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Key Takeaways Escobedo launched her laundry side hustle on Poplin in 2025.
Currently, she brings in up to $11,000 a month and is anticipating nearly $90,000 total this year.
The side hustle gives her more flexibility than Uber, and she plans to grow the business.
This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Monalisa Escobedo, 38, of Chula Vista, California. Escobedo, a personnel specialist in the U.S. Navy, was on active duty when she stumbled upon an intriguing side hustle: Poplin, a wash-dry-fold personal laundry service platform. She started her side hustle in 2025. To date, she’s completed about 1,200 orders. She currently averages $8,000 to $11,000 a month and is on track for nearly $90,000 this year. The piece has been edited for length and clarity.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Monalisa Escobedo
In 2022, I read an article about someone doing Poplin as a side hustle. They were making $2,000 a week. I was on active duty at the time but figured when I was back on shore duty, I could give it a try. Although I signed up for Poplin when I was still at sea duty, I wasn’t available at that point. I was just curious to see how it looked.
Starting Poplin as a side hustle in 2025
I started taking orders in April of 2025. Like every business, I had some startup costs. I had to buy detergent, things like that. I didn’t really make money the first month. It was very, very slow — not that many orders.
Also, when you first start, you’re restricted. You have to move up in ranks to be able to take more orders. Initially, you can only take one order, and new people get all the orders people probably don’t want. So I had to take faraway ones, which meant spending more on gas. Now, I’m not limited with how many orders I can accept.
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