HSA’s Laundry Service Is Ridiculous

Harvard Student Agencies’ laundry service is ridiculous.

“You'll do Harvard, we’ll do the rest,” is the catchy slogan for the service, which offers to wash, fold, and deliver students’ laundry to their dorms each week.

Sure, the service sounds convenient and Harvard students could certainly use the extra hours. After all, we’re busy completing three problem sets per week, skimming hundreds of pages of reading, and attending club meetings or extracurricular activities. But there’s more to college than learning how to complete coursework on time or pad a resume.

For many students, college is the first time they will experience living alone, without the accountability and structure of home. In this sense, the independence of a residential college isn’t just about having fun — it's also about transitioning into adult life. If students leave Harvard without essential life skills, then they won’t be fully equipped to lead a successful adult life.

Harvard already eliminates many of the time-consuming tasks that come with adult life: cooking food, washing dishes and, in some cases, cleaning your own bathroom. Is it really necessary for students to opt into a service that will wash and fold their laundry for them too?

Harvard prides itself on transforming students — not only for academic success, but also for life after graduation. Take a quick look at the Harvard College website, and you’ll find that Harvard claims to be committed to “creating and sustaining the conditions that enable all Harvard College students to experience an unparalleled educational journey that is intellectually, socially, and personally transformative.”

But how can students claim to have transformed intellectually, socially, and personally if they aren’t able to complete daily tasks, live independently, or manage their time?

Students pay an exorbitant amount — as much as $949 per semester — to save two hours per week doing their laundry. Instead, students could spend two fewer hours scrolling through Sidechat and complaining about the Stat 110 midterm and use that time to do some laundry.

More importantly, completing daily or weekly household tasks gives students a needed sense of perspective. We should learn about the hard work that goes into doing weekly and seemingly simple tasks, such as laundry. Doing basic tasks like this might make students more mindful in the many other contexts where other people do their work or clean up their messes.

If students can’t master the spin cycle, how can we be expected to change the world?

Sophia R. Mammucari ’28, a Crimson Editorial comper, lives in Canaday Hall.