Doing the laundry. For some this is a weekly job, for others it is an increasingly large task. Especially for people who need help or for informal caregivers who are already overloaded. That is why the use of the Dolly App is growing in Brabant: a digital marketplace where people have their laundry done by someone from the neighborhood. “A bit like Airbnb, but for washing and ironing,” says Breda resident Joop Vaande, the creator of the app.
When the bell rings, Germy rushes to the door. René is standing outside with a full laundry basket. “Hi, here’s your laundry, nice and fresh and ironed. And that stain is out of your sweater! See you next week!”
63-year-old Germy ten Lohuis from Breda is one of the users of the Dolly App. She is visually impaired and can no longer do her laundry independently. Her daughter Nadim took on that task for years, but when she became pregnant and also had a busy job, things started to get tough. “It just became too much,” says Germy. “Not only practically, but also emotionally. You don’t want to be a burden.”
“Underpants are sometimes dirty, but that is completely normal.”
Through a tip, mother and daughter came across the Dolly App, invented in Breda. In the app you can see on a map who offers laundry and ironing services in your area. René now visits Germy every week as regular Dolly. The dirty laundry is collected and returned clean, folded and ironed. “The result is that my daughter and I have time for each other again,” says Germy. “And now also for my granddaughter. That’s actually the best thing.”
The Dolly App is not only intended for people who need help, but also for people who want to help. Such as René de Lange from Bavel, who is active as Dolly. He works from home a lot and was looking for something extra to do. “I wanted something that is fun and that really helps someone,” he says. “This fits perfectly.”
René does the laundry for three regular customers every week, including Germy. In total he spends about two hours a week on this. “You pick up the laundry, do some laundry, iron it neatly and bring it back. It feels a bit like you are helping a neighbor.”
He charges fifteen euros for a wash, of which 1.50 euros goes to the platform. “After deducting all costs, you are left with about twelve to thirteen euros per wash. But the most important thing is the pleasure, because you are doing something that really makes a difference for someone else.”
René recognizes that washing other people’s clothes may sound strange to some. “Yes, underpants are sometimes dirty,” he says, laughing. “And the first time it takes some getting used to, but after that it is very normal. After all, people also have a cleaner come into their home.”
It is commercial, but above all we want to help people in an honest way.
The app was developed by Joop Vaane from Breda. He saw that washing and ironing are becoming less and less part of home care, while the pressure on informal caregivers is increasing. Breda has been running as a pilot city for over a year now and it appears to be a success. According to Vaane, about fifty users in Breda actively use the app and about a hundred Dollys are registered. The number of assignments grows every week.
Mariska van Dijk van BredaMantelzorg sees the Dolly App as a positive and practical way to relieve informal caregivers. “You often become an informal caregiver automatically,” she says. “Then it is important that you make your life as easy as possible. The service is not affordable for everyone, but BredaMantelzorg has included the app on the website as a tool that can give informal caregivers more breathing space.”
Although the app is commercial, the focus is not on getting rich, according to Vaane. “We especially want to help people in an honest way.” The ambitions are great. The Dolly App can now be used throughout the Netherlands and, according to him, the concept is easily scalable. “Whether that will be New York or somewhere else in the world, it doesn’t really matter.”
For Germy it is all a lot closer to home. “It’s not a luxury,” she concludes. “It’s just a perfect outcome.”
