Ever think about how expensive doing laundry can be? It can cost anywhere from $3 to $4 per load in the United States. Multiply that by the five to seven loads of laundry a family needs to do each week, and you’re looking at spending between $60 and $140 each month. For individuals and families with low income, this amount can be detrimental to their budget. 

Thanks to a nationwide initiative, this problem is being remedied through “love, dignity, and detergent.”

Laundry Love, as it’s called, partners with groups, schools, and local laundromats to wash the clothing and bedding of those in need. In our area, you’ll see this work in action on the third Friday of each month at Sisters Coin Laundry in Springfield. The next wash day will take place this Friday, May 19, from 8 a.m. until noon with drop-offs accepted from 8-10:30.

With local guidance from Robertson County non-profit organizations United Way and COPE, Laundry Love is a donation and volunteer driven effort. The need for both monetary support and volunteers willing to help wash items is dire. 

On an average monthly wash day at Sisters, close to 900 loads of laundry will be completed, free of charge, and that requires the help of up to 15 volunteers. An eco-friendly detergent brand, Earth Breeze, donates $300 worth of its product each month to Laundry Love-Springfield as well as all other locations across the U.S.

“It’s inspiring to have the ability to give someone dignity by performing a simple act of kindness,” says Tiffany Thomson, Community Impact Manager for United Way of Robertson County. “To be able to wash and then give back fresh, clean clothes to people means so much to us and them. It gives them peace of mind instead of worrying about how their clothes or linens might appear or smell.”

Tiffany estimates it costs “roughly $15,000 a year” to maintain Laundry Love-Springfield. She stresses that both monetary and volunteer support are “desperately needed” for the continued survival of this worthy initiative.

“People want to give to this cause,” she says. “When we only had two months of funding left this past December, I put out a call to action and the community responded. We’re at that point again. We must have support to keep helping those in need.”

To volunteer your time or make a donation to Laundry Love-Springfield, call Tiffany at 615-780-2511 or email tiffany.thomson@unitedwaygn.org. You can also contact COPE of Robertson County at 615-384-1465.

To learn more about Laundry Love, visit laundrylove.org or the Laundry Love - Springfield, TN Facebook page.

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