Peer-to-peer ‘laundromat’ helps neighbors share their washing machines

Hailing from France, La Machine du Voisin is a new site that aims to connect owners of washing machines with those who need one.

It was only a few weeks ago that we wrote about Share Some Sugar and its service designed to help neighbors share rarely used items, and here we are again with another related spotting. Hailing this time from France, La Machine du Voisin is a new site that aims to connect owners of washing machines with those who need one. Not everyone owns a washing machine, of course, yet we all need to do laundry. With that premise in mind, La Machine du Voisin is free both for owners of machines and for those in search of one to use. Owners simply add a description of their machine along with their location and key details such as the machine’s capacity and the fee they’d like to charge for using it. Those in need of one, meanwhile, simply enter their city, and the site indicates all those listed within 500 meters of their location along with profiles and reviews of their owners. From there, potential borrowers can sign up to use one on a particular date and time; payments are made directly between renter and owner. More than 1,000 machines are already listed on La Machine du Voisin, which currently serves numerous regions throughout France. What other items would be suitable for sharing to benefit both owners and renters? Spotted by: Lamia Aloui