City of Tampere environmental protection code. It is also strictly prohibited to wash cars at the rug washing sites.

The short address for this page is tampere.fi/en/rugwashingsites