Wash, spin, dry: commercial laundry on campus utilizes benefits of the digital age
Print Edition
A new full-service laundry in Songjiang University Town, popular among students, can be booked on WeChat and paid by digital wallet Apps via smartphone.
“I need this shirt tomorrow morning for a job interview,” said Zhang Lili, a student at Shanghai International Studies University, as she opened her WeChat, scanned the QR code, put a shirt into a washing machine and pressed the “start” button. “Our dorm building has a washing machine, but it always leaves my clothes wrinkled,” Zhang said. “But here, I can not only wash my clothes but have them ironed.”
The Xitaotao Laundomat, decorated in bright yellow, has 17 automatic washing machines and driers for clothes and shoes.
“To wash one load clothes takes about 40 minutes,” said Deng Yangyang, the laundromat’s manager, who is also a student at Shanghai University of Engineering Science. “Students can come to pick up their clothes after a class or a meal. When the clothes are washed and dried, we send them messages on their cell phones. We also offer dorm delivery services.”
The washing machines are eco-friendly, saving water and electricity. They are disinfected regularly. The costs starts at 6 yuan (88 US cents) apiece, a third of similar services elsewhere.
The idea of the laundromat was inspired by Deng’s personal experience. “The washing machines in our dorm swallowed coins but often didn’t work,” he said. “No one maintained the machines. And the place was always crowded at night but empty during the day, when everyone was in class.”
Deng polled about 1,000 students on campus and found they shared his frustration. Some 70 percent expressed support for a new laundry service. The laundromat employs 15 students, particularly targeting those who need money to continue their studies. It also offers a part-time work-study program.
The business philosophy is simple: convenience and affordability. Deng and engineering classmates developed an information chip for the washing machines to collect data on hours of use.
“From the database, we can more efficiently manage rush hours,” he said. His team has obtained more than 10 software copyrights. It is now working with the university to improve back-office management and smartphone scanning speed.
The idea is expanding. The laundry service is now available at Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Minnan University of Science and Technology in Fujian Province and Jiangsu Normal University. In addition, the East China University of Political Science and Law has installed the information chip on its washing machines.
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