In my opinion, there are two types of people in the world:
People who hate doing laundry.
People who love doing laundry.
If you happen to be on Team Laundry and actually enjoy the whole routine of wash-dry-fold and repeat… there is an opportunity for you to make some great side cash with SudShare!
What the heck is SudShare?
SudShare is an American, person-to-person, company based out of Baltimore, Maryland that gives consumers the opportunity to hire independent contractors to launder and deliver their clothes. It’s basically like DoorDash or Uber but for a laundry service. The service is available in over 400 cities and over 50,000 people work as “Sudsters.”
How Does Sudshare Work?
For the consumer, SudShare is a pretty clean deal. You register for an account, label your pickup spot (example: front door,) list your preferences (premium scents, hypoallergenic, or if you will provide soaps,) and special instructions (example: bleach or hang dry.) You will also be asked if you have any specialty items, if any of your items need a deep clean, or if you want to increase your protection to premium or premium plus.
After you list your form of payment, you can choose a Sudster and confirm your order. The app gives you a pickup window and a guaranteed delivery date and time. Your Sudster will message you with an estimated pick-up time, and you will then be able to put your laundry in the designated pickup location. You can place your laundry in large trash bags or in laundry baskets or bags. Generally, the laundry is delivered the next day.
For those less interested in using SudShare as a service and more interested in using the app as an income generator, there are a few things to know before you get scrubbing.
Sudsters make their money in two ways. You make money by the pound of laundry and by tips. In more populated areas, there are Sudsters making $1,000 to $2,000 per week!
When you sign up with Sudshare, you have the flexibility to create your own schedule. You must have access to a washer, a dryer, and transportation for pick-up and delivery. The signup requirements are pretty straightforward. Initially, you will watch a short, basic training video from Sudshare to get started. As a Sudster, you will choose a radius of where you want to work. In this job, you get to be your own boss! Choose the jobs you want and decline the jobs you do not want. From there, you will accept a job, pick up the laundry, launder the materials, and deliver them back to the client day of or by next-day delivery. Most orders require delivery the following day unless noted.
How much does SudShare cost?
SudShare charges $1 per pound of material. Easy enough.
How much can you make from SudShare?
The pay for SudShare is 75 cents per lb of laundry completed plus tips and bonuses. If you take on same-day service jobs, the pay is $1.75 per load. Depending on your washer and dryer, the types of jobs, etc., you can make up to $20 per hour. Payment estimates are variable based on how far you have to drive, how much you have to buy in materials, etc.
Payments are sent two days after service unless you are a Diamond Sudster, where instant payouts are a major plus.
What are the requirements to do laundry jobs at home?
The obvious answer is a washer and dryer, but there are a few items you will need to have in order to complete the job. This may include:
- Various laundry detergents by the gallon or in bulk – Your clients might provide you with their favorite laundry, scent boosters, dryer sheets, etc. However, they might not. If they do not provide you with those materials, you will want to have the necessary items on hand to wash loads of those clothes!
- Dryer sheets or wool dryer balls – No one likes static cling.
- Plastic bags – After you fold all of those clothes, they will need to be placed in a safe, weather-proof bag. Your clients may provide you with laundry baskets, but you will still want to close up the bags to keep bugs, pets, and weather away from your hard work.
- Ribbons – Something pretty to tie up those bags
- Clothesline – To prevent the dreaded high-water pants or turning that knit sweater into a crop top, it may be necessary to hang dry clothing. An indoor clothesline that can easily be put up or taken down will be your friend.
- Plastic clothes cover – If your laundry care includes delivering clothing on hangers, a plastic slip will be helpful to make sure those items stay clean from your home to their closet.
- Hangers – You know… to hang up clothes.
- Fabric softener – Floral, musk, meadow, clean cotton, apple… the scent possibilities are endless. Your customer may have a specific scent they would like for you to use. If they do not provide you with their favorite, it may be helpful for you to have options on hand.
- Thank you cards – A nice way to thank the customer for their order and hopefully, earn their business in the future, is to provide a gesture like a card or a sticker.
- SudShare gear – You may want to purchase some branded accessories to help legitimize your side hustle.
Are Laundry Jobs Worth it?
There is no doubt that you can make extra money working with apps like SudShare. However, it is important to note that you may be working on one order for an entire day. You are primarily working in convenience and will be relying on tips to make the job truly worth the time. You will be putting extra wear and tear on your machines and you will want to make sure you are making enough money to make this job worth it to you and not just cheap labor for someone else. As an independent contractor, you will want to keep track of your receipts, your water/electric/gas bills, and your mileage.
Are there services similar to SudShare?
Hampr – This is pretty much identical to SudShare, but the payment structure is very different. Instead of “per pound,” Hampr uses are paying by the load. Per load pricing averages $10 to $15 per load and “Washrs” (do they have something against the letter e?) make 70 percent of the total. Washrs keep their tips and can enjoy a weekly payout.
Rinse – The same premise with a very different schedule. This is a W-2 job with flexible scheduling. Employees can get some extra steps in while picking up/dropping off clothes and deliver a seamless customer experience. Predictable shift-based income ($20/hr and up) plus tips and mileage reimbursement.
Apps and sites like TaskRabbit and Delivery.com also add laundry to their list of services. To learn more about these sites and other WFM jobs with a flexible schedule, check out this post.
Is SudShare Legit or a Scam?
Not everything comes out in the wash (pun absolutely intended.)
There have been several complaints noted on TikTok, Reddit, and various other social media that highlight the problems with the app. However, the problems are mostly contractor-related and not necessarily an issue with the app itself. This includes lost or stolen clothing, poor communication, and violations of the terms of service. SudShare does offer extra coverage for customers in case of a disaster, but you do need to make sure it covers the value of the clothing.
However, many Sudsters have noted that while this is a great opportunity, there are a few caveats to note.
- You need to keep track of your purchases made to perform this job and save your receipts.
- You are a contractor, and you will need to save for tax time.
- You are using your own gas, oftentimes your own laundry detergent, and your own machines to perform this job. You are making extra cash, but you also have extra expenses. It will be important for you to determine if this job is worth it to you in the long run.
- Job opportunities can be plentiful or sparse depending on your location.
Have you worked with SudShare? Spill the tea on your experience in the comments below.
