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Entrepreneur hopes to wash away some worries
Busy Moscow resident starts pickup, delivery laundry service for other busy community members
By Garrett Cabeza, Daily News staff writer
Ryan Augusta, owner of U.clean LLC, poses for a picture with his daughter, Aletheia Peaches, in front of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Moscow prior to making a delivery Wednesday. Augusta hopes to assist members of the community by using his business to deliver to customers of the Moscow Food Bank next door to the church.
Zach Wilkinson/Daily News
A new pickup and delivery laundry service is now available in Moscow for those too busy with life’s other daily callings.
Ryan Augusta, a 41-year-old Moscow resident, started U.clean LLC earlier this month.
“I have the tools in my bucket to create something beautiful for the community, for my daughter and for myself,” Augusta said.
Augusta, a full-time Washington State University student, certified home care aide and single father, said he woke up one morning on his day off one-and-a-half months ago with no desire to go to a laundromat to wash his clothes. The COVID-19 pandemic and caring for his nearly 2-year-old daughter prompted his inclination to stay home.
Augusta said he could not find a local laundry service to pick up and wash his clothes, so a business idea hatched.
“I think offering these remote care services is the future,” he said.
The “U” in U.clean refers to local university students — one of the demographics the service is catered to. He figured seniors, single mothers and fathers and anyone else who finds themselves too busy or unable to visit the laundromat would benefit from his business as well.
Augusta, who is the owner and sole operator of the business, said he will pick up clothes from a customer’s residence, place them in a biodegradable laundry bag that holds up to 29 pounds, wash them at one of two locations and return the clean and folded clothes within 48 hours in a clean biodegradable laundry bag that the customer keeps.
Recyclable cardboard clothes hangers are also available and half of the laundry bags were designed by Moscow’s Tye Dye Everything, Augusta said.
Augusta said his use of personal protective equipment, environmentally-friendly products and free pick-up and delivery are things his business offers but laundromats do not.
Plus, he said some people do not have time to wait for clothes to wash and dry at laundromats.
“This is me offering safe, care service to the people that need it the most — my way,” Augusta said.
Augusta said his business coverage area is limited to Moscow but he would like to expand to Lewiston and potentially other areas in the future. He said he hopes to hire three laundry technicians and a supervisor starting Feb. 1.
U.clean will donate cleaning services quarterly to the Moscow Food Bank. Augusta said the coupons will be placed in the food bank customers’ food bags.
“If people had clean clothes and food, they have the means to create something more for themselves,” Augusta said.
Augusta said customers can make an appointment for their laundry to be washed at uclean.biz, or call Augusta at (208) 997.1197. Visit uclean.biz for subscription prices and other information.
Garrett Cabeza can be reached at (208) 883-4631, or by email to gcabeza@dnews.com
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