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Washio, a Santa Monica-founded app that offers on-demand dry-cleaning and laundry delivery, is now serving the city of Chicago. The move adds a fourth U.S. city to its network, following launches in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.--and marks its first venture away from coastal America.
Self-billed as the “Uber for laundry,” Washio allows users to remotely request laundry or dry cleaning service. After a customer selects a pickup and drop-off time between six a.m. and midnight, a Washio “ninja” will arrive at the user’s location within 30 minutes of the requested time. Within 24 hours, the ninja will return with either laundered and folded or dry-cleaned clothes. Like Uber and other “sharing” apps, payments are deducted automatically through the user’s account once the service has been fulfilled.
“Now is the perfect time for Washio to come to Chicago. The city is a natural choice for the company to expand our nationwide service,” said CEO Jordan Metzner, in a statement. Metzer co-founded the app in 2013. “We’re excited to help the people of Chicago through the winter and expand our coverage beyond the East and West Coasts.”
Washio claims the average person spends 13 hours per month performing laundry- and dry-cleaning-related tasks. The company’s mission is to help users reduce their time investment, positing its services as “the logical next step as the world’s ‘sharing economy’ evolves.”
Washio’s dry-cleaning pricing model is based on item type; for example, individual flat rates are charged for dress shirts ($6), sweaters ($8), pillow cases ($8), and comforters ($28-$38, depending on size). Wash & Fold services are priced by the pound ($1.60 each), with a minimum weight requirement of 15 pounds. A user’s order must total at least $20, and it will incur a delivery fee of $3.99 if it’s below $35.
Mirroring its “sharing economy” counterparts, the company has also set forth “eco-friendly” and “socially responsible” initiatives: Washio delivers customers’ donations to charities and uses biodegradable, reusable bags for every order. It has also recently become available for businesses.
Reflecting further on the expansion, Metzner said, “We expect the smart, savvy and hard-working people of Chicago to embrace Washio, and we look forward to getting to know them.”
