Our history: 150 years laundry in The Hague

How it started

In 1870, Johannes Palthe opened a small laundry on Lange Voorhout in The Hague. That was close to the royal palace. With three employees, he started his work. His goal was simple: the best care for clothes of families in The Hague.

Soon we had customers from the palace staff. Diplomats and wealthy merchants also came to us. In those days, washing was hard work. Everything was done by hand. Large wooden tubs were used and natural soap.

The first changes

In 1905, we bought the first electric washing machines in The Hague. That was very special back then. Later came steam presses and we started with chemical cleaning. This was all new for that time.

We also grew. In 1934, we moved to the location where we still are: Laan van Meerdervoort 437. That is almost 100 years at the same place now.

Difficult times

During World War II, everything was difficult. Materials were scarce. Still, Hendrik Palthe, the third generation, kept the business running. He even helped people who were in hiding.

After the war, things got better quickly. In 1948, we got modern machines. In 1955, we started delivering to customers. That was a new service that people were happy with.

The move to digital

Jan Palthe, the fourth generation, kept up with the times. In 1975, the first computers came into our business. Later we got systems to track orders and sort automatically.

We were also one of the first laundries to start thinking about the environment. In 1978, we already had a system to reuse water. In 1985, we started using biodegradable detergents.

Where we are now

Now Mark and Sandra Palthe run the business. They are the fourth generation. We still have the same values as in the beginning: good quality, reliability, and now also sustainability.

Our location is 2500 square meters. We have 15 modern machines. But the most important thing is that we still give the same attention to your clothes as 150 years ago.

What we do now

For private customers, we do:

• Daily laundry and dry cleaning
• Fast service within 24 hours
• Green Cleaning options
• Pickup and delivery free from EUR 20

For business customers, we do:

• Linens for hotels and restaurants
• Work clothing for companies
• Table linens for events

Our certifications

We are proud of what we have achieved:

• EU Ecolabel for environmental friendliness
• Green Key Gold for sustainable business
• ISO 14001 for environmental management

The future

We look ahead. In the coming years, we want to:

• Use even more sustainable processes
• Artificial intelligence for better results
• Zero waste in our operations

But our mission stays the same: the best care for your clothes.

Come visit

Want to know more about who we are? Come to our location or call us.

Palthe Den Haag Laan van Meerdervoort 437 2563 AS The Hague

Phone: 070-3450379

Monday to Friday: 07.30 to 18.00 Saturday: 08.00 to 16.00 Sunday: closed

Also read about our Green Cleaning approach and tips for delicate fabrics.