Iowa Students Get Laundry E-Mail Alerts

Parents Forum
1

<p>What next? I am all in favor of high efficiency washers and dryers - I just wonder if my S would be a high efficiency student and get his dirty laundry off the floor and into the machine.</p>

<p>"Thanks to software installed along with new high-efficiency washers last fall, the school’s dormitory residents can receive e-mail alerts when their laundry cycles have finished.</p>

<p>The school also has a new Web-based service, called LaundryView, that lets residents look online for open washers and dryers…The school paid for the $13,000 annual software fee in part by raising the cost of a load of laundry by about 50 cents, according to Fitzgerald. The company, LaundryView Monitoring Service, has been providing the software to colleges and universities since 2004."</p>

<p><a href=“http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/02/01/national/a140841S37.DTL&type=bondage[/url]”>http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/02/01/national/a140841S37.DTL&type=bondage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

2

<p>A resident of Random Hall dorm did this at MIT almost 10 years ago: <a href=“http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1999/laundry-0414.html[/url]”>http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/1999/laundry-0414.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>And you can see if the bathrooms are busy:
<a href=“http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2005/06/mit-bathroom-laundry-servers-at-random-hall/[/url]”>http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2005/06/mit-bathroom-laundry-servers-at-random-hall/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Not sure if it’s worth a 50 cent increase in the price of a load of laundry.</p>

3

<p>Actually, quite a few colleges have this service! They seem to be mostly the larger publics, but a few larger privates also have it.</p>

4

<p>I think it’s a great idea! You get caught up in something, forget to move it, and then find your wet (or freshly dried) clothes on the floor because someone else wanted to use the machine. Can save on wear and tear and a lot of angry people!</p>

<p>Now if they could only come up with an e-mail system to remind the kid that it’s time to do the laundry!</p>

5

<p>At Wake, we also instituted LaundryView at the beginning of this school year. It’s been fantastic, and saves a lot of trips downstairs or having to set a timer to remember when to take out your laundry.</p>

<p>Edit: we don’t pay for laundry in the first place, though, so if there’s been a price increase, it’s been pretty well absorbed in our housing fees.</p>

6

<p>RE: “Now if they could only come up with an e-mail system to remind the kid that it’s time to do the laundry!”</p>

<p>As a college student, I can tell you that almost every student’s laundry schedule is determined purely by sock and underwear supply. When you run out of those, it’s time for laundry.</p>

<p>I just love that we don’t have to save quarters. We add money to an account on our school ID card, swipe the card, and then start the machine. It’s great :)</p>

7

<p>Note to parents: send your kid off with lots of extra socks and underwear. </p>

<p>A great “Thinking of you” gift during exams? You got it: extra socks and underwear.</p>

8

<p>Good suggestion, Grace!<br>
Razzie goes to my husband’s old roomate. His Mom would spend most of Parents Weekend washing and folding laundry. Don’t think he ever did any himself, he was always stealing H’s clean socks, and once even underwear…</p>

9

<p>No, don’t. If you do the dirty laundry will stay on the floor for the whole academic year!</p>

10

<p>I proposed a service called “computerview” which would allow students to receive email alerts advising them of the availability of computers at the school library. So far, no takers.</p>