New system allows students to monitor laundry from computer

When it comes to doing laundry, most college students agree: It stinks.

But with… When it comes to doing laundry, most college students agree: It stinks.

But with yesterday’s launch of the LaundryView monitoring system, Litchfield Towers’ laundry-goers might have a load off their shoulders.

The LaundryView system allows Pitt students to view a live 3-D depiction of the Litchfield Towers’ laundry room on their computers through a link from Panther Central’s website. The model shows which washers and dryers are in use or out of order and which ones are available. It also displays the number of minutes remaining on a machine in use.

Panther Central chose to install the LaundryView system to help students manage their time. As the Towers’ laundry room often becomes busy at certain times of the day, students will now be able to check the availability of machines right from their rooms.

Brian Dougherty, a representative from Mac-Gray Corp., the company that implemented the new system along with Panther Central, agrees that it will benefit students’ schedules. “Our biggest goal is to try and free up students’ time,” Dougherty said. “Somebody having 15 loads of laundry isn’t going to be happy when they get down here and every machine is in use.”

Aside from monitoring the accessibility of machines, LaundryView can alert students when their laundry is done via an e-mail or text message. Students can also request a certain number of machines to use and will then receive an alert when their machines are ready.

Students can register their e-mail addresses or cell phone numbers from Panther Central’s website.

Out-of-order machines should also be more promptly repaired now because an alert is automatically sent to a service technician upon the malfunction of a washer or dryer.

Pitt students have generally been receptive to the new laundry system. “It’s a good idea to keep track of [laundry]. I know a few people who’ve gotten things stolen, and [Laundryview] is a good way to prevent that,” freshman Michelle Boyle said.

Freshman Leena Ketkar appreciates the time-saving aspect of the system.

“I feel like it will make it a lot easier because you won’t have to wait around down here,” she said.

Although more than 100 colleges and universities nationwide use LaundryView, Pitt is currently the only school in the Pittsburgh region that has the system.

The Towers’ laundry room houses 106 washers and dryers – a record number, Dougherty said. Across the country, no other college’s or university’s laundry rooms have as many machines in a single room as the Towers.

Because of its high figures, the Towers’ laundry room is the only laundry room on campus fitted with the LaundryView system at this point. Plans to bring LaundryView to other campus laundry rooms have not yet been made.

“We’re just testing it in this location to see how it is received. We’ll make decisions after that point,” Dougherty said.

As most of the hardware and software used to run the system was installed during winter break, the 24-hour laundry room never had to be closed to students.

A station will be set up today in Towers’ lobby between noon and 1:30 p.m. Assistants will be available to answer any questions students might have and to further explain the features of the LaundryView system.