Investors back on-demand laundry service

A San-Francisco based start-up heralds as the answer to the crisis of chores -- laundry day.

Investors have backed Rinse Inc., an on-demand laundry service, with $3.5 million in seed funding to expand their coverage area beyond San Francisco.

Rinse provides a pick-up and delivery service for a range of laundry services, including washing and drying, dry cleaning, leather care, repairs and donations. In the midst of California's water crisis, Rinse also focuses on using laundromats with "environmentally forward practices," said CEO and co-founder, Ajay Prakash.

"Rinse's commitment to value and responsibility extends beyond its customer and employee base to the community at large," the company said in a statement, "Rinse has already saved San Francisco more than 1 million gallons of water."

Real people text reminders to customers that Rinse is in the area, and if they are interested in handing over their dirty clothes, all they have to do is text back the letter "Y," and the service will arrive between 8pm to 10pm. Prices range depending on the service, with basic washing and folding offered at $1.50 per pound.

"What customers really want is predictability, stability, and a service they can rely on," Prakash said. "One thing we have tried to do is remove the friction across the entire process, making it a simple pick-up and delivery."

This start up is similar to other on-demand services that offer convenient and immediate delivery services, ranging from car rides to food and booze. Other laundry services that currently exist in the on-demand service industry include, Washio, Cleanly, and Fly Cleaners.

Following great customer response to Rinse in San Francisco, Prakash said, the company is officially launching in Los Angeles within the next few months, with hopes of eventually expanding nationally.

Rinse is available at www.rinse.com, iOS and Android.

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