By Andrew Pillow

Chronic absenteeism is a problem across the board. Many people have offered up root causes and solutions, but as it turns out, one school district found a solution that was far simpler. Doing their laundry.

Whirlpool, through its Whirlpool Care Counts Program, donated seventeen pairs of washers and dryers to school districts in St. Louis and Fairfield. The schools invited kids with chronic attendance problems to bring their laundry to be washed while they were in class.

Over 90% of the students who participated in the program increased the amount of time they attended school that year.

Read more about the program here.