After his classmates were bullied for dirty clothes, this teen built a laundry room at his school

Schools are increasingly providing washing machines for students who families can't afford to do laundry at home

High school senior Jimmy Tomredle noticed last fall that some students at his school stopped coming to class after being bullied for showing up in dirty clothes.

The kids, Tomredle learned, wore dirty clothes because their parents didn't have the money or the time to wash them at home.

Tomredle, the class president at Lacey Township High School in New Jersey, about 60 miles east of Philadelphia, came up with an idea.

“I thought bringing free laundry services would be beneficial,” Tomredle tells The Messenger.

After reaching out to local appliance stores, Tomredle secured a washer and dryer donated by Anchor Appliance in nearby West Creek.

Jimmy TomredleCourtesy of Jimmy Tomredle

The machines were installed in May, and students have started using the them in a private space in the school.

It is aptly named ‘Tomredle’s Terrifically Tidy Laundry Services.’ Free laundry detergent is also available.

Tomredle was inspired by Akbar Cook, the principal of West Side High School in Newark, N.J., who installed washing machines and dryers when students were bullied due to dirty clothes.

Other schools across the country have done the same to help students, including those who are homeless. But what's unique is for a student to start a laundry.

"Jimmy is just a ball of love and light, he has this energy and spirit about him," Cayenne Mandes, a school social worker and the teen's mentor on the project, tells The Messenger.


Tomredle is off to Seton Hall University in the fall with the hope of attending law school immediately after. He says several teachers have agreed to pitch in to keep the washers humming after he graduates.

“You know, I'm always a positive kid,” says Tomredle. “This makes me feel proud.”