The University offered free laundry services to students this weekend, according to an email Campus Operations sent on Wednesday. “[T]here have been multiple problems over the past month with the laundry machines at various locations on campus. We heard your feedback and worked hard to remedy the problem,” it read. “All students who experienced problems using the machines after issuing tender have been refunded, and all students who encounter similar problems in the future, will also be refunded.”

In an email to the Justice, Vice President of Campus Operations Jim Gray wrote that the issues with the machines stemmed largely from the lack of experience with the new machines from both students and administrators alike.

“There was a series of problems in switching the old machines out for the new, and things have not been working perfectly since the year started, so we thought a free weekend would be a nice way to make it up to the students who experienced difficulty,” he wrote.

One notable change with the new machines was the increase in price per load of laundry. In an Aug. 14 post in the Brandeis University Parents and Families Facebook page, Senior Vice President for Students and Enrollment Andrew Flagel wrote that “to get them [the new machines,] the cost had to go up to $1.50 per load (which is where our peers went a couple of years ago).” The previous price per load was $1, which had been in place since 2008.

The Campus Operations email also noted that the majority of the problems with the new machines have been dealt with. “We’ve been informed that the main problems have been addressed, and that going forward, the machines will be running at full capacity,” the email read.

The new washers and dryers were installed over the summer with the intent to conserve energy and lower water consumption, according to an Aug. 31 email about campus renovations that Gray sent to the community.