Orange Sky is the world’s first free mobile laundry service for people experiencing homelessness – an idea founded in Australia by two 20-year-old mates, Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett. In late 2014, the boys installed a couple of washing machines and dryers in the back of their old van and visited parks and drop-in centres to wash and dry clothes for free. What started as an idea to improve hygiene standards and restore dignity to people doing it tough has evolved into something much bigger and more powerful.


Hear from our co-founders about how Orange Sky first kicked off…

There’s no doubt that clean clothes make all of us feel better about ourselves, but the major impact of Orange Sky does not rely on washers spinning or dryers tumbling. It happens through the hours of conversation that take place on our six orange chairs, which are pulled out at every one of our shift locations.

Every day of the week our volunteers put other parts of their life aside for a few hours to positively connect with our friends on the street through genuine and non-judgemental conversation. We always partner with service providers such as food vans or drop-in centres, and make sure that we set up at locations where our friends feel most comfortable. The Orange Sky community is made up of people who treat others how they want to be treated.

Each week, our van generates more than 540 kilograms of laundry and provides in excess of 70 showers to people in need. Most importantly though, Orange Sky volunteers engage in non-judgemental conversations with our friends on the street, helping to challenge the perception of homelessness and positively connect communities.

Find out how we’re helping to connect communities.

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