Clean. Comfortable. Confident.
Clean Clothes For Everyone
How Social Entrepreneur Melissa Power and “For The Love of Laundry” is helping the London Community one load at a time.
For some, doing laundry is often seen as a chore while for others, it’s costly. Between the purchasing of soaps and suds and exorbitant energy usage, sporting fresh looks eventually takes a toll on your wallet, and while the average household income is often sufficient enough to cover these costs, one thing is certain — not everyone has the privilege to wear clean clothes.
The truth of the matter is that doing laundry is something which can often be taken for granted. With the tireless folding of clothes in front of the television on Sunday night and the constant drumming of our machines, it becomes cyclical, monotonous and, well, a norm.
Despite this fact, however, clean clothes are continuously overlooked for the small but monumental effects it can have on individuals and communities alike. They don’t merely provide hygienic benefits, but are also critical in pursuing employment opportunities, maintaining social relationships, and allowing for personal comfort and confidence. In this sense, low-income individuals and families without access to laundry services often find it hard to feel clean, comfortable and confident in their threads.
However, Melissa Power, an up-and-coming social entrepreneur from the London area is putting it all on the line, working hard to provide low-income individuals and families with laundry services. For the Love of Laundry, (FTLOL) is Power’s for-profit social enterprise which was launched late in 2014 and was provided a start-up loan by VERGE Capital. It’s quickly growing in popularity without shrinking any clothes in the process.
Power has created a line of natural, home-made and environmentally friendly laundry soaps which she sells at markets, events and through her website. She then allocates a portion of the proceeds towards providing free laundry services for low-income individuals and families in need. The impact that Power’s social enterprise has is therefore two fold: consumers can purchase FTLOL products that are home-made and environmentally safe whilst simultaneously making a positive change in their community.
The more products that Power is able to sell, the larger she can scale the impact that her services has on the London community. Her innovative and community-oriented work is yet another example of how social enterprises are the way of the future. FTLOL is a model that provides a diverse range of ecological, social, and economic benefits to the community. By helping those in need acquire clean clothes, they are more likely to feel comfortable, clean and confident, and this goes a long way in bolstering employment, social relationships, and physical and mental well-being.
More recently, Powers has created “The Pamper Project”, an initiative which was launched at the end of May. The event was meant to be a day of pampering for the same demographic as FTLOL targets. It sought to provide free grooming services and lunch for those who wouldn’t have otherwise had access to them. In the same way FTLOL targeted themes of self-image and confidence, “The Pampers Project” strove to boost self-esteem. Service providers such as Lush Studio and Spa and Posh Pedicure Lounge provided services for the event while the Bifana Boys provided food. A collaborative effort by various members of the London community, it served as an example for the ways in which social enterprise and the ideas which they inspire could be implemented creatively.
Written By: Sara Dhurjon
