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Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

New Laundry Service Upholds Jesuit Values

COURTESY WASH CYCLE Beginning this year, Wash Cycle will be the only laundry provider with access to university housing.
COURTESY WASH CYCLE
Beginning this year, Wash Cycle will be the only laundry provider with access to university housing.

The university announced early August that it will partner with Wash Cycle, a laundry service committed to social and environmental causes, as its first official laundry provider.

Beginning this academic year, Wash Cycle will be the only laundry service authorized by the university to access student housing, preventing other companies, such as Soapy Joe’s, from operating on campus.

The partnership was announced in a university-wide email from Director of Business and Operations Loren Sumerlin, who noted the laundry provider’s commitment to Jesuit values such as social justice and environmental protection.

“Wash Cycle not only aligns with our Jesuit mission, but is also the official laundry services company of Georgetown for laundry services in resident halls,” Sumerlin wrote.

Sumerlin emphasized that a range of companies were evaluated based on a various criteria, of which company mission proved to be a significant factor for Wash Cycle.

“Management, service, price, company mission, sustainability and employee welfare are just a few of the many factors that we evaluate during the [request for proposal] process,” Sumerlin wrote in an email to The Hoya. “Wash Cycle is a company whose mission aligns with Georgetown in many ways.”

Founded in 2010 by University of Pennsylvania graduate Gabriel Mandujano, Wash Cycle uses bicycles and tricycles to deliver laundry between students and local laundromats. The bicycles are equipped with trailers that can carry approximately 10-15 bags.

The company also exclusively uses high-efficiency washing machines and natural and hypoallergenic detergents.

According to Wash Cycle’s Director of Marketing Leigh Goldenberg, these features are aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

“We have zero carbon emissions except [for] the breathing of our cyclists,” Goldenberg wrote in an email to The Hoya. “[We] avoid an idling vehicle blocking traffic and pumping fumes into the air.”

In addition to its environmental mission, Goldenberg said that Wash Cycle also strives to make a social impact through its hiring procedure.

“[We] create jobs with upward mobility for our community’s most vulnerable adults. Half of our team has a reported history of incarceration, addiction, homelessness or welfare dependence,” Goldenberg wrote. “We’ve found great success with this type of hiring.”

The laundry services partnership is the first of its kind for both Georgetown and Wash Cycle. Currently, the company also provides services to several other universities in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, including George Washington University, University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.

Wash Cycle is also seeking students to join their management team as business development associates. The position entails growing the company’s presence on campus through events and social media channels.

Laundry services will begin on the week of September 7, with orders available through Wash Cycle’s website.

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  • W

    WhyAug 26, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    Why is the university making this decision for me again?

    Reply