Doing laundry might be a chore, but talking about it in French doesn't have to be! While you might know one word for 'laundry,' the French language has several expressions that change depending on the context.

Are you referring to the dirty clothes piling up, the act of washing them, or the freshly cleaned pile?

Knowing the right term will make your French sound much more natural and precise. Let's get ready to air out our dirty laundry... linguistically speaking, of course, and explore nine ways to talk about it in French!

1. The general term for 'laundry' – le linge

The most common and general term for 'laundry' in French is le linge. It's a masculine noun and the word you'll hear and use most often in everyday situations for the collective pile of clothes, sheets, and towels waiting to be washed.

Le linge is a broad term that covers all household textiles. While it can just mean 'laundry' in general, it can be specified:

• Le linge de lit: Bed linens (sheets, pillowcases)
• Le linge de toilette: Towels
• Le linge de table: Table linens (tablecloths, napkins)
• Le linge de corps: Underwear/linens worn close to the body

To talk about the action of doing laundry, the most common phrase is faire le linge. You will also very frequently hear faire la lessive. The key difference is that le linge refers to the items themselves, while la lessive technically refers to the detergent, but is colloquially used for the chore itself.

To specify the state of your laundry, you simply add an adjective. Dirty laundry is le linge sale, and clean laundry is le linge propre. You put le linge sale into the washing machine, which is called either la machine à laver or, more simply, le lave-linge.

Remember this simple rule: Le linge is what you wash. La lessive is what you wash it with. While the phrases faire le linge and faire la lessive are often interchangeable for the chore, you would never say "Je plie la lessive" (I'm folding the detergent). You would say "Je plie le linge" (I'm folding the laundry).

💡 * C'est ton tour de faire le linge.

• Le panier de linge sale est plein à craquer.
• J'adore l'odeur du linge propre.
• Peux-tu m'aider à étendre le linge ?
• Il faut séparer le linge blanc du linge de couleur.

The act of 'doing laundry' or the 'load' – la lessive

The act of 'doing laundry' or the 'load' – la lessive

In French, the primary word for 'laundry' is la lessive. This single, versatile noun can refer to both the chore of washing clothes and the physical pile of clothes itself, whether they're dirty or clean.

To talk about the act of washing clothes, the most common phrase is faire la lessive. This directly translates to 'to do the laundry' and is the standard expression you'll hear and use.

Here's a crucial point: la lessive also means 'laundry detergent'. Context is everything. If someone asks you to buy de la lessive at the supermarket, they want the soap, not your dirty socks! For example, la lessive en poudre (powder detergent) or la lessive liquide (liquid detergent).

When referring to a specific 'load' of laundry you're putting in the machine, you might hear French speakers say une machine (literally 'a machine') or une tournée de lessive. For example, 'I'm doing a load of whites' would be Je fais une machine de blanc.

💡 * Je dois faire la lessive ce week-end, le panier est plein.

• Peux-tu acheter de la lessive au supermarché ?
• Il y a une énorme pile de lessive à plier sur le lit.
• J'ai mis une machine de vêtements de sport à laver.

The 'dirty laundry' – le linge sale

The phrase le linge sale literally translates to 'the dirty laundry' or 'the dirty linen.' It refers to clothes and other household textiles that are awaiting washing.

Much like its English counterpart, le linge sale is an idiom used to describe private, embarrassing, or scandalous secrets, particularly within a family or a close-knit group. It represents personal affairs that one would prefer to keep hidden from the public.

This expression is central to the well-known French proverb: Il faut laver son linge sale en famille. This translates to 'One must wash one's dirty laundry within the family.'

The proverb is the French equivalent of 'Don't air your dirty laundry in public.' It serves as advice, suggesting that personal or family disputes should be resolved privately and not be exposed to outsiders.

You will often hear this expression used as a reprimand or a piece of wisdom when someone starts sharing overly personal details about family conflicts or private matters in an inappropriate setting.

💡 * Il faut laver son linge sale en famille, ne parle pas de nos disputes à tes amis.

• Chaque famille a son linge sale, mais la leur est particulièrement compliquée.
• Elle a déballé tout son linge sale pendant le dîner, c'était très gênant.
• Je préfère ne pas étaler mon linge sale sur la place publique.

The 'clean laundry' – le linge propre

Le linge propre directly translates to 'the clean laundry' or 'clean linen'. The noun linge refers to household textiles like clothes, towels, and bedsheets that are washed together, while propre is the adjective for 'clean'.

The word linge is a masculine noun, which is why it is always paired with the masculine article le. Consequently, any descriptive adjective, like propre (clean) or its opposite sale (dirty), will also be in the masculine form.

This is a very common household phrase used when discussing chores. You'll hear it when talking about the satisfactory result of washing clothes, just before they need to be folded or put away.

To talk about what you do with clean laundry, you'll use verbs like plier (to fold), repasser (to iron), and ranger (to put away). For example: Je dois plier le linge propre.

💡 * L'odeur du linge propre est très agréable.

• Peux-tu ranger le linge propre dans l'armoire ?
• J'ai une grande pile de linge propre à plier sur mon lit.
• Après des heures de lavage, tout le linge sale est enfin propre.

The action of 'doing the laundry' – faire la lessive

The most common and standard expression for 'doing the laundry' in French is faire la lessive. This is the go-to phrase you'll hear and use most often.

Literally, the phrase translates to 'to do/make the laundry.' The verb faire means 'to do' or 'to make,' and la lessive refers to the load of laundry. Note that la lessive can also mean 'laundry detergent.'

It's crucial to remember that faire is an irregular verb, so you must conjugate it correctly depending on the subject and tense. For example, 'I do the laundry' is Je fais la lessive, and 'He did the laundry' is Il a fait la lessive.

This expression is used universally in all registers of French, from informal conversations about daily chores to more neutral contexts. It is the most natural way to talk about this specific household task.

To expand your vocabulary around this chore, you can learn related terms like la machine à laver (washing machine), le sèche-linge (the dryer), and étendre le linge (to hang the laundry).

💡 * C'est mon tour de faire la lessive cette semaine. (It's my turn to do the laundry this week.)

• J'ai oublié de faire la lessive hier, je n'ai plus de chaussettes propres. (I forgot to do the laundry yesterday, I don't have any clean socks left.)
• Peux-tu faire la lessive des couleurs s'il te plaît ? (Can you do the colored laundry, please?)
• On fait la lessive tous les dimanches matins. (We do the laundry every Sunday morning.)

A 'load of laundry' (in a machine) – une machine

In French, one of the most common and practical shortcuts you'll hear in a household is using the word une machine to refer to a 'load of laundry.' While it literally translates to 'a machine,' its meaning is entirely dependent on the context of chores.

Specifically, une machine refers to the collection of clothes you put into a washing machine for a single cycle. The key phrase to learn is faire une machine, which directly translates to 'to do a load of laundry.' It's an action-based term.

This can be confusing for learners because the washing machine appliance itself is called une machine à laver or, more formally, un lave-linge. So, you use the machine à laver to faire une machine of dirty clothes (linge sale).

You wouldn't point to the appliance and say, 'C'est une belle machine.' Instead, you'd use the term when discussing the task. For instance, you might ask someone to start a load of whites (une machine de blanc) or mention that the current load is finished (la machine est finie).

💡 * J'ai assez de vêtements sales pour faire une machine.

• Tu as pensé à lancer une machine ce matin ?
• La machine de couleurs est terminée, tu peux l'étendre s'il te plaît ?
• Je vais mettre une machine avant de partir au travail.

The 'laundry to be washed' – le linge à laver

The French phrase for 'laundry to be washed' or 'dirty laundry' is le linge à laver. The word linge is a masculine noun that refers to laundry in general, including clothes, towels, and bed linens.

This expression uses the structure: noun + à + infinitive verb. Here, le linge (the laundry) is followed by the preposition à and the infinitive laver (to wash). This construction is common in French to describe something that needs an action performed on it, effectively meaning 'to be washed'.

In everyday conversation, le linge à laver refers to the pile of clothes waiting for the washing machine. It's often used interchangeably with le linge sale (dirty laundry). You might keep your linge à laver in a panier à linge (laundry basket).

💡 * J'ai une énorme pile de linge à laver ce week-end. (I have a huge pile of laundry to wash this weekend.)

• Peux-tu mettre le linge à laver dans la machine ? (Can you put the dirty laundry in the machine?)
• Le panier pour le linge à laver est déjà plein. (The basket for the laundry to be washed is already full.)

The 'laundry room' or 'utility room' – la buanderie

The 'laundry room' or 'utility room' – la buanderie

La buanderie is the most common and direct French term for a laundry room. It refers to the dedicated space in a home where you do your washing, drying, and often ironing.

This room typically houses the washing machine (le lave-linge) and the dryer (le sèche-linge). It can also serve as a more general utility room, sometimes containing a water heater (un chauffe-eau) or storage for cleaning supplies.

In many French homes, la buanderie is a distinct, separate space, often located in the basement (le sous-sol), the garage (le garage), or a small room off the kitchen.

💡 * Je dois descendre à la buanderie pour faire une machine.

• Le sèche-linge se trouve dans la buanderie, à côté de la chaudière.
• Mets le linge sale dans le panier de la buanderie, s'il te plaît.

1. The French Word for Dry-Cleaning: Le Pressing

The most common way to refer to 'the dry-cleaner's' in French is le pressing. This masculine noun is used to describe the physical shop or establishment where you take your clothes to be professionally cleaned.

Crucially, le pressing refers to the place, not the action itself. Think of it as a direct equivalent to "the dry-cleaner's" (the establishment) rather than "dry-cleaning" (the process).

If you want to talk about the action of having an item dry-cleaned, you would use the verb phrase faire nettoyer à sec. A more common, everyday alternative is simply to say you are taking something to the dry-cleaner's: apporter/déposer quelque chose au pressing.

The word pressing is borrowed from the English verb 'to press,' as in ironing clothes. This highlights the pressing and finishing service that is a key part of what a dry-cleaner does, in addition to the cleaning itself.

💡 * Je dois aller au pressing pour récupérer mon costume.

• Peux-tu déposer cette robe au pressing pour moi ?
• L'étiquette dit 'nettoyage à sec uniquement', alors je vais l'emmener au pressing.
• Le pressing du quartier ferme à 19h.

Are there other ways to say 'laundry' in French?

Are there other ways to say “laundry” in French?

Our list features the most common and essential words for “laundry” in French, like la lessive and le linge. However, you may still encounter other terms, from specific vocabulary for different fabrics to regional expressions you might hear in different Francophone countries.

To explore further, you can do an online search for phrases like “vocabulaire de la buanderie en français” or “comment dire laundry au Québec” to uncover some of these local or technical differences.

When you discover a new synonym, always check its precise meaning and context. Does it refer to the act of washing, the machine, the detergent, or the clothes themselves? Understanding these nuances is key to using the words correctly.

Listen carefully as you watch French-language shows and movies or read books. Everyday chores like laundry are mentioned often, and observing how native speakers use these words is the best way to master them.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive list of related words—from types of detergent to parts of a washing machine—the WordReference entries for lessive and linge are fantastic resources.

I hope this article has helped you feel more confident discussing this daily task. Mastering everyday vocabulary is a huge step toward fluency. To finish, here’s a fitting French proverb: Le propre est le luxe du pauvre. (Cleanliness is the luxury of the poor.)