College students can now solve their laundry issues with an app

For thousands of youngsters who grew up with their families in different cities all over India, doing laundry without a washing machine comes as a sudden shock, after moving into college hostels.

With dhobis charging sky-high prices for students living on a budget, most of them resort to doing a half-baked job washing clothes themselves hurriedly in their restrooms.

Recognising this issue, a start-up ‘Chota Dhobi’ hopes to revolutionise the space and make life easier for college-goers… just with a mobile app.

“We tie up with colleges across the city to install washing machines at strategic locations on campus, with the ratio of 100 machines to every student. After downloading the app, students can figure out which machines are free and use them accordingly. They can pay online and use their credits as and when they use the machines,” says Shanmuganathan, who is the founder of the company.

‘Chota Dhobi’ also boasts of new-age tech that ensures each machine is constantly tracked, to give students real-time updates on its engagement.

The app is exclusively only for college students, and after finding great success in Chennai, has since expanded to Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram too.

“Next, we plan to go pan-India. The biggest USP, based on the feedback we receive from students is the ‘hygiene factor’. Students are always concerned about how these dhobis wash their clothes, the detergent and water they use, and the time it takes them. This way, they are in charge themselves and are assured of its safety,” he adds.