Doing laundry is oftentimes a burden for college students. Due to the hassles of waiting for an available washing machine and correctly timing loads, laundry may bring frustration. But at least two universities now have a high-tech way of avoiding laundry laments from students.

In response to these difficulties, the tech firms USA Technologies and Mac-Gray have created Internet-based laundry systems to relieve student stress and improve efficiency. These new systems allow students to monitor the real-time status of each washer and dryer. Students may also sign up to be alerted by e-mail, cell phone, or wireless PDA message when loads are done.

The University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., built two new laundry rooms, nearly doubling the capacity of laundry equipment, and installed Mac-Gray's LaundryView system over the summer.

"We wanted to offer the latest technological advances in every aspect of our programs," said Mel Tenen, director of auxiliary services at the university. "We looked at the system, tested it, and it seemed very appealing to us."

The system is easy to use and leaves little room for problematic circumstances, according to Tenen.

"Students can click on one of our nine laundry rooms, and then find out the availability of equipment in that particular room," Tenen said. "There is a sensor in the laundry equipment that tells whether there are clothes in the machine or not, and how many minutes are left in a cycle. It's just great technology."

The University of Evansville in Evansville, Ind., also installed LaundryView this summer.

"We wanted to look at new machines and new technology and see what value we could get for students," said Michael Tessier, associate dean of students.

Many students are pleased with the system and find it helpful, Tessier said. The LaundryView system allows students to check the status of laundry and receive notification of when cycles are complete.

"Student reaction has been generally positive," said Tessier.

The new laundry systems have brought good results so far due to their high quality and efficiency, according to Tenen.

"It is a very friendly system," Tenen said. "The initial reaction has been very positive. It's truly a great system."

Students at Marquette, however, seem to find laundry to be a tedious and time-consuming process that sometimes results in chaos.

Finding clean clothes piled on top of washers or heaped in laundry room corners seems to be the principal peeve of laundry-frustrated students.

"It's very unnerving to find your clothes scattered all around the laundry room," said Abbi Ott, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. "Plus it's a lot of work to go downstairs and come back up when there aren't any machines available. It's very bothersome."

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on October 27, 2005.