Rug washing sites

The City of Tampere has 19 rug washing sites available for residents. All of the sites are accessible by car. Rug washing sites are equipped with benches, which are made of recycled material, for users to enjoy snacks or a packed lunch.

Use of rug washing sites

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. 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. All wastewater created at the washing sites is directed to a sewer, not soaked into the surrounding soil.

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.

Opening hours

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. 

Maintenance team 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 or 040 1588 907.

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

Environmental protection

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. The most environmentally friendly way is to wash your rugs is to do it at a washing site with a sewage connection. It is also strictly prohibited to wash cars at the rug washing sites.

The new City of Tampere environmental protection code entered into force on 1 April 2019. According to section 6:

"Washing facilities for rugs, textiles and the like must be arranged in such a way that the wash waters do not enter the waterways or ditches directly. Wastewater from a public rug washing site shall be discharged into the sewer network or treated with another wastewater treatment system approved by the City.”

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