As of the 2017-18 academic year, Robert Morris University has renovated the laundry systems to make doing laundry on campus easier for students.

In the summer of 2017, the university began replacing all the washers and dryers on campus with Speed Queen Quantum Control washers and dryers through the company CSC ServiceWorks. These washers and dryers come equipped with the service LaundryView created by Mac-Gray Corporation, that sits beneath CSC ServiceWorks.

LaundryView is an online application that allows students to monitor the status of washers and dryers in connected rooms through a web browser. Links and scan codes to LaundryView are available within the laundry rooms on campus.

“We knew that there were certain technologies that out there,” said Sharon Silk, assistant director of Business Operations, about the new feature. “As part of Business Operations, what we try to do is look for those new innovations.”

While looking at potential business upgrades, the university decided to upgrade all the machines on campus. With this decision came the idea of installing LaundryView.

“When our contract expired at the end of May, these were some of the things that we were looking to do to enhance the laundry program across campus,” said Silk.

The website’s main goal is to eliminate busy laundry rooms. The Mac-Gray Company provides service to more than 95,000 laundry rooms a day. When visiting the website, a dropbox can be found where students can select any laundry room on campus. Each laundry room also comes with a unique QR code that can be scanned on the website.

“I think it will save them (students) a lot of time and aggravation,” said Silk. “They can look in real time and see if the laundry room is available and what machines are available.”

Although LaundryView is not an app, the system also allows students to send themselves text alerts when loads are finished from a web browser. In the case of having trouble with a machine, alerts can also be sent to the company about breakdowns and other issues.

An email sent by the Office of Residence Life on Oct. 12 alluded to the new washers and dryers around campus, concluding non-residents were using the new systems and leaving no washers and dryers available for residents of the university.

“Free laundry in the residence halls is a benefit for residents, paid by residents,” ResLife said in an email to students. “There has been issues with washers and dryers being used by non-residents and therefore these washers/dryers are not available for paying residents.”

As of Sept. 13, dorm halls that contain functioning LaundryView washers and dryers are Madison Hall, Monroe Hall, Salem Hall, Yorktown Hall and Washington Hall. According to Silk, all dorms should have working systems by the end of October.