Ironing, linen and textiles in Maassluis
Maassluis is the town of Smit. Fop Smit founded a tugboat company on the Noordvliet in 1842, and it grew into Smit Internationale — one of the largest towage and salvage companies in the world, with offices in Singapore, Cape Town and Rotterdam. Generations of Maassluis men sailed on Smit boats; their sons in turn became tug captains, their daughters married Smit mates.
A tugboat crew wears something very particular. You have to do dirty work — coupling, stowing, pumping oil — but on entering an unfamiliar harbour the captain on the bridge had to appear in an immaculate white shirt and dark blue jacket. Smit had its own uniform regulations for that, and in Maassluis itself, the laundries and ironing shops that prepared the uniforms between voyages were located. An immaculately ironed captain's shirt was literally a calling card for the town.
Smit is now part of Boskalis, the head office is no longer in Maassluis, but the town has kept a strong maritime character. Het Balkon, Koningshoek and Sluispolder are now home to many dual-income families who work in Rotterdam, the Maassluis harbour or further afield. The office shirt has become the captain's shirt.
Since 2013 we have been driving from our laundry on the Henricuskade through Maassluis on fixed mornings. We collect your laundry bag, iron everything, and deliver it back with the same driver.
How does Strijkservice Haaglanden work in Maassluis?
For residents of Maassluis our service works exactly as in the rest of Haaglanden: on a fixed day of the week our driver comes by, picks up your laundry bag and brings your laundry back clean and crisply ironed. No appointment needed — your routine is set.
You get one regular driver and a fixed pickup rhythm so you always know what to expect. No carrying, no full drying racks in the living room, no evenings at the ironing board.
Everything is handled in our own laundry on Henricuskade in The Hague. Shirts, blouses, table linen, bed and bath textiles — we iron it the way it should go back into the cupboard at home, neatly folded and ready to use.