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Alavoir (French pronunciation:[lavwaʁ]ⓘ, wash-house) is a public place set aside for thewashing of clothes. Communalwashing places were common in Europe untilindustrial washing was introduced, and this process in turn was replaced by domestic washing machines and byself-service laundries (British English: laundrette;American English: laundromat). The English word is borrowed from theFrench language, which also uses the expressionbassin public, "public basin".
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Lavoirs were built from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. WithBaron Haussmann's redesign ofParis in the 1850s, a free lavoir was established in every neighbourhood, and government grants encouraged municipalities across France to construct their own.[1] Lavoirs are more common in certain areas, such as around theCanal du Midi.[2]
Lavoirs are commonly sited on aspring or set over or beside a river. Many lavoirs are provided with roofs for shelter. With the coming of pipedwater supplies and moderndrainage, lavoirs have been steadily falling into disuse although a number of communities have restored ancient lavoirs, some of which date back to the 10th century.
There are alsobateaux-lavoirs ("laundry boats") in some towns on the banks of large rivers such as Paris andLyon.
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