Electrolux considering 'Uber for laundry' idea
Electrolux is exploring a range of "fun ideas" including a "laundry Uber" in which people use their own machines to launder others' clothes, Richard Milne wrote in the Financial Times.
The Swedish appliance maker is also focused on 'smart technology'

Would you trust a stranger with your smalls? Or would you be more worried about them using your washing machine if they used it?

Those are questions people may soon be asking themselves, as in a bid to tap into the sharing economy and today's transient society, Electrolux has revealed that it is exploring an 'Uber for laundry'.

The idea would see people rent out their own machines to those without washing facilities.

Washing on the go: Electrolux has revealed that it is exploring an 'Uber for laundry'

Jonas Samuelson, who became CEO of the Swedish appliance manufacturer in February, admitted that there are many complexities that have to be addressed with a location-based washing service, such as ruined and missing items of clothing.

But it is an idea that the electricals giant is exploring, as the sharing economy reaches even the white goods market.

Electrolux is looking at ways to bring the world of washing up-to-date, Mr Samuelson told the Financial Times, and said that it is 'very open to experimentation'.

That could include renting out your washing machine to strangers via an app when you are not using it, turning your home into a 21st century launderette.

A spokesperson for Electrolux told This Is Money that an 'Uber for laundry' is not 100 per cent guaranteed and it's merely a 'potential new business model that we’re looking at, as appliances become connected to the internet.'

Mr Samuelson, 48, didn't provide a date for the launch of a laundry-share app.

He added that another thing developers are looking at is installing 'intelligent communication in the machines'.

Indeed, this appears to be an area that many manufacturers are venturing into and is part of the heralded Internet of Things, which saw British tech star ARM snapped up by Japanese giant SoftBank.

In 2014 Samsung launched a Wi-Fi washing machine that can be remotely controlled from anywhere using a smartphone app. LG and Haier also released smart models.

With many people buying washing machines for long-term use, Mr Samuelson highlighted that installing technology can often be tricky as it can quickly becomes outdated.

He also says that cyber security is another issue, with an increasing number of hackers targeting 'smart' home appliances.

Electrolux is 'very open to experimentation', with smart technology being a major focus

Earlier this year, fears were raised that Brexit would lead to a white goods price war on the High Street, as manufactures struggled to come to terms with changes in the value of the pound.

Leading white goods online retailer AO World said that price rises off the back of the falling pound were highly likely.

As a result, thousands of shoppers were predicted to snap up large items such as washing machines in the Black Friday sales in preparation for price rises in January.

In July, Electrolux, which gets more than a third of its revenue from North America, lost 3.1 percent after a report showed U.S. shipments of major home appliances fell that month.

Overall, the company's shares are down 16 per cent over the past year and it made an operating margin of just 2.2 per cent last year.

Mr Samuelson is now focused on responding to customer needs and integrating smart technology.

He took on the role of CEO earlier in the year after Electrolux lost the biggest deal in its 97-year-old history.

General Electric walked away from a £26.6billion agreement to sell its appliances business to the Swedish manufacturer in the face of opposition from U.S. antitrust regulators.