About WASH
WASH began in July 2021 with the goal of better understanding barriers to reproductive healthcare faced by non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic/Latine women living in Washington, DC’s Wards 1, 4, 5, and 7.
All phases of WASH have been co-created and guided by our Community Advisory Board (CAB), composed of residents from DC’s Wards 1 and 5. To learn more about how the CAB was formed and its role in shaping this work, explore our publication and a short summary in our BLOG section!
Since its launch, and the completion of our first pilot, WASH has expanded to include additional partners and new health topics. This growth reflects our ongoing commitment to community-driven research, with all efforts continuing to be guided by our CAB.
We look forward to continuing this work and welcome opportunities to collaborate. Please reach out if you are interested in speaking with our WASH CAB or exploring partnership opportunities!
“I am usually not doing much while waiting for my clothes to be done washing and drying. It is a cool idea because not everyone has the time or energy to get educated about their healthcare so for someone to come to you sounds great.”
— 24 year old Spanish-Speaking Woman
Our Aims
What if ‘waiting’ in an everyday community space could become a gateway to preventive health? Our Wash and Spin to Health initiative (WASH) is grounded in the idea that public health and health literacy should meet people where they are, transforming familiar spaces into engines of access and equity. We focus on the laundromat: a trusted, neutral, and often overlooked neighborhood hub with the potential to support meaningful health engagement!
WASH recently completed three key aims focused on reproductive health, beginning in 2022:
Understanding Community Needs. We conducted a needs assessment to identify barriers to reproductive healthcare, assess baseline knowledge, and evaluate the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of delivering a health literacy intervention in laundromat settings. This work informed the development of our educational intervention and has been published in Health Equity (see our Blog Section for a summary).
Co-developing the Intervention. Guided by our Community Advisory Board (CAB), we developed an educational intervention tailored to community priorities. The prototype was refined through feedback from local healthcare providers and further CAB input to ensure relevance, clarity, and cultural alignment. This work is under review and will be published shortly!
Testing the Approach. In September of 2025, we completed a pilot study to evaluate whether the intervention could be successfully implemented in laundromat settings. Results will be shared soon! Early results are exciting!
Building on this foundation and ongoing community input, WASH is currently expanding to address cancer communication, education, screening, and support: WASH: ACCESS.
At its very foundation, WASH invites participants to see themselves as active agents in their health, while reimagining how and where health information is delivered to reach those too often left out!
