Reimbursement for the cost of Personal Laundry/Dry-Cleaning
and Pressing of clothing FAQs

Q1 - When are DoD civilian employees authorized reimbursement for the cost of personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing?

A1 - DoD civilian employees are authorized reimbursement for the cost of personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing (Effective for travel performed on or after 1 January 1999) as follows:

a. The cost incurred during TDY/PCS travel (not after arriving at or returning to the PDS) for personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing is a separately reimbursable travel expense in addition to per diem/AEA when travel is within CONUS and requires at least 4 consecutive nights TDY/PCS lodging in CONUS. (There is no limitation on the amount claimed however the amount must be reasonable for the assignment concerned.)

b. The cost of personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing is not a separately reimbursable travel expense for travel OCONUS and is included as an incidental expense within the per diem authorized for OCONUS travel.

Q2 - When are uniformed members authorized reimbursement for the cost of Personal Laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing?

A2 - Uniformed members are authorized reimbursement for the cost of personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing (Effective for TDY travel performed on or after 1 January 2001) as follows:

a. The cost incurred during TDY travel (not after returning to the PDS) for personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing, up to an average of $2 per day, is a separately reimbursable travel expense in addition to per diem/AEA when travel within CONUS requires at least 7 consecutive nights TDY lodging in CONUS.

Examples:

(1) Member performs TDY travel in CONUS requiring 6 consecutive nights TDY lodging in CONUS - no reimbursement is authorized for the cost of personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing.

(2) Member performs TDY travel in CONUS requiring 7 consecutive nights TDY lodging in CONUS - reimbursement is for actual cost of personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing not to exceed $2 per day (maximum authorized $14).

(3) Member performs TDY travel in CONUS requiring 8 consecutive nights TDY lodging in CONUS - reimbursement is for the actual cost of personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing not to exceed $2 per day (maximum authorized $16). If the member incurred a cost of $20 for personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing, reimbursement is limited to $2 per day for a total of $16. If the member incurred a cost of $12 for personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing, reimbursement is limited to $1.50 per day for a total of $12.

(4) Member on a 10-day TDY to a CONUS location (receiving AEA while there) incurs a $40 dry-cleaning bill. The $40 cost is averaged over the 10-day TDY to equal a $4 per day average cost. The member may only be reimbursed for $2 per day so the total reimbursement paid to the member is $20.

b. The cost incurred during TDY travel for personal laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing is not a separately reimbursable expense for OCONUS travel and is part of the incidental expense allowance included within the per diem rates authorized for OCONUS travel.

Examples:

(1) Member performs OCONUS TDY travel requiring 10 consecutive nights TDY lodging OCONUS for which he is paid a per diem - no reimbursement is authorized for the cost of laundry/dry-cleaning and pressing of clothing.

(2) Member on an 8-day (Saturday-Saturday) TDY to an OCONUS location (receiving AEA while there) incurs a $32 dry-cleaning cost on Friday. The $32 cost is averaged over the 8-dayTDY and the member may indicate that $4 was paid daily.