Need clean clothes but can’t fit visiting the launderette into your go-getting London lifestyle? A new startup called VClean Life is promising to help with its new laundry vending machines, which it’s currently trialing in the car parks of select London Underground stations, Wired reports.
It’s installing 200 of these VDrop vending machines as part of the trial, and Epping, Loughton, North Greenwich, South Woodford, and Woodford are among the first stations to receive them. Although you’ll need to pre-register for the service, once you’ve done so, it’s a simple process to drop off your laundry. Just scan the QR code that you’re emailed at the machine, put your clothes in the bag it produces, and wait for a confirmation email to tell you that your items are ready for collection.
It’s a fairly straightforward process, but that didn’t stop VClean from making an over-the-top trailer about it.
In total, the cleaning process — which, due to the use of soaps and conditioners, technically isn’t dry cleaning — should take around 24 hours and cost £3 an item. That’s not the cheapest rate around, but it’s a much more immediate process than app-based competitors that have to come to you to collect your clothes.