Laundry services popular with college students

Laundry services popular with college students

Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta

Laundry services are perhaps most popular with those who have
clothes or textile items made of silk, fur, or suede, as well as
curtains. However, the service is also popular now with college
students living in boarding houses nearby campuses in Depok, a
suburb in southern Jakarta.

Unlike conventional laundry services, laundry operators in
Depok do not charge their customers per piece but for every five
kilos of garments cleaned. The highly competitive commercial
laundry market has also led them to apply competitive pricing.
They charge Rp 16,000 to Rp 17,000 per five kilos of garments
cleaned. They also offer drop-off and pickup services.

"It would be impossible for me to drop off 15 kilos of casual
garments every weekend if the price were above Rp 20,000," said
Ade, a student in the psychology department at the University of
Indonesia.

She has benefited from such laundry services for two years.
For her, the service is really helpful, especially as there are
so many campus assignments to be completed and, during the dry
season, her boarding house lacks a water supply.

Another student, Rhino, said that he always relied on the
laundry service as he often got his clothes dirty after playing
soccer with his friends. "Besides, I'm too lazy to wash them, not
to mention the ironing," grinned the student from Palembang,
South Sumatra, in his final semester.

Currently, six laundry operators exist adjacent to campuses in
Depok. One of them is Private Washing, established in 1999 and
located on Jl Margonda Raya, Gg Kober No. 5. Initially, the
facility was utilized by six college students who considered
washing clothes to be a waste of time. But then they decided to
turn it into a business as demands for laundry services from
their friends continued to grow. Their first investment was worth
Rp 5 million.

"We reached break-even point within a year. From one washing
machine and a dryer, we now have three of each," said Tumirin, in
charge of daily operations at the depot, which has a 2,300-watt
electricity supply. It opens from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a
week.

The depot offers laundry, drying, pressing, drop-off and
pickup services. Five kilos of garments that are washed, dried,
and packed cost Rp 10,000, plus an additional Rp 7,000 for
pressing. The laundry is packed in a bag that holds up to five
kilos and may consist of linen, shirts, jeans, gowns, hats,
towels, blankets, bed sheets, bed covers, curtains and pillows,
but not carpets. The bag is returned in a day.

The laundering and drying process for each bag can take about
two hours. Customers are free to choose whatever detergent,
softener and ironing spray they prefer. Private Washing also
gives a free voucher for one laundry bag to customers who have
used the service 10 times.

"There is no additional fee or limited time for pickup and
drop-off services in the Depok areas. However, most students come
here on the weekend," Tumirin said. Every day, his two staff can
handle 15 bags to 20 bags of laundry, and 30 bags to 35 bags on
Saturdays and Sundays.

However, Tumirin asks his customers to abide by some
regulations. He says that the depot is not responsible for any
dissatisfaction caused by too dirty, discolored or worn-out
clothes, or laundry not picked up after 30 days. "At present, we
have donated up to 50 kilos of garments to victims of flood
disasters and to orphanages because the owners of the laundry
bags did not show up after 18 months."

Rimu Washing, located on Jl Margonda Raya, Gg Damai, also
offers a similar service. It charges Rp 10,000 for a bag
containing five kilos of laundry to be washed, dried, folded and
packed, and an additional Rp 6,000 for ironing.

The depot opens from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days per week. It
also offers a free voucher after 10 visits. Customers are free to
choose detergent, softener or ironing sprays with a fragrance
that suits their preference. However, it charges Rp 2,000 per bag
in its pickup and delivery service. The pickup service is
available only in the evening.

Another depot, Bibi's, located nearby Rimu, has a different
charging method. It charges Rp 10,000 per 15 garments to be
washed, dried, folded and packed and Rp 20,000 if the laundry is
to be ironed. For single items like shirts or pants the depot
charges Rp 1,000, and Rp 2,000 for a blanket or bed cover.