Electrolux considers Uber for laundry

Swedish electronics giant Electrolux feels “Uber for laundry” may work: the system would enable consumers to allow other people to use their washing machine.

Everybody wins

The Uber idea comes from the taxi industry: consumers bring along passengers that need to go in the same direction in return for a small fee. In a Financial Times article, Electrolux CEO Jonas Samuelson asks himself why he cannot apply that same idea to the laundry industry. If someone is not using his washing machine, why not let someone else use it instead? The other consumer would not have to invest to buy a washing machine, while the owner would actually be able to recover a bit of his investment. However, he clarifies that the idea is currently only an idea and that there is no actual project in the making.

In the same article, Samuelson also discussed the “internet of things” when it comes to the household appliance industry,  although he did concede that online security is still a “foundational issue”. “If you are not able to ensure that users have full confidence in integrity in their smart homes, they just won’t accept it.”