The Cost of Dorm Laundry at Seattle University

This article summarizes reporting originally published by The Spectator.

A Seattle Spectator report examines how the cost of dorm laundry adds up over a quarter at Seattle University, and how students and administrators are responding.

What a Quarter of Laundry Costs

A wash cycle in Seattle University residence halls costs between $1.25 and $1.75 depending on intensity, and a dryer cycle costs $1.00, bringing a typical load to roughly $2.50. For a student doing two loads a week across a 10-week quarter, that works out to about $50 per term on top of housing, meal plans, and other recurring expenses. Kyra Holland, a second-year nursing major in Bellarmine Hall, told The Spectator the cost discourages her from washing clothes as often as she would like. "I don't understand why we have to pay for laundry," Holland said. "I think we pay too much money to go here and have to pay for laundry."

A Student-Led Response

The Residence Hall Association and the Student Government of Seattle University ran a recent initiative to help offset the cost, distributing about $10 each in laundry credits at an event in the Student Center on February 10. RHA president Sheridan Wang told The Spectator the project came out of conversations about smaller, recurring costs that affect students alongside larger expenses like tuition and housing. The event drew more participation than organizers expected.

A Comparison Worth Noting

Tim Albert, associate director of Housing Services, told The Spectator that current laundry prices have not increased in several years and are relatively affordable compared with peer institutions. "This isn't something where we're trying to make money off students," Albert said. "We just want to make sure the program runs properly." Nearby, the University of Washington uses a flat quarterly laundry fee of $36 in place of a per-load metered system, an example of how a different funding model can change the day-to-day experience for residents.

Why It Matters

The Seattle University situation illustrates a question several campuses are weighing: how should the cost of basic residential services like laundry be structured? Per-use pricing keeps the cost proportional to use but creates a recurring small expense that can discourage routine laundering. Bundled models change the financial framing but require different planning around capacity and equipment. Both depend on the underlying infrastructure that shapes whether a program runs smoothly day to day.