New washers and dryers, free of charge for student use, were installed in all residential spaces this June. The machines’ arrival followed the passing of a Vassar Student Association (VSA) bill last spring, concluding a years-long push by the VSA to reduce costs for residents.
While payment is no longer required at the machines, $10 of each student’s annual tuition and fees—specifically a portion of the Student Actives Fee that funds VSA operations—is now set aside by the VSA to help finance the program.
The new system replaces the earlier VSA program Vassar Washing Allocation for Student Health (VWash). This program allowed those on Work Study, which VSA sources quoted as 1,135 students in 2024, to receive a laundry stipend. The stipend was set at $33 in 2022, calculated to reflect the cost of one washer and dryer cycle per week for the academic year. In 2024, the VSA renegotiated with the College to raise the stipend to $46.80, after the price of a load in a washer or dryer was raised from $1.60 to $1.80.
Mila Seifert ’26, who served as a Class Senator and was a cosponsor of the Free Laundry Bill, was part of the negotiations with College administrators to raise the VWash stipend. Rather than have to continue negotiating for increases in the future, Seifert expressed that both VSA members and the administration wanted a different solution: “And so we met with [administrators] regularly to continue negotiating. And they came back to us in one meeting with [Dean] Alamo, if I recall, and said, ‘We have a proposal for you.’”
Seifert described the proposal, which was a precursor to the Free Laundry Bill, as well-timed, because the College’s current contract with laundry service providers was coming to an end. The VSA struck an agreement with the College, then drafted and passed the bill. Reflecting on the machine’s installation, she recalled how much work the VSA put into the issue: “And to see something that we worked so hard on benefit the student body in such a substantial way was incredible.”
Under the Free Laundry Bill, there are no restrictions on the amount of free cycles students can access. Students expressed that because of the change, they felt more free to wash not only their clothes more often, but also their bedding and towels.
Maxx Martinez ’26 was not aware the program was taking effect, stating, “Then one of my friends told me that it was free, and in my excitement I did tons of laundry.” He no longer worries about having to overload the machines to avoid paying for two loads, or rationing what gets washed. Martinez added, “I would dread having to figure out how I was going to do it. It’s so nice to be able to just use two machines now and not have to worry about the cost of anything.”
When Ava Arcoleo ’27 arrived at Vassar, she was surprised to find laundry was not free and that friends at other schools did not have to pay to use washers and dryers. How has laundry day changed for her? Arcoleo said, “It’s more carefree.” She no longer faces the little inconvenience of realizing she does not have enough VCash available for a load—then having to transfer funds into her account. Arcoleo continued: “Aside from the tide pod that goes in, it’s an exciting experience.”
For Jack Rosenfeld ’29 and other first-years, paying at the machine will never be a part of their residential experience at Vassar. Rosenfeld is grateful and thinks free laundry will encourage good hygiene: “If you have to worry about the cost of laundry, it’s going to be an inhibitor to actually start doing your laundry.”
All of the new machines are Speed Queen brand. Rosaleen Cardillo, Assistant Vice President for Auxiliary Services, shared in an email to The Miscellany News that the brand was recommended by Vassar’s laundry service partner TediMatts: “Their commercial-grade construction is built for high-volume and long-lasting use.”
The feedback administrators are receiving? “We have heard that students are happy that the machines are free and will be doing laundry more often,” Cardillo wrote. She also noted why some of the units have different dimensions: “Some of the machines are slightly larger in size as they are designed to meet ADA compliance standards.” The washers and dryers are expected to last on campus until the end of the decade, approximately seven to nine years.
Arcoleo dubbed the new system as the best action the VSA has taken. Seifert added, “It was a good reminder that the VSA can do really productive work that benefits students.”