Tide Takes Laundry into the Future… and Out of Your Laundry Room

Tide introduces a full-service, on-demand laundry solution and commits to 2,000 locations by the end of 2020.

CINCINNATI - Imagine having the ability to get clean clothes on-demand, with the click of a button, and without ever setting foot in a laundry room. Tide, America’s most trusted expert on clean, is making this a reality for people in hundreds of cities around the country this year with the launch of Tide Cleaners, an on-demand laundry and dry cleaning service aimed at giving people the option to spend more time on life and less time doing laundry.

Time has become an increasingly valuable commodity for consumers everywhere. The demand for services meant to make everyday life more efficient continues to rise, while many household tasks like laundry remain significant draws on time and energy. According to the US Department of Labor, the average American consumer spends more than an hour a day – up to 375 hours every year - sorting, washing, drying and folding laundry. 1

“Many people believe that in order to get laundry done right, they have to do it themselves,” said Sundar Raman, Vice President of P&G’s North American Fabric Care business. “Tide is taking this challenge head-on and aiming to give people clean, cared-for clothes and some time back. This new service will complement our existing business, and give people the option to get the Tide clean they deserve on their terms, not on their time.”

Tide is committed to doubling the size of its current out-of-home laundry footprint by the end of 2020, making Tide Cleaners’ services available in more than 2,000 locations nationwide. Beginning today, consumers, building managers, interested franchisees and retailers can request that Tide Cleaners consider opening a location in their city, building or on their campus.

At launch, the Tide Cleaners business model provides a wide range of solutions to make getting clean clothes convenient for city-dwellers, suburban families and students alike, including:

• Drop-Boxes in Urban Locations: Urban dwellers are often forced to choose between convenience and reliability when it comes to laundry. Tide Cleaners solves this struggle through 24/7 drop-boxes inside high-rise apartment buildings, offices and storefronts so consumers can get laundry and dry cleaning done without taking time out of busy schedules. To use, consumers download the Tide Cleaners app and submit cleaning instructions and the box number, then Tide Cleaners will send a notification when clean clothes are ready for pick up. Today boxes exist in Chicago, Washington D.C., Dallas, Denver, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Boston and Nashville. The model is quickly expanding with about 350 new boxes installed every month.

• 24-Hour Stores: Tide Cleaners valet drop-off locations conveniently tackle multiple laundry challenges under one roof. From environmentally friendly dry cleaning to alterations and wedding dress preservation, Tide provides a trusted laundry solution focused on quality, convenience and customer service. Currently Tide Cleaners has over 125 standalone stores across 22 states, in cities such as Houston, Phoenix and Omaha. The majority of these locations are local, family-owned franchises.

• On-Campus Van Delivery: Between balancing classes, studying and social lives, students face unique challenges when it comes to laundry. College students can now hand laundry over to attended service trucks parked outside residence halls, conveniently notifying students when the truck is nearby. To start the service, parents or students can purchase a monthly laundry plan and deposit laundry in a customized Tide Cleaners laundry bag. Tide Cleaners exists on more than 20 campuses already including the University of Alabama, Indiana University and Southern Methodist University.

• Drop-Boxes in Existing Retailers: Consumers will now be able to drop off and pick up laundry and dry cleaning through Tide Cleaners boxes installed in existing retail locations, including supermarkets and other high-traffic areas. These in-store customer service destinations allow consumers to save time by conveniently consolidating trips.

Nearly a decade ago, Tide built upon its existing laundry business by entering into dry cleaning and has since made several acquisitions in wash and fold services to meet the needs of the 26 million American households currently using shared facilities or outsourcing laundry. The brand has continued to develop its out-of-home laundry expertise, and now the Tide Cleaners business is being launched as a holistic service for consumers across the United States.

“For many people, the closest laundry room is 20 floors down or 10 blocks down the street,” said Raman, “Whether you’re one of the millions of people living in a high-rise apartment building or you’re juggling college classes, we know taking care of your clothes may not always be convenient. Our goal with Tide Cleaners is to help people’s increasingly busy lives revolve more around what matters, and less around their laundry.”

Tide Cleaners brings Tide’s 75-year history of superior cleaning to the out-of-home laundry market through exclusive formulas and services only available through Tide Cleaners, including color restoration for faded garments and unique formula designs meant to help keep clothes looking newer, longer.

“Our focus has been and will always be to help our consumers get the confidence that comes from clean clothes,” said Raman. “We’re committed to providing people everywhere with a Tide clean, and the personalized care they get from doing their own laundry, whether they want to get that clean at home, or with the new convenience that Tide Cleaners will provide.”

About Procter & Gamble

P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Bounty®, Charmin®, Crest®, Dawn®, Downy®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gain®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene®, SK-II®, Tide®, Vicks®, and Whisper®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit https://www.pg.com/ for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands.

1 United States Department of Labor; Bureau of Labor Statistics.