Rug washing piers and places in Helsinki – addresses, how-to and tips

Washing rugs by the sea is a Helsinki summer tradition. There are two kinds of places: rug washing piers on the seashore and the Pukinmäki washing place on dry land. Below you'll find every address, a plan for your washing day and tips on when it makes sense to wash a rug yourself and when it doesn't.

Pukinmäki – the only dry-land washing place

The Pukinmäki rug washing place is by the Vantaa river, near the Pukinmäenkaari and Tapaninvainiontie roundabout. It opened in 2008 and is still the only dry-land rug washing place in Helsinki. The wash water goes into the sewer, not the river.

It also works for large rugs: the wide basins take a rug about 2.5 metres wide. The ground is flat, so you can move the rug on a trolley. Parking is shared with the allotment gardeners next door, so on a summer weekend it pays to come early.

Rug washing piers on the seashore

According to the city, there are 12 rug washing piers along the shore. The city's service map lists these 11 with an address. At the piers the wash water runs straight into the sea, so use only a mild detergent, such as pine soap, and wash only rugs.

The piers' days are numbered. As early as 2011 the city decided to stop rug washing in the sea, partly for environmental reasons. In 2026 the city said it will take the piers out of use one by one as they reach the end of their life. Some of them may become places to sit and relax. New dry-land washing places are planned for Kontula, Konala, Lauttasaari and Laajasalo, but no dates have been announced.

So before you set off, check the city's map to see whether your nearest pier is still in use.

What to bring

• A mild detergent, such as pine soap. Strong detergents don't belong in the sea or in your rug.
• A scrubbing brush or a long-handled brush and a bucket.
• Rubber gloves and rubber boots. The pier and the basin edges are wet.
• A way to get home. A wet rug weighs many times more than a dry one. A large wool rug won't go home on the bus, so arrange a car and plastic to protect the boot.
• A second person. A large rug is much easier to turn and carry with two.

Step by step

1. Pick a dry, breezy day. Ideally the rug gets two dry days after washing.
2. Vacuum or beat the rug at home. Loose dirt comes out more easily when the rug is dry, and the sand doesn't stay in the wet rug.
3. Wet the rug and spread the detergent. Brush in the direction of the pile, not across it. No hard scrubbing is needed.
4. Rinse thoroughly. Rinse until the water runs clear. Detergent left in the rug attracts new dirt and makes it stiff.
5. Squeeze the water out. Pukinmäki has a rug wringer. On a pier you can push water out with the brush or by rolling the rug.
6. Hang the rug up. On a drying rack the rug dries from both sides. Don't leave it damp in a roll.
7. Let it dry completely. A damp backing starts to smell and can grow mould. A thick rug may need several days and should be turned.

For more tips, see our guide How to clean a carpet at home.

Honestly: washing a rug yourself is hard work

At the pier, washing looks like a summer pastime, but in practice it is physically hard work. It helps to know in advance what the day takes:

• A wet rug is really heavy. Water makes the rug many times heavier. Lifting a large wool rug onto the rack and carrying it to the car takes two adults.
• You scrub bent over. The rug is brushed on the pier on your knees or with your back bent, and the rinsing is repeated many times. Your back and knees will feel it the next day.
• The day is gone. Transport, washing, rinsing, pressing out the water and drying easily take several hours, and the drying goes on for days.
• The weather decides. A shower can soak a half-dry rug again, and a damp backing starts to smell.
• You can only make a mistake once. Wool can felt and colours can bleed. A ruined rug cannot be restored.

A thin cotton rug is still easy to wash yourself. Large, thick and valuable rugs are best left to a professional.

Which rugs can you wash yourself?

Thin, hard-wearing rugs work best:

• cotton rag rugs and other woven cotton rugs
• thin synthetic rugs
• small bathroom and hallway mats.

We don't recommend washing these yourself:

• Wool rugs. Wool can felt and shrink, and the colours can bleed. Read more about wool rug cleaning.
• Hand-knotted and oriental rugs. The dyes and the foundation need the right method.
• Silk and viscose rugs. Viscose handles water badly and loses its sheen.
• Thick shag and high-pile rugs. Long pile soaks up a lot of water, and the rug won't dry right through outdoors. See shag rug cleaning.
• Rugs with a rubber or latex backing. The backing can crumble when it is wet and warm.

In winter: snow cleaning

From mid-September to May there is no open rug washing place in Helsinki. In winter you can freshen a rug with snow when it's a few degrees below zero and the snow is dry and powdery.

1. Let the rug cool down outside before you put it on the snow. A warm rug melts the snow and gets wet.
2. Lay the rug pile side down on clean snow and beat or press it. The dirt sticks to the snow.
3. Turn the rug over and move it to a clean spot. Sprinkle snow on top and brush it off.
4. Let the rug air for a while before bringing it inside.

Snow cleaning freshens the rug and removes dust, but it doesn't wash it. Stains, smells and deep-down dirt need water and detergent.

Do it yourself or use a cleaner?

A washing place is a good choice when the rug is thin and durable, the weather is dry and you have transport. When the rug is large, heavy or made of a delicate material, or when the season is over, a professional cleaner is easier and safer.

Mattonouto picks up rugs from your door all over Helsinki. See Rug cleaning in Helsinki and our prices.

Information from the City of Helsinki website and service map, October 2026. Check current opening times on hel.fi before you go.

Photos: cover by Matti Mattila, Mattolaituri Merihaka (2004), CC BY 2.5. Kaivopuisto photo by Volker von Bonin / Helsinki City Museum, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0. Photos have been cropped.