Ideaz

Smart Hostel Laundry Notification & Queue System 👕👚

Laundry is one of the most frustrating aspects of hostel life (As we cannot give our undergarments, socks, handkerchiefs etc. to the college laundromat). With hundreds of students sharing a limited number of machines. Students frequently experience:

Long waiting times with no clear idea when their turn will come.

Finished laundry left in the machine because the owner forgot to collect it.

Fights or awkward conversations about “whose clothes are still inside.”

Students using the machine for hours, preventing fair access.

This wastes time, creates unnecessary tension among hostel residents, and reduces the life of machines due to overuse and mishandling.

To solve this, I thought of a Smart Laundry Notification & Queue System: a mobile app and digital interface integrated with washing machines to make hostel laundry fair, efficient, and transparent.

How the System Works

Step 1: Digital Check-In

Before starting a cycle, a student must “check in” through the app using their college ID login.

The machine can only be started once the student presses Start in the app. This prevents anonymous use.

Step 2: Queue Management

If the machine is busy, students can join a digital queue through the app.

The app shows real-time queue length, estimated waiting time, and notifies the student when it’s almost their turn.

If a student does not load clothes within 20 minutes of their slot, the slot is automatically skipped to the next person.

Step 3: Notifications

When a cycle finishes, the app sends instant push notifications to remind the student to collect their laundry.

If clothes are left inside beyond a certain period (e.g., 10–15 minutes), the app records a penalty against that student. Repeated offenders can be reported to hostel wardens.

Each wash is linked to the college ID, ensuring accountability and discouraging misuse.

Benefits

No more waiting around for hours.

Students can go about their day and get notified when it’s their turn.

First-come-first-serve queue ensures no one can cut in line.

Reduces fights and misunderstandings.

Automated reminders prevent forgotten clothes inside the machine.

Every wash is tied to a student’s ID.

Discourages irresponsible behavior like leaving clothes inside for hours.

This type of usage reduces overuse, improves maintenance cycles, and prevents misuse of hostel property.

Challenges

Network outages can delay the system.

Using and setting up smart washing machines require funding and hostel approval.

Queue Abuse - Students booking slots but not showing up.

Some solutions I think would help for queue abuse:

Auto-skip after 20 minutes of inactivity.

Penalties for repeated "fake bookings"

Limit of one active booking per student.

Future ideas

App uses previous data to predict peak vs. off-peak laundry times and using this, students receive recommendations on the best times to do laundry.

Data reports on machine usage, peak demand, and students with repeated misuse, this would help justify the need for additional machines or maintenance scheduling.