" trying to design something that would "fix a problem" in a laundry room "

Who is Uni? What is the "problem" that you are trying to "fix" that has never been solved up until this point?

Uni is sort for university. My lecturers gave this task, I am lost too in terms of how I am meant to "fix" something. Which why I am doing user research which involves going onto forums like this and asking questions in hope that I may achieve some enlightenment in terms of fixing a problem that people have in a laundry room. Does that answer your question?

the only prob people would have is lack of space, storage, ability to fold clothes, hang clothes. that's the main issue. not everyone has the luxury of a walk-in laundry room

I put my dirty laundry in canvas bags with handles (Bean bags) in my closet. I take them downstairs to the laundry room in the basement when I need to do laundry. I have a bunch of typical plastic laundry baskets on shelves, I use them to sort. Then, I put the laundry in the machine, set it and leave. Laundry that didn't go in the load stays in the plastic baskets on the shelves. I hang things out to dry if it's nice out (except in the winter, I tend to do laundry on nice days). I hang knit shirts in the basement in the winter (it's usually dry enough for them to dry quickly) and put the rest in the dryer. If I hung my laundry out, I will take it off the line grouped by person and item and fold it before putting it in the canvas bag. If it was in the dryer, I just dump it into the bag and sort and fold upstairs on my bed.

I don't particularly hate the experience. I'd like better space to hang things to dry in my basement. I do have folding space (that I generally use for other things, so it's often in use). I'd like my drying rack to have a way to pin it down to the ground so it doesn't blow over in the wind. I'd like labels for my baskets so that my family can sort their own stuff.

My biggest problem is dealing with stains. Stains should be pre-treated before being put in the wash, I don't remember to inspect every item, so sometime stains aren't pre-treated and become permanent. I have a big set of sinks in my basement, so, it's easy to pre-soak, but I often forget.

I would suggest that people who don't have a laundry room use their basement. Making it look nice is the challenge. Possibly sharing it with Hubby's woodshop.

My problem with the laundry room is there’s not a robot in it to do the laundry.

Interesting project! Would be likely helpful to watch people do their laundry as we have all these friction points that we don't notice and just adjust to (ethnography)

Sorting is a hassle - some of my clothes I put in the dryer and some of them I hang dry, if I am not careful then items get put in the dryer that shouldn't -

when my kids were home and it was super tedious and time consuming to seperate out their laundry (socks and other small items are particualrly a hassle)

I have been washing more items in mesh bags - would be interesting to create some sort of color coded system that would keep like items together in the wash and dryer

I have a laundry room but it is tiny -just space for washer, dryer and hot water heater. So I have no good place to put clothes for sorting/folding when taken out of the dryer. I take them to the bedroom and put them on the bed. Then my dog tries to steal them and run around the house playing keepaway.

I have switched to laundry detergent sheets instead of liquid (to reduce plastic waste). They are sold in thin cardboard envelopes. It is really cumbersome and awkward to pull a sheet out of the envelope each load. So I tried to figure out a better way to dispense the sheets. The only solution I could come up with was magnetized small metal mesh baskets that attach to the side of the machine. It’s not ideal, but much better than fumbling with the envelope every time. I’d be interested in a better solution/dispensing option.

If I had to design something that would solve people's laundry room issues there are a couple of things that come to mind.

If I were a manufacturer of laundry products I would look at square packaging that would allow the consumer to stack all their laundry products in the cabinet.

I may also look at how to make laundry pods that were unattractive to children or had a bitter coating that would stop children and pets from eating them

A better sock clip. Safety pins have metal and are a pain, but other sock clips either don't hold socks together or have teeth that tear into the socks.

A better bra bag - some type of insert to keep the cup shape. A cup insert for storage would be helpful too.

Better lint trapping in dryers. Just climbed a 12 ft ladder on side of house to remove lint from the exterior lint trap. Terrible this is even a thing.

@olychick — how do you like the laundry sheets? I’ve been thinking about switching….

Here's a real challenge that will likely be unique among others in the class. Design a laundry room product for a wheelchair bound person. Things to consider: 1) How to transport the laundry to the room while in a wheelchair. Do you carry a basket in your lap? If so, where do you put it down once you're in the room? 2) what special needs does a person who cannot stand have when loading and unloading laundry? 3) where do you put supplies if you can reach only certain heights? and on it can go. Lots of problems to solve. Pick one and do something different for uni.

Is this a common collegiate challenge? I feel like I’ve seen it before, here or maybel elsewhere.

My problem is, cleaning the dryer. My lint screen is easy, but the other screens, the duct, and the ducts and connections outside of the dryer, are not consumer-friendly to clean, and to reassemble after cleaning.

Serious need: To be able to clean out the dryer vent that goes to the outside without having to move the dryer away from the wall to access the vent. They should make a front access panel on dryers that allows you to get back to the dryer vent from inside the dryer and the dryer should come with it's own flexible cleaning tool to clean it out. Dirty vents cause a lot of house fires each year (look up the stats). It is expensive to have a professional do it and many people cannot physically move the machine themselves. I paid to have someone do it and in the process they dislodged a hose on the washer and created a leak that messed up our kitchen ceiling below.

#1 issue keeping the process going when doing several loads. Why don't washers have 'done' alarms like a dryer does? I don't use dryer sheets. I don't fold in my laundry room. I get in and out as fast as I can. I've seen some beautifully bright laundry rooms but still don't know why anyone would stay holed up in one folding clothes or ironing them.

HU...51 I LOVE them! So easy to use. I bought Earthbreeze unscented and I've since seen that they aren't rated very highly and also are made in China. So I'll do more research before my next purchase. But they do a fine job on my laundry, which is never very soiled. I love not having to lug big plastic jugs or clean them for recycling (and hope they don't end up in the ocean somewhere), Highly recommend!

1- A better device for catching cat hair in the washer would be useful because cat hair can contribute to clogging the drain. There are little mesh cones that catch only 25-30% of the hair that would otherwise end up on the dryer filter.

2- A quick release for duct cleaning would be good.

" I would suggest that people who don't have a laundry room use their basement "

Many people in apartments and small spaces have a laundry closet - my last 2 homes had a laundry closet with a stacked washer and dryer, and about 6" of space for narrow shelves to store products. I can't tell you how thrilled I was to discover this home had a laundry room that was an actual room, with extra space for supplies and a utility sink!

Definitely one of the most frustrating things is the dryer vent (to the ducts) - regardless of where I've lived, it's always been in an awkward place, and difficult to open and secure closed.

Typical problems in laundry rooms:

- Lack of space for hanging drying clothing, waiting loads, storage of laundry soap. Consolidated storage could be a project.

- Laundry rooms located across the house from the bedrooms, where clothing will be stored. Requires extra steps.

- Elderly people have trouble moving their clothing to /from the machine. A push cart?

- Handicapped people may have trouble reaching the controls.

- Front-loader machines (especially stacked machines) are very heavy /hard to pull out, yet they still need to be cleaned out twice a year for fire safety. A cleaning product /brush could be a project idea.

- Different thought process: In a coin-operated laundry, people have to hang around waiting for their machines to finish. They need coins. Perhaps consider adding some form of entertainment /efficiency to the laundry mat.

1. I'd like to see a pneumatic lift laundry basket that goes from lower position at washer level up to higher dryer position. I have a very bad back. I put my laundry basket on a little wheeled dolly to take it to my laundry room. We have a stacked washer / dryer - in an apartment no room for side by side. I can easily get the laundry from basket into washer. But when the laundry is wet, lifting it, even piece by piece up into the upper washer is painful.

I have a little podium table that converts from sitting to standing with a pneumatic pedal. Good for may back. Would love the same concept but holds a basket at washer height or dryer height. Needs to be on wheels too.

2. Dryers should have alarms telling you when your duct needs to be cleaned or if a bird has made a nest in there and is going to burn your .house down.

3. An app to connect people who have washers and dryers with people who don't have them and don't want to go to a laundry mat. My friend's washing machine was broken a few years back and she tried an app where you could have someone who has a washer and dryer come pick up your laundry and do it at your their house and return it. Gig economy job, like Uber. It never took off, who knows why. I love doing laundry. When I didn't have my own wash and dryer I'd loved to have gone to someone's home who had one and would have done their laundry and mine.

4. I've seen many laundry mats with coffee shops, bars, TV, tables for working. In our building laundry room no coins are involved. You have a phone app linked to a credit card, and it sends your phone a 10 minute warning when you load is about to be done so you can leave and come back.

5. My washing machine has an alarm sound on it to notify you of wash being done the same way our dryer does.

folding the clothes and putting them away is the problem that needs to be fixed

I love my made in Canada laundry sheets they are fabulous , I have a laundry closet big enough to hold my Wand D with shelving for table settings and bedding and the vacuflow hose . A cabinet above the W?D holds all that relates to laundry. It is super efficient wastes no space and would do it again I do however do laundry every day so not need to store dirty clothes for sdays .

Like doing laundry, love folding, hate putting away. Create something that forces you to put your clothes away. A dye that will explode on your clothes and ruin them if left in a laundry basket for more than 12 hours.

We hang all of my husbands shirts to dry and all of our hangers leave puckers on the shoulders of his shirts. There might be a hanger that exists that won’t do this. Or a shorter hanger.

Treating stains and then dealing with stains that have already set from the dryer. Knowing what stain treatment to use for each stain is a google pain in my rearend. I’m starting to catch on, but this has been so annoying as a new mom.

I love color catchers - the sheet you throw in the wash to absorb any bleeding colors. I use it all the time when I’ve bought new clothes for my child.

" We hang all of my husbands shirts to dry and all of our hangers leave puckers on the shoulders of his shirts. There might be a hanger that exists that won’t do this. Or a shorter hanger "

Have you looked at these "shoulder shapers" that you can add to your regular hanger that doesn't have a narrow, sharp corner: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/bumerang-shoulder-shaper-for-hanger-white-70293274/ I bought a bunch to use for hanging lightweight things so I don't get pointy shoulders.

I use padded hangers for all shirts they are great. I iron a lot so for me an ironing board and really good stem iron are a must too. I use oxyiclean in every load the one thta saves colors a bit in dark loads a full scoop in white and yes i use hot water for whites and an extra rinse too

"I love color catchers."

Thanks. I've never heard about these.

install nice long clothesline out back

Kendrah - the color catchers are so helpful to me!

Thanks Patricia and Toronto - I should look into these suggestions.