Ironing, linen and textiles in Alphen aan den Rijn
Alphen aan den Rijn stands on Roman ground. The settlement lay on the frontier of the Roman Empire, the limes, and the Roman castellum of Albaniana stood on the spot where the old core of Alphen now lies. Archaeological excavations in Zwammerdam and in Alphen itself brought to light, in the twentieth century, textile remnants from the second and third centuries: fragments of Roman woollen tunics, linen belts and leather sandals. It is among the oldest evidence of organised textile culture on Dutch soil.
That textile history was given a new chapter in the sixteenth century, when Alphen became a way station along the Rhine for the barges between Leiden and Utrecht. From this came the Alphen inns, bargemen's hostels and ironing-laundries — places where bargemen could have their linen seen to during a night's rest. Those ironing-laundries stood on the bank of the Oude Rijn; one of them remained until 1910 on what is now the Aarkade.
Alphen aan den Rijn is now a town with a lively centre, districts such as Kerk en Zanen, Ridderveld and Zegersloot, and known for the Avifauna bird park. Many commuters to Leiden, Utrecht and Gouda. Many families whose week begins with a stack of office shirts in the cupboard.
Since 2013 we have been driving from our laundry on the Henricuskade through Alphen aan den Rijn on fixed mornings. We collect your laundry, iron everything, and deliver it back with the same driver.
How does Strijkservice Haaglanden work in Alphen aan den Rijn?
For residents of Alphen aan den Rijn 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.