Ironing, linen and textiles in Vlaardingen
Vlaardingen was for centuries the largest herring town in the Netherlands — bigger than Scheveningen, bigger than Katwijk. Until 1964, the herring fleet sailed from the harbour every June, bound for the Dogger Bank, returning in early August with the Nieuwe Haring. For the fishermen's wives and daughters of Vlaardingen, that moment was a twofold effort: organising the welcome festivities at the Visbank, and bringing the family's Sunday dress into a state of absolute neatness.
The Vlaardingen fisherfolk costume held a distinct place within Holland's coastal culture. The women wore a long black skirt, a white shirt with a high starched collar, a waistcoat, and a large, almost flat, lace kaper (Dutch lace cap). On Sundays, the men wore dark wool, an immaculate white shirt and a starched collar so hard it clicked when turned over. To get this dress through the service in the Grote Kerk uncreased, almost every Vlaardingen household worked with shared ironing days — the lady of the house, a sister or niece, and sometimes a hired neighbourhood ironer who only did collars and cuffs.
The fisheries have largely gone, but the town of Vlaardingen has reinvented itself with industry, harbour and commuters. Westwijk, Oostwijk, Holy: many dual-income families. The starched Sunday shirt has become a weekday office shirt.
Since 2013 we have been driving from our laundry on the Henricuskade through Vlaardingen on fixed mornings. Laundry bag collected, washed, ironed, delivered — same driver, same day.
How does Strijkservice Haaglanden work in Vlaardingen?
For residents of Vlaardingen 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.