CleanEx

CleanEx is a student-focused cleaning app that saves time, creates jobs for women, and brings transparent on-demand cleaning to urban communities.

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Inspiration

In Kigali, Rwanda, many students struggle to balance academics with daily responsibilities like laundry and home cleaning. These tasks consume valuable time and energy that could be spent studying or resting. At the same time, many Rwandan women remain unemployed despite having the skills and willingness to work. Most cleaning services operate informally, offline, and without transparency, making it difficult for students to find reliable and affordable help. CleanEx was inspired by this everyday problem we observed in our own student lives, and the opportunity to use technology to connect people who need help with those who need work.

What it does

CleanEx is a mobile application that connects students and young professionals with trusted local cleaners for:

  • Laundry
  • Shoe cleaning
  • Home cleaning

Users can book services in just a few taps, see transparent pricing, pay using mobile money (USSD), and receive instant receipts. Cleaners get flexible job opportunities and build trust through ratings and feedback.

How we built it

We built CleanEx as a mobile-first solution designed for accessibility and ease of use:

  • An Android mobile app for booking and service management
  • A backend API to handle bookings, users, and cleaner matching
  • Mobile money (USSD) payments with WhatsApp integration for proof of payment
  • Email notifications for booking confirmations and receipts
  • A simple rating and feedback system to ensure service quality

All development was done during the hackathon with a strong focus on usability, reliability, and real-world feasibility.

Challenges we ran into

  • Designing a system that works well with low-bandwidth environments
  • Integrating mobile money workflows without a full banking API

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • Building a fully functional MVP during the hackathon
  • Creating a product that addresses a real local problem

What we learned

  • How to design products for emerging markets
  • The importance of user trust and transparency

What's next for CleanEx

  • Expand pilot testing with more students in Kigali
  • Add a cleaner dashboard and job history
  • Introduce in-app payment confirmation
  • Improve matching and scheduling
  • Expand to other Rwandan cities and university campuses

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