The Tube Gets Eco Dry Cleaning Vending Machines

Harry Rosehill
By Harry Rosehill Last edited 65 months ago

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The Tube Gets Eco Dry Cleaning Vending Machines
Photo: Richard Washbrooke

Tired of taking time out of your day to go and sort out your dry cleaning? Well tire no more — new eco laundry vending machines on the tube are here to save the day.

That sounds a little bizarre, but that's the concept behind VDrop. You get to the tube station and drop your dirty clothes into the vending machine — at a price of £3 per garment. Then you get it back 24 hours later, all clean and fresh.

Photo: PA/David Parry

The first vending machine goes live at Epping Station on Saturday 6 October, but there are plans to bring them to more Underground stations across the network, including Greenwich, Loughton, Woodford and South Woodford — seems like there's quite an east-leaning bias at first.

VDrops aren't just coming to tube stations — there are also plans to install them at offices and gyms across the capital. VDrops are run by VClean, which does the laundry without the use of perchloroethylene, the dry cleaning chemical with which harmful side effects have been associated.

It's not a complete drop and go system yet, however. Customers need to sign up online to book in their dirties first, using this website. Then they'll get a QR code that they can scan in at the machine. Then head to the machine which gives you a biodegradable bag for your clothes. And finally return 24 hours later to retrieve your clean garments. Hopefully this doesn't lead to an increase in people holding dry cleaning on busy commuter tube trains.

Last Updated 08 October 2018