Free Laundry Arrives at Harvard College, But With Early Technical Issues

After Harvard College announced that laundry would be free for all undergraduates starting in the spring semester, some students said washing machines in their dorms were breaking down or charging them for loads — even after the policy took effect.

College Dean David J. Deming announced the policy shift in November, calling it an attempt to “be more transparent about costs at the College.” The change was accompanied by a $250 increase to the Student Activities Fee to fund the initiative.

The initial announcement drew mixed reactions from undergraduates. In interviews this week, more than a dozen students said the new system sparked excitement but also introduced technical problems.

“Half the machines in my house are now out of order at any given point in time. And I’m not really sure if that’s related,” said Amelie K. Zucker ’28, a resident of Dunster House.

College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo acknowledged that some washing machines experienced technical difficulties after the shift to free laundry, but wrote that the issues had since been resolved.

“There was apparently a few issues with some of the machines, particularly some of the older ones, that needed additional attention. All has been resolved,” Palumbo wrote in a Monday statement.

Even after Jan. 1, the date Deming had set for when loads would become free, some students said washing machines continued to charge them for laundry.

“I had housing for winter break, so I had to do a couple more loads before it became free one day,” said Hannah C. Reuter ’29, who lives in Thayer Hall, where laundry machines did not become free until Jan. 6.

Others said the machines were not drying clothes as well as they had in the past.

“When I did my laundry when coming back to campus, I had to dry it four times for it to get dry,” James T. Foss ’29 said.

“I didn’t have this problem last semester,” he added.

The introduction of free loads has also led to overcrowding in some laundry facilities, according to some students. Hanah Kim ’28 said that while she thinks the new policy has been positive, she has noticed an uptick in her dorm’s laundry machine use.

“People are doing it a lot more frequently, and I think also a lot of people are trying to get their $450 worth of laundry, and the machines are a lot less available,” Kim said.

Before the shift to free laundry, students loaded funds into One Tap Away, an app they could use to pay for their laundry. The One Tap Away app replaced Harvard’s system of Crimson Cash in July, after plans to phase out the system beginning in June 2024.

Some students have faced challenges refunding the outstanding balance on their One Tap Away accounts.

“I still have about $50 loaded into that app that I’m unsure how to take out,” said Aaron J. Arlanza ’26.

Despite some of the technical difficulties, several students were still optimistic about the free laundry. Baharullah Mahin ’28 said the new system allowed students to more easily and consistently use laundry services.

“I think it was about time that we got free laundry. I think laundry is an essential necessity. And now I can actually wash my sheets as much as I want without having to be like, ‘Oh, I’ll wash it every two weeks.’ Now I can wash it every other day,” Mahin said.

Kim praised the policy for expanding access to laundry for students from lower income backgrounds.

“A lot of lower income students have also generally agreed this has actually changed a lot of their schedule for them,” she said. “So I think free laundry is a really good thing.”

—Staff writer Alexander W. Anoma can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X @AnomaAlexander.

—Staff writer Chantel A. De Jesus can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at chantel.27. Follow her on X @c_a_dejesus.

—Staff writer Nirja J. Trivedi can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @nirjatriv.