Poplin, a laundry service, is starting to gain publicity. It has been featured in multiple news articles as a viable side hustle. But what is it?
What is Poplin?
Here is a screen grab from the Poplin web site:
Like other companies looking for workers, Poplin is advertising eye-popping, top-range numbers. They key part of the phrase is “up to”. Always. Sometimes it is best to talk to others who are doing the job before getting started. One way to do so is Reddit; there is a sub-Reddit called “PoplinLaundryPros”. There’s even a thread (pun intended) titled “how much are you guys actually making?”.
Based on the Reddit thread, the average earnings are closer to $300-$700 per month. There were not many responses, so it is hard to gauge the accuracy of these figures. This led back to the source – Poplin has published the following averages on their web site:
Additionally, from their web site:
“How much can I earn?
It depends on how many orders you accept and how big they are! Pay is calculated based on the weight of finished laundry. The pay for Standard (next-day) service starts at $.75/LB of laundry completed plus tips. The pay for Express (same-day or overnight) service starts at $1.50/LB of laundry completed plus tips.
The average earned per order is about $40. There is a minimum per order for customers, so you’ll always earn at least $15 (plus tips) per order.
Our top Laundry Pros earn over $6000/month. The average for the top 100 Laundry Pros is about $2500/month. Many Laundry Pros gig part time and earn to save for a vacation, pay a particular bill, or contribute to a college fund.”
The Pay Varies
Like other gig-based platforms, the pay probably varies based on location and other factors. For example, Ivueit is an excellent side hustle in some areas, whereas it is not so good in others. The only way to know is to give it a try.
Obviously the $6000 figure that they push on their web site is an outlier – the overwhelming majority of people will not crack the top ten, or the top 100 for that matter.
The Verdict
Here are some final thoughts on Poplin:
- Poplin is legitimate – certainly not a scam
- Earnings will vary
- Location matters – it could be a “feast or famine” situation depending on where you live
- If you don’t have success initially, check the app every two weeks to see if new work pops up