La Machine du Voisin is a new French site that connects those looking to wash their clothes with those who have an empty washer and dryer. The site is designed to help those suffering from the immense agony that comes from learning that their building laundry room, and the laundry mat down the street, are at full capacity.
The site is free to use for both laundry doers and laundry machine owners. Those doing laundry can search within their city to find available machines. Since laundry is heavy, and often smelly, the results are confined to a radius of 500 meters. A list of available machines are shown, along with details such as their capacity, brand and fee. Doing your laundry at a stranger's house may seem odd, but La Machine du Voisin has been well-received by the French, with over 1,000 machines already listed on the site.
Crowdsourced Laundry Mats
La Machine Du Voisin Connects Laundry Doers with Available Machines
Trend Themes
1. Laundry-sharing Economy - Companies can tap into the growing demand for shared laundry services by building mobile or web-based platforms for connecting those in need with available machines.
2. Hyperlocal Service Marketplaces - Entrepreneurs can expand the sharing economy by creating platforms that tackle other household chores like house cleaning, yard work or grocery shopping in specific neighborhoods.
3. Collaborative Consumption - Sharing assets like laundry machines can be the first step toward a more sustainable, economical and community-driven future in which people consume less and own less.
Industry Implications
1. Sharing Economy - This trend presents an opportunity for laundry and other household service companies to create new business models and tap into previously unaddressed markets.
2. Real Estate - Apartment complexes and property management companies can partner with laundry-sharing startups to offer more value-added amenities and attract tenants.
3. Sustainability - Shared laundry services can reduce energy and water waste, lower the carbon footprint of households and promote resource efficiency.