Baltinava Village Faces Loss of Vital Laundry Service
Residents of Baltinava, a village in Latvia, are facing the potential loss of a crucial social service: the local laundry house. For over a decade, the facility has provided a lifeline for some residents, offering the only access to washing machines and showers. The local government cites low demand and high maintenance costs as justification for the closure, a decision met with disagreement from those who rely on the service, according to a report from Latgale regional television on February 19th.
Mondays are traditionally laundry days in Baltinava. Terēzija Keiša, a local pensioner, is a weekly visitor, utilizing both the washing machines and the shower every other week. “I don’t have water in my house. Now it’s the last barrel of water in the well – there is no water at home, no shower, nothing at home. If it closes, where should I go? Wash in the snow?” she asked, expressing her deep concern about the potential closure.
The laundry house primarily serves low-income residents and those without access to running water or their own washing machines. Anita Daukste, a specialist at the Baltinava laundry, explained the diverse needs met by the facility. “There is a shortage of water in the wells. They also bring clothes to wash. We find also regular customers who don’t have a washing machine at home at all. People who don’t have water at home or, as is the case now, have frozen pipes, bring their clothes and go to the shower to wash,” she said.
While demand for the service remains, usage has declined in recent years. In 2024, the laundry house was used 330 times, but that number dropped to just 50 uses last year. This decrease in usage hasn’t alleviated the financial burden on the municipality, which faces costs of several thousand euros annually, while generating only a few hundred euros in revenue.
The laundry house was originally established when Baltinava was an independent municipality. Subsequent renovations included the installation of a shower, along with the purchase of two washing machines and a dryer. Sarmīte Tabore, head of the Baltinava Association, noted that some residents still rely on traditional methods of washing clothes. “There are still people who wash clothes the way our ancestors did, by hand,” she stated.
The potential closure of the Baltinava laundry house is part of a wider trend within the Balvi municipality. Similar facilities in Rugāji and Viļaka have also been denied funding this year. Tabore explained that the decision to cut funding was based on an assessment of both demand and cost-effectiveness. “People understand that the service is no longer available and are beginning to consider whether to stay in the countryside at all,” she said.
Currently, no alternative solutions are available to provide laundry services to those in need. Keiša expressed her frustration, stating, “If they close the laundry house, I’ll go to Balvi. Who’s in charge in Balvi? Trupovnieks? Well, then I’ll go to him.”
One potential avenue for the future is to transfer the operation of the laundry house to a private entrepreneur. However, there is uncertainty about the viability of such a venture in a rural environment. The future of this essential service remains uncertain, leaving vulnerable residents facing difficult choices.
