Would you…dufl?
A good friend of mine just sent me a surprising text.
I say “surprising,” because when I clicked the link, I learned her excitement was about dufl, which is a new service that will store a closet of your clothes for you, then pack up a selection of your choosing and send it to whatever destination you desire.
I have to say, I was mystified that my friend was interested. I’m not at all!
According to their website,
DUFL is a premium, luxury travel service- a personal valet that simplifies business travel by shipping, cleaning and storing your business attire.
DUFL stores your clothing in your personal DUFL closet, and allows you to virtually ‘pack’ by selecting your clothing items from within the app. Once you’ve scheduled your trip, you’ll travel – bag free, and your freshly cleaned and neatly packed clothing will meet you at your specified destination. When you’re ready to head home, schedule a pick up from the hotel and we’ll clean your clothes and have them waiting in your virtual closet, ready for your next trip!
Here’s a video, which didn’t change my mind at all.
Why?
First of all, I don’t have enough clothes for this: I can’t imagine just sending off a suitcase filled with clothes to be stored remotely, and then pay $10/month and $100/trip to get to wear them! Second, I definitely do not trust other people to wash my nice clothes (and yes – I admit that I am weird like that). Third…underwear. No thanks.
So, I have to ask, would you dufl? I’m so curious to know! Why or why not?
Price point’s a bit too high for my traveling, but I love the idea. Having anonymous strangers handle my underwear doesn’t bother me in the least – I use bulk laundries on extended trips already. And my business travel wardrobe is largely independent of my much more casual home-office wear. I occasionally do versions of this already on multi-region trips with different climates, e.g., FedEx warm weather clothes home from my stop in Miami in January while the office ships my winter gear to meet me at my next stop in Minneapolis. Still quite a bit cheaper than $100 each stop (though I have to do my own laundry when I get back).
JEM – See, you are already ahead of the curve! 😉
I’m thinking if you can afford this you don’t need a job! Seriously I would love it but that is a real luxury.
Nance – Even if I could afford it, I don’t think I would want to do it. Just can’t get past strangers washing my clothes 😉
That just seems odd – the fear of strangers washing your clothes. I would think that in much of the world, for much of human history, washing was done not by the wearer. Do you use dry cleaners?
Jennifer – I do use dry cleaners, but only when I have to – not so great for the environment, and also expensive. 😉 In terms of wanting to wash my own clothes, I have a couple of reasons. First, I wouldn’t say it’s a fear. It’s that I feel like clothes are personal, and I don’t really want strangers involved with my personal items. Also, I have some really nice pieces that I only trust myself to wash.
I don’t have near enough clothes to do this and it is pretty pricey. Most business travelers already fly enough that they don’t have to pay bag fees so it negates that angle. I’m curious what happens if there is a shipping problem and your clothes aren’t there when you arrive.
I am continually amazed, though, at the ideas people continue to come up with for making life easier. Gives my added hope that there are still brilliant and innovative minds out there!
Christine – I had all the same questions!
I would consider this as long as I’m still living in Hawaii. Clothes and shoes here go bad if not worn for awhile (clothes mold and the soles of shoes get brittle & crumble). I have specific “mainland” clothes that I rarely wear any other time. I also have a whole wardrobe of clothes in my California cottage that I hardly ever get to as I’m rarely there. I don’t want to bring them to Hawaii for fear of ruining them.
It doesn’t bother me to have others wash my clothes (I use hotel laundry service when needed), though I’d probably bring my own underwear.
$120 is not too bad for a year of storage, if it saves a pair of shoes that I’d otherwise have to toss.
$100 a trip is a little steep, I think I’d be a lot more likely to use with a pricepoint of ~$50.
Although I have frequent flyer status and wouldn’t have to pay to check bags, this way I wouldn’t have to wait around to pickup the bag either – which is always painful traveling to the mainland and getting in close to midnight.
Interesting idea, not one I’d likely think of, but it could work.
Rebecca – I like the way you think! Using dufl for storage purposes is genius!
Nice to see a post!