The Business of Laundry: Models That Work

In today’s laundromat industry, one truth holds across every market, model and mission: success requires more than just machines. Today’s operators must choose business models strategically, execute consistently, and lead with intention. Some lean into simple,...

Green is Good Business

Green Operations Increasingly Important to Feed Consumer Demand When Green Laundry Lounge co-owners Pulin and Krishna Dasai got into the vended laundry industry, they wanted to change a narrative: laundromats are water and energy-intensive businesses. “The...

Metrics That Matter

Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry The laundromat business is like most businesses in that you need to do a lot of things right to be successful. But how do you know if it’s working? According to successful owners, you just need to look at the...

Safety First, Last… Always

The Laundromat Owner’s Guide to Preventing Accidents, Protecting Your Business, and Controlling Your Insurance Costs As more and more entrepreneurs are discovering, running a laundromat can be a hugely rewarding business. But it also comes with its own set of risks...

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Common Sense vs. Company Policy

Jan 22, 2015

The concept of common sense clashed with company policy in a decision regarding an El Torito Restaurant in Burlingame, Calif. A disabled individual requested permission to use the employee restroom on the first floor, to avoid dealing with the 18-stair climb leading...

Liability Can Be a Slippery Slope

Jan 22, 2015

Picture this scenario: A woman slips and falls on the floor of your self-service laundry and suffers substantial injury to her back. An ambulance is called to transport the customer to a nearby hospital. The wailing sound of the siren grows fainter and fainter as the...

Lease Option: Future Rent Shall Be Determined By Mutual Agreement

Jan 22, 2015

In an action arising out of San Francisco, a tenant entered into a written lease with a landlord for a term of five years. The lease contained an option provision, which provided as follows: "Providing the Lessee has faithfully performed all of the terms, covenants...

Headlines

Wash with Wally: Cleaning Yoga Blankets

Originally posted - May 03, 2012 I have been approached by a potential commercial client about cleaning yoga blankets. If you're not familiar with them, they are heavy wool blankets about the size of a twin bed sheet. This client doesn't want to dryclean the blankets...

Wash with Wally: A Sticky Situation

Originally posted - Oct 29, 2012 Can you tell me how to remove yellow wood glue from a pair of cotton pants? I haven't found anything that will work. There are a couple of ways to remove glue. In some instances, depending on the type of adhesive, you can use a paint...

Wash with Wally: Powdered Detergent vs. Pods

Originally posted - Sep 23, 2014 We have a fairly large drop-off service at our laundry. Our customers have been happy with our consistency. For detergent, we use powdered Gain. Recently, Gain has come out with a pod-type product. We have contemplated switching to the...

Wash with Wally: Unclaimed Garments

Originally posted - Jul 29, 2013 I get a lot of lost and unclaimed articles of clothing at my store. I'm not talking about just a sock or two - I mean complete loads of laundry. I make sure it is clean and dry. Then, I fold and bag it, and store it for 60 to 90 days....

Wash with Wally: Choosing the Perfect Location

Originally posted - Jun 07, 2013 I want to build another laundry, and I'm currently looking at a site that's located between two large apartment complexes, which hold approximately 1,000 people. This site is on a main street with a good traffic pattern. What do you...

Wash with Wally: Battling Smoke Odors

Originally posted - Dec 28, 2012 I have a wash-dry-fold customer who is a very heavy smoker. In the winter, it seems that the clothes he brings in are at their worst; even the plastic hamper he brings them in reeks of smoke. I have tried an odor-reducing fabric...

Wash with Wally: Cleaning Mop Heads

Originally posted - Oct 08, 2012 I recently landed a commercial laundry account, which involves cleaning closed-loop mop heads for a large nursing home in my area. Can you suggest the most efficient way to wash and dry these mop heads? The good news is that you don't...

Wash with Wally: Vetting a New Laundry Location

Originally posted - Jan 31, 2014 I'm looking to build a new self-service laundry. I already own two stores, and I have time for one more. I think I've found a great location for this new laundry. The area is mostly Hispanic, and there aren't any other laundries within...

Wash with Wally: Purchasing a Vacated Laundry

Originally posted - Nov 01, 2013 I've found a coin laundry that's been closed up. All of the plumbing and electrical are still intact. I only have to reequip it, and I'm in business. What should I look for or try to find out before I sign the lease? I would proceed...

Wash with Wally: Removing Ink Stains

Originally posted - Aug 30, 2012 At my small laundromat, I often have a problem with customers washing and drying their clothes with ballpoint pens in the pockets. This has created a major staining problem in my dryer drums. I have used rubbing alcohol and hair spray...

Wash with Wally: Wrinkle-Free Table Clothes

Originally posted - Jun 04, 2014 I service a commercial account that has just purchased some rather inexpensive, polyester table clothes that wrinkle when washed. Even the client admits that she bought an inferior product. We pretreat these items, wash them in warm...

Wash with Wally: Pricing Large Drop-Off Items

Originally posted - Nov 30, 2012 We are trying to set our wash-dry-fold pricing and have noticed a big difference in how large items are priced. In our area, drycleaners and laundromats with wash-dry-fold services charge a per item fee for comforters, bedspreads,...

This Month's Issue

Tech on the Rise: How Operators Are Using Innovation to Run Smarter, Faster Laundromats: From AI phone systems to real-time data tracking, operators and suppliers share how technology is reshaping the modern laundry business and what’s coming next.
Business Profile: Delivering a Superior
Laundry Experience
Member Spotlight: Rick Rome –
Innovating Laundry, One Customer at a Time
Guest Column: How AI Changed Google Reviews (What Laundromat Owners Need to Know)
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Continental Names 2016 Distributors of the Year

Continental Girbau Inc. recently recognized Skyline Equipment Inc. with its 2016 Vended Laundry Distributor of the Year Award, an honor that distinguishes distributors for outstanding performance in the vended laundry market. Simultaneously, the Wisconsin-based...

CG West Adds Commercial Laundry Sales Specialist

Continental Girbau West - headquartered in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. - has named Jason McAninch its new commercial laundry sales specialist. In this position, McAninch will manage commercial vended and on-premises laundry sales and marketing efforts for the company....

Survey: Small Business Faces Major Workforce Issues

The National Small Business Association, in partnership with Cynthia Kay and Company Media Production, has released the 2017 Small Business Workforce and Labor Survey, which quantifies how workforce issues ranging from immigration to education to background checks...

Primus Adds Belenky to Distribution Network

Primus has announced that Belenky, Inc. is the newest addition to the manufacturer's distribution network. "Belenky has a 100-year history of providing excellent service to laundry equipment customers," said Mark Schram, North American sales manager for Primus. "We...

Kentucky Eyes Tax Expansion, CLA Hires Lobbyist

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin's tax reform plans include several critical components, not the least of which is planned sales tax expansion, which would require laundromat owners, among others, to collect sales tax. All signs indicate that the governor's tax reform...