Life Is So Much Better Without A Washing Machine
There are not many options when you have no washing machine at home. You either have this special someone who kindly lets you do your laundry at his or her place. Or, as most other people are doomed to put up with, you have to use a laundromat and pop in some coins you would rather spend on a beer or two. A less expensive and much more convenient alternative that will get you through the washing nightmare is the peer-to-peer laundry service Hello by Fagor.
Benjamin Riot and Valentin Sollier, two design students from L’Ecole de Design Nantes Atlantique, had received a brief from Fagor France, a major producer of home appliances, to come up with a new concept for washing machines that would be appealing to the Generation Y or, more precisely, the Active Youth Generation between the age of 20 and 35. They quickly came to the conclusion that there were only two scenarios: You either had a washing machine at home and things are really easy or you don’t and getting your clothes washed can become a seriously tricky task.
Hello by Fagor taps into both scenarios. Those with a Hello washing machine get the chance to help others with their laundry problem while earning some extra pocket money. Those without a washing machine can get a Hello clothes basket which enables them to easily wash their clothes with any Hello washing machine. Through the Hello App washing machine seekers and washing machine owners can easily connect, get in touch and leave feedback. All identities in the Hello community are checked for extra safety and payment is made via PayPal.
So, what is exactly the deal with this washing machine? Hello by Fagor consists of an outer shell, which represents the washing machine, and an inner core, which would be the clothes basket. The outer shell has the standard dimensions so it can easily fit into most household arrangements but different to other machines it is only equipped with one simple button that turns the machine on or off. The essence of the washing machine comes with the clothes basket. It conveniently holds a 5kg-load of clothes (equivalent to a week’s clothing). Once it is full you can add your choice of detergent and choose a washing program. Now, here is something new: Your clothes basket comes with wheels so you can pull it fully prepared like a luggage trolley to the household of your choice.
With Hello by Fagor Rio and Sollier aimed to use a collaborative consumption model in order to create social links within a neighborhood, a community, a city that would simplify and enrich the overall laundry care experience. Though this concept is aimed at individuals it is not hard to imagine Hello washing machines in apartment complexes, for instance, for student housing.