SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Misty and Steve Osterhage discovered a great opportunity through Poplin, a laundry platform that connects customers with "laundry pros" who pick up, wash, fold and deliver clothes back to customers.
"Originally, I saw an ad on Facebook, and I was already involved in doing a lot of app work. I had like 12 different apps," Misty Osterhage said. "So I thought, 'Oh, here's a laundry app.' I love to be home. It's something I could do from home, and let me just download it and see what happens."
The couple converted their garage into a laundry operation, complete with rows of shelves holding bags of laundry and a homemade folding station.
Poplin operates in cities across the country as an on-demand laundry platform. Customers download the app, book their service, and their request gets sent to laundry pros like the Osterhages.
"We would see it on our end and we would accept the order if we wanted to accept it and then give you a time that we're gonna pick up," Steve Osterhage said.
The cost depends on the weight of the laundry and how quickly customers need it returned.
"So it's about $1.33 a pound for standard service, and next day and express service which a lot of times is the same date is double that," Steve Osterhage said. "Average hampers are maybe 10 pounds, so you go from there."
According to LatestCost.com, doing laundry at a laundromat costs between $2 to $4.50 per load, with dryers costing $1.50 to $3 per load, plus laundry detergent.
Misty Osterhage said they're in demand because of price and convenience.
"People are just busy or they just don't have the facilities," Misty Osterhage said.
The couple said they're making enough to pay their bills, even though Poplin takes a percentage and they pay out of pocket for expenses like utilities, equipment, detergent and gas.
"I mean, our electric bill is $500 a month," Steve Osterhage said.
"We're taking in between $1,800 and $2,000 a week, so these become smaller costs when we're talking about that kind of volume," Steve Osterhage said.
"We get some great customers with great tips and it all kind of works out," Steve Osterhage said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
