Published 27 October 2026 · Last updated 3 November 2026 · By the Nova Laundry team
Wash and fold means your clothes are washed in water, tumble dried, folded and bagged. Nothing gets ironed. Wash and iron is the same process plus pressing, and shirts usually come back on hangers. Dry cleaning skips water entirely and uses a solvent instead, which is why it’s the safe choice for suits, wool coats and silk.
If you only remember one thing: everyday clothes go to wash and fold, work clothes go to wash and iron, and anything whose label says no water goes to dry cleaning.
How are the three services different?
Most people sending laundry out for the first time aren’t confused by the names. What they don’t know is which pile the shirt in their hand belongs in, and what the extra money actually pays for. So here’s the comparison from the customer’s side of the counter. For the shop’s side, see our wash and iron service.
| Wash and fold | Wash and iron | Dry cleaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uses water | Yes | Yes | No, uses a solvent |
| Ironed | No | Yes | Pressed or steamed, depending on fabric |
| How you get it back | Folded in a bag | On hangers, or folded flat | On hangers, under a cover |
| Usually priced | By the kilo | By the piece | By the piece, by garment type |
| Best for | Everyday clothes that can wrinkle | Clothes that need to look sharp | Anything labeled no water |
| Turnaround | Fastest | A little longer, each piece is pressed by hand | Longest of the three |
On price, laundry shops in Thailand generally charge one of three ways: per piece, per kilo, or by type of fabric. Wash and fold can be sold by the kilo because every item goes through the same steps. Once ironing comes in, a dress shirt and a bath towel no longer take the same amount of work, so most shops switch to per-piece pricing. You can see Nova’s rates on our laundry price page.
Which clothes should go to which service?
Check the care label first. A circle with a P or F inside, next to a crossed-out washtub, means dry clean only. A plain washtub means it can be washed in water, and then it’s just a question of whether you want it ironed.
Those symbols come from ISO 3758, the care labelling standard used almost everywhere. GINETEX, the body that manages the system, has a full guide to what each one means. If you’re curious what actually happens to clothes during dry cleaning, read what dry cleaning is.
| Item | Send to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirts, pajamas | Wash and fold | A few wrinkles are fine, no need to pay for ironing |
| Jeans | Wash and fold | Heavy denim handles the dryer; ask for low heat if you’re worried about shrinking |
| Bath towels | Wash and fold | They come out softer from the dryer than off the line |
| Underwear, socks | Wash and fold | Put them in a mesh bag so nothing goes missing |
| Gym clothes | Wash and fold | Stretchy synthetics don’t like high heat, so low heat only |
| Sheets, pillowcases | Wash and fold | Add ironing if you like them crisp |
| Dress shirts | Wash and iron | You can’t wear them wrinkled, and they come back on hangers |
| Trousers, work skirts | Wash and iron | Pleats and creases need a proper press |
| School uniforms | Wash and iron | Worn daily, need to be neat; sending a week’s worth at once is better value |
| Cotton and linen dresses | Wash and iron | Linen wrinkles badly and almost never dries smooth on a line |
| Suits, blazers | Dry cleaning | The interlining and shoulder structure ripple when wet |
| Wool coats, silk | Dry cleaning | Wool shrinks and mats with hot water and agitation; silk colors run easily |
If the label is missing or too faded to read, go with the lower-risk option. Especially with wool or anything expensive, don’t test it in water. Once a garment has shrunk, it almost never comes back. Down jackets are another group where you have to check every label, because some are washable and some aren’t. We go into that in how to clean a down jacket.
What actually happens to your clothes at a laundry shop
A lot of people picture the shop tossing everything into a machine and waiting. In reality, most of the work happens before anything goes near a washer.
- Count and list the items, in front of you or with a photo, so you can check everything came back.
- Empty every pocket. One tissue left in a pair of trousers is enough to cover a whole load in white lint. One forgotten pen can stain the entire drum.
- Sort by color and by fabric. Whites, darks and delicates don’t share a machine.
- Check for stains before washing. Some stains need treating first. Wash and dry them as they are, and the heat sets them in for good.
- Wash and dry at a temperature that suits the fabric.
- Iron or fold, depending on the service you chose.
- Pack and label for pickup.
Steps 2 and 4 are the ones most people skip at home, and they’re the real reason clothes come back cleaner from a shop. It isn’t just a better machine.
Laundry shop or coin laundromat?
The difference is who does the work. At a coin laundromat you only pay for the machines, but you sit and wait, sort, and fold everything yourself. At a laundry shop you pay extra so you don’t have to.
To be honest, if you’ve got an hour and a half free and most of your load is T-shirts and shorts that don’t need ironing, the laundromat is the better deal. There’s no reason to pay more.
A laundry shop starts to make sense when any of these apply: you have dress shirts or work clothes that need ironing every week, you have something bulky like a duvet that a small coin machine can’t handle, you have items that need dry cleaning, or you’d simply rather not spend your day off watching a dryer. If you send laundry every week, take a look at our monthly laundry plan. It can work out cheaper than paying per visit.
Four things to do before you drop off your laundry
- Check the pockets yourself. The shop checks too, but you’re the one who knows which jacket your keys or cards might be in.
- Separate anything that needs dry cleaning. Put it in its own bag and tell the shop, so it doesn’t end up in a water wash.
- Point out stains. Say what they are too: coffee, oil and blood each need a different treatment.
- Say when you need it back, especially for an outfit for an event or winter clothes you’re packing for a trip.
Frequently asked questions
Does wash and fold include ironing? No. Wash and fold ends with folding and bagging. If you want items ironed, choose wash and iron, which most shops charge for separately by the piece.
Which is better value, wash and fold or wash and iron? It depends on your clothes. For everyday wear that can wrinkle, wash and fold is clearly cheaper. For dress shirts you’d otherwise iron yourself, wash and iron saves more time than it costs.
What shouldn’t go to wash and iron? Anything with a crossed-out washtub on the label, such as suits, wool coats, silk, and garments with interlining or built-in structure. These need dry cleaning.
Will the shop separate whites and colors? Regular laundry shops sort by color as a standard step. If you have something you know bleeds badly, like new jeans or deeply dyed fabric, mention it when you drop off.
How long does wash and iron take? Wash and fold and wash and iron usually take 1 to 2 days. Dry cleaning takes longer, around 3 to 5 days. If you’re in a hurry, say so when you drop off, or message the Nova team on LINE first.
Wash and iron at Nova, Phet Kasem Soi 58
We’re on Phet Kasem Soi 58 in Phasi Charoen, and we take laundry 24 hours a day. Not sure which service a garment needs? Send us a photo of the care label on LINE and the Nova team will tell you before you leave the house.
See the full wash and iron service and all our prices.