UI to offer students free laundry

MOSCOW, Idaho – The days when residents of University of Idaho housing use quarters to do their laundry appear to be over.

The Moscow-based school is doing away with requiring students to pay to wash and dry their clothing.

Officials say it’s another perk to make on-campus accommodations more attractive, just as the school plans to require freshman students live in residence halls starting in fall 2010.

University Housing has sold all of its old coin-op washing machines and dryers.

With the roughly $50,000 in resulting proceeds, the school acquired new front-loading machines from an outside vendor.

A spokeswoman for the university said long-term cost estimates weren’t available.