Students at the University of York say the cost of using on-campus laundry machines is so high that some are being forced to choose between eating and washing their clothes.
The claim has been made by University of York Students’ Union, which says a standard wash and dry in university-owned accommodation currently costs £5.10 per load.
The Union says the price is adding to already high living costs for students in York.
According to the Students’ Union, students living in accommodation run by the University of York pay £5.10 to wash and dry one load of clothes.
Sam Dickinson, the Union’s wellbeing officer, said this was £2.10 more per load than prices at York St John University.
He said: “Everyone deserves to have clean clothes and high laundry prices are a barrier to that.”
Sam says the cost of laundry at York is becoming a dignity issue for students.
“Students are being forced to not wear clean clothes and I think that’s just not fair,” he said. “It’s a matter of dignity at university.”
‘I was having to pull money out of savings’
Students living in halls say the price of laundry is having a real impact on their weekly budgets.
Cathy Hamilton, 20, said she spent up to £20 a week on laundry during her first year.
The second year psychology student said: “I was having to pull money out of savings in order to afford to do my washing. It is crazy the amount that we are having to pay.”
‘We can’t avoid doing our washing’
First year history student Ellie May Quigley said she had started doing fewer loads of laundry because of the cost.
However, she said it was impossible to avoid washing clothes altogether.
She said: “We can’t avoid doing our washing, because you’ve got to wash your clothes.”
“No-one wants to go around stinking.”
Ellie added that she no longer uses the drying service, which costs £1.80 per cycle, and instead hangs her clothes up in her bedroom.
“It feels like I’m just a money maker for the university,” she said.
She also said the costs can hit female students particularly hard, as they often need to do more laundry when they are on their period.
‘Nursing students are heavily disadvantaged’
The issue is also affecting students on courses which require uniform.
Erin Moore, a second year child nursing student said people on her course often have to do significantly more laundry than other students.
She said: “Nursing students are heavily disadvantaged by high laundry costs.
“Extra washing is essential for our degree.”
Erin said nursing students are given four uniforms but are advised not to travel to placement while wearing them.
This means students must wash a white tunic and navy trousers after every shift, as well as the clothes they wear to travel to and from placement.
“It’s not very fair that there are nursing students down the road at York St John who don’t have to pay as much for their washing,” she said.
“The cost really adds up over time. Such high prices for laundry create added financial pressure, in an already expensive city.”
Why laundry is more expensive in York
Sam said the cost students pay at the University of York is made up of two parts.
He explained that there is a base rate set by the provided, Circuit Laundry, and an additional amount set by the university.
He said York St John University uses a different provider, which is one of the reasons why its laundry prices are lower.
Sam carried out a survey of students at Russell Group universities across the UK as part of a wider report into the cost of laundry services.
He said the cost of laundry at York adds to wider pressures around rent, food and travel.
‘High quality, competitively priced’
A spokesperson for the University of York said the university recognised the financial pressures students are facing.
They said the university was “committed to providing high quality, competitively priced laundry services.”
The spokesperson added that current laundry prices at York are “significantly lower than local commercial laundrettes” and are in the lower half of the 86 universities served by Circuit Laundry.
They also said the contract with Circuit was awarded following a tender process that involved the Students’ Union.
According to the University, prices for a wash and dry have increased by only 10p since 2019.
‘Pricing will vary across the country’
A spokesperson for Circuit Laundry said the company provides laundry services to more than 90 per cent of universities across the UK.
They said: “We set pricing on a site by site basis.”
“Our aim is to keep charges significantly below nearby high street laundrettes, and that’s why pricing will vary across the country.”
‘It shouldn’t come down to whether you can afford to wash”
The Students’ Union says the issue goes beyond convenience and affordability.
Sam said that when students begin to skip washing clothes to save money, it becomes a wider wellbeing concern.
He said high laundry costs at York are contributing to an already difficult cost of living situation for students in the city.
“Students are being forced to not wear clean clothes and I think that’s just not fair,” he said.
For York students living in university accommodation, the Union says access to clean clothes should not depend on how much spare money someone has left at the end of the week.
