New campus laundry facilities will save water

August 16, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida students are returning to renovated campus laundry facilities and a chance to “Fill the Swamp” for scholarship monies.

Gator Wash Campus Laundry Program (ASI Campus Laundry Solutions) has replaced the previous laundry vendor. Their contract with UF includes the total renovation of 25 laundry facilities in residence halls and graduate and family housing. The renovations include new energy efficient and lower water use machines as well as folding tables, study areas, fresh paint and new flooring. All machines can be operated with coins or Gator 1 cards.

The price to wash or dry a load of laundry increased from 75 cents to $1.25, but the actual cost to wash and dry a pound of laundry on campus stayed the same – about 13 cents per pound.

“The old washing machines and dryers held about 12 pounds of laundry, but the new machines can hold up to 20 pounds of laundry, so the price to do a pound of laundry stayed the same,” said Sharon Blansett, assistant director of housing. “The new machines also support the university’s sustainability goals by being more energy efficient than the old machines. An added benefit is that the new washers use 15 gallons of water per load versus the 30 gallons of water per load that the previous machines used. Plus less detergent is needed for frontload washers.”

To encourage residents to do their laundry on campus, Gator Wash Campus Laundry Program is sponsoring the Fill the Swamp promotion. If campus residents save 5 million gallons of water per year or more using the new machines, Gator Wash will donate scholarship monies to UF. The Web site to monitor the promotion is www.housing.ufl.edu/housing/resfac_laundry.html with monthly updates planned starting in September.