Sustainable washing and drying in communal laundry rooms

Brussels/Antwerp – Communal laundry areas in apartment buildings, student accommodations, vacation houses or campgrounds are on the rise. Due to the housing shortage in large cities, rising real estate prices and a growing interest in the sharing economy, more and more people are looking for new ways to do their laundry sustainable and cheaply. WeWash makes washing and drying sustainable, digital and user-friendly, for both the property manager and the user.

WeWash has been present in Belgium since March 2021 and responds to the trend of a sustainable sharing economy that is today conquering cities such as Brussels and Antwerp. “Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in new building and renovation projects. In the design of the communal laundry room as well, a conscious choice is being made for energy-efficient appliances and a solution that guarantees a smooth, convenient, and ecological use. WeWash is the perfect solution for this,” says Georges Van der Meulen, Managing director of BSH Home Appliances N.V.

BSH Home Appliances N.V. supplies the energy-efficient and high-tech appliances for the laundry rooms. For BSH, this is a next step – after the Papillon project – in its pursuit for sustainable economic models.

From Box to full-service Care

The heart of the solution is the WeWash Box, a maintenance-free device for digital booking and billing for communal washing and drying. The WeWash Box is compatible with all commonly used washing machines and dryers, regardless of the make, model and age of the machine. There is no need for a Wi-Fi or LAN connection as the Box is supplied with its own data connection using an integrated SIM-card.

The free WeWash app allows users to easily check the status of the machines, make a reservation and handle the payment. Payment is cashless and users pay-per-use.

In addition to the WeWash Box, BSH Belgium also offers WeWash Care, a full-service solution that sets up the entire laundry room. In doing so, it leverages its modern, energy- and water-efficient Bosch appliances equipped with a WeWash Box. The exclusive WeWash Care machines are approved for commercial use, are highly user-friendly and have a short program duration.

BSH takes care of the installation, service and maintenance of the machines. In addition, the laundry room is continuously monitored by the Network Operation Center (NOC). Defective machines are identified at an early stage and are immediately deactivated. They can no longer be reserved and the repair service is notified instantly. This prevents inconvenient user experiences.

First projects in Belgium

At the beginning of March 2021, WeWash set foot in Belgium. The first projects with WeWash Care have been launched in the vibrant city centers in Brussels and Antwerp. This is no coincidence as many students, singles and young families are living in these cities and the demand for modern, communal laundry rooms has been increasing.

In Stadswaag in Antwerp, real estate company Quares also uses WeWash Care for the communal laundry room. “Quares is a real estate company fully committed to quality innovation and sustainability. For our latest development, the Stadswaag, a site with 32 apartments for young professionals, including co-working and community-building spaces, we opted for WeWash because of its sustainable, qualitative and innovative offer. Recent graduates do not have the financial means to make large investment in home appliances. Thanks to the app and the cashless payment, the devices are used smoothly. And because WeWash works with the most energy-efficient appliances, we as owner-manager can keep energy and water consumption within limits”, Siham Rahmuni, CEO of Quares says.

In the beautifully renovated The Soap Factory, a housing project in the heart of Brussels, offering large rooms and an array of shared communal spaces, the communal laundry room is also equipped with a WeWash Care service. “We had several criteria for the laundry room in our co-housing and WeWash offered the perfect answer. The machines are high-quality and easy to use and no expensive installation was required to install the machines. In addition, the app ensures a proper organization of the use of the machines. Moreover, the app fits completely into the lifestyle of our tech-savvy young tenants. We only had positive feedback”, says Isaline Van den Abeele, Manager of The Soap Factory.

Discussions are currently ongoing for further projects in Ghent, Liège and Brussels. “We are excited that WeWash is now available for customers in Belgium and I am personally thrilled about the positive market response that we got so far. New living concepts are on the rise across Europe and with our WeWash concept we offer a space-efficient, convenient and sustainable way of doing laundry without owning appliances.” Philip Laukart, Managing Director WeWash GmbH.

About WeWash

WeWash was founded in 2016 as part of the Bosch Group. A team of 20 people ensures that communal washing is attractive for everyone involved. As the market leader in Germany for digital booking and billing systems in communal laundry rooms, WeWash offers a digital solution with a comprehensive service concept.

Thanks to a cashless billing and maintenance-free system, WeWash demonstrably and sustainably reduces expenses. With over 63.000 users, WeWash currently has over 3.000 installations in Europe.

WeWash is already working successfully with many providers of student accommodations, serviced apartments, micro-apartments, property managers and the private and social housing sector.

More information: we-wash. be