The Falcon   |   Volume 83, Issue 52

Published 5/22/13   |   Log In

Higher price to wash, dry in dorms

Students cope with raised laundry costs

By KHARIS LUND, Staff Reporter

Published: October 24, 2012

Laundry prices in Seattle Pacific’s on-campus residence halls have increased for the first time in 11 years, a university official said, but students are still coming up with creative ways to save quarters while washing and drying.

“It’s too expensive for one load,” said Deborah Schloemer, a freshman living in Emerson.

The price in all the dorm halls for one wash load is now $1.25 to $1.50, depending on the wash setting, and $1.25 for one dry load. Before, prices varied in each dorm hall and ranged from $1.00 to $1.25 to wash and 50 to 75 cents to dry.

Sophomore Catherine Adams, who moved this year from Moyer to Emerson, said she’s wearing clothes longer now because of the price increase.

“I wear my clothes over and over until I can’t stand to wear them again without washing them,” Adams said. “It’s gross, but when money is tight, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

The price increase reflects current market prices that SPU was forced to accept when they signed a new contract with their vendor, said Murray Lawson, director of university services, in an email.

The contract expired partly through last year, but the university negotiated for an extension until the start of the 2012-2013 academic year, Lawson said.

XinXu Meng, a freshman living in Emerson, said she’s changing clothes less often and combining loads with friends to save money on laundry.

Lawson added that students can now pay to wash their clothes using debit dollars loaded onto their SEAPAC passes, instead of paying with quarters.

Also new for this year, students can check the status of their loads online and send in feedback on broken or malfunctioning washers and dryers.

“It’s easy,” Lawson said, referring to the service called “LaundryView.” “You can do it via the web and by text messaging,” she said.

This service can be accessed at laundryview.com/seattlepacific.

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