About Repair Cafés

What is a Repair Café?

Repair Cafés are free gatherings that revolve around repairing (together). At the location where the Repair Café is held, tools and materials are available to carry out all kinds of repairs. On clothing, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, toys, etc. Expert volunteers are also present, with repair knowledge and skills in a variety of areas.

Visitors bring broken items from home. At the Repair Café, they get to work with the experts. In this way, there is always something to learn. Those who have nothing to repair, take a cup of coffee or tea. Or will help with someone else's repair.

Worldwide, there are nearly 3,000 Repair Cafés. The first Repair Café was organized by Martine Postma on October 18, 2009 in Amsterdam-West. On the international Repair Café website you can read more about the background and find all Repair Cafés.

Should I sign up?

You can simply walk in during the opening hours of a Repair Café with your broken things, without an appointment. Some Repair Cafés work with registration forms. If so, the hostess or host will hand them to you and explain them to you.

Sometimes it is quite busy. They will try to keep the waiting time acceptable. That's why you can often only have one thing repaired at a time. Then you can rejoin the back of the line for the next item.

What are the costs?

Admission to the Repair Cafés, including help with repairs, is free. But a voluntary contribution is greatly appreciated. Costs are incurred only for replacement parts (if needed). A Repair Café may charge something for a cup of coffee or glass of soda.

Leaving my repair behind?

You cannot leave your repair behind, the idea is to work together with a volunteer. Do not hesitate to roll up your sleeves yourself. Loosening screws or undoing a seam, for example, is something almost anyone can do. Many people can do some research online. If you want, you can also carry out the repair yourself, with guidance from the repair person.

Do you make home visits?

In principle, no. The Repair Café is not a handyman service, but a meeting place where people can repair their things together. However, when visiting a Repair Café in your neighborhood, you can contact one of the repairers present and ask your question. Who knows someone might like to help you.

Warranty?

Repair Cafés do not give a warranty . Many repairs succeed. But unfortunately it also happens that an attempt fails. Or a repair seems successful at first, but the item turns out to be defective after returning home.

Liability?

Neither the organizers nor the volunteers of a Repair Café are liable for damage resulting from repair advice or instructions given, for damage to the items offered for repair, for consequential damage or for other damage resulting from activities at the Repair Café. You therefore offer your items for repair at your own risk.

Will I always be helped?

Almost always, but sometimes it can be very busy at a Repair Café and it can happen that you don't get your turn. Repairers also have the right to refuse repair of certain items, for example because they estimate that the repair is going to be too complicated.

Can I become a volunteer?

Can you do something really well and would like to teach it to someone else? For example repairing lamps, fixing holes in a pair of jeans or are you an expert on a specific appliance? Perhaps you would like to learn how to repair yourself under the guidance of an experienced repairer? Or maybe you want to help welcome people with coffee, tea and treats and help as a hostess/host?

In that case, contact a specific Repair Cafe.