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...

PlanetLaundry Podcast

America’s #1 Resource for Vended Laundry News & Info

PlanetLaundry is the official publication of CLA and is trusted by thousands of laundry professionals to deliver the latest news and industry-specific topics.

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Headlines

The Down and Dirty

Originally posted - May 25, 2012 We're going to discuss oil and grease – and the tough, nasty stains they leave on our customers' garments. More importantly, we're going to talk about how to grow your drop-off laundry business by effectively tackling those seemingly...

Reaching the ‘Finish’ Line

Originally posted -Mar 01, 2013 There are several ways to bridge the gap between doing "traditional" wash-dry-fold at your store and taking it a step further to offer your customers a more finished laundry product. A lot of laundry owners have bridged that gap by...

Top Targets

Originally posted - Jun 20, 2012 Drive around your marketplace. Most likely, there's a hair salon on seemingly every corner. And hair salons can become great commercial clients. Many salons work with large commercial laundries, due to the great number of dirty towels...

Going to the Mat

Originally posted -May 29, 2013 Clearly, not everybody wants - or needs - to go to a self-service laundry. However, there are some items that almost everyone needs to get cleaned once in a while that would best be handled by a professionally equipped laundry. One such...

On the Road Again

Originally posted - Nov 24, 2014 At a presentation on commercial accounts that I conducted for the Southern California Coin Laundry Association, one of the most popular questions from the audience was about pickup and delivery vehicles. When should you by a van? What...

For Rent

Originally posted - Mar 16, 2012 One aspect of the commercial laundry business with which many self-service laundry owners have had great success - and a segment of the drop-off laundry category that all operators should at least consider - is linen rental. Basically,...

The Doctor Will See You Now….

Originally posted - Nov 04, 2014 Since I've been writing this column, I get inundated with questions from readers looking for advice on stain removal and garment care, as well as just the basic business of doing drop-off and commercial laundry. So, this month, I...

The Laundry Doctor’s Inbox

Originally posted -Feb 01, 2013 Since I opened my coin laundry, and especially since I started writing for PlanetLaundry, I notice that the Laundry Doctor receives quite of bit of e-mail – from laundry owners and laundry "doers" alike – asking my advice on everything...

Warming Up to Cold Calls

Originally posted - May 04, 2012 If you're serious about growing the commercial accounts segment of your laundry business, you can't avoid it - eventually, you're going to have to make cold calls on potential clients. Some laundry owners have their drivers handle...

For Rent…

Originally posted - July issue/2012 An Interview with National Apartment Association CEO Douglas Culkin As a self-service laundry owner, your stiffest competition is likely coming from that nearby multi-unit apartment building, which instead should be supplying you...

Fire and Water Restoration

Originally posted - Sep 12, 2012 I get calls from laundry owners all across the country about how to handle garments that either have been through fires or damaged by flooding. And, personally, I've done a good deal of work with a number of fire and water restoration...

Negotiating a Reasonable Rent

I'm trying to buy a laundry that's located in a shopping center, and I would like to know what is considered a reasonable rent per square foot. I don't want to get stuck with a lot of escalator clauses. Of course, a "reasonable rent"is relative to the volume and...

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September Magazine Issue

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

LaundryCares Foundation Serves More Than 200 Families in NJ

Successful Free Laundry Day Creates Smiles and Goodwill On Thursday, April 13, 2017, the LaundryCares Foundation coordinated a large Free Laundry Day at Dirty Laundry Express in Irvington, NJ. This community event gained increased momentum as the time approached,...

Statewide Laundry Hosts Three-City Road Show Tour

Statewide Laundry Equipment - with offices in Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando and Miami, Fla. - recently concluded its three-city Spring Road Show tour. The company's spring events kicked off on March 29 in Riverview, Fla., followed by a stop in Orlando on March 30, and...

Laundry Owners Warehouse Hosts Dexter Service School

Laundry Owners Warehouse recently held a Dexter Laundry service school at the company’s headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The educational sessions – conducted in collaboration with Dexter Laundry and led by equipment experts from the Iowa-based manufacturer –...

Spynr Launches Educational Effort in Run-Up to Clean 2017

Digital marketing company Spynr Inc. has launched an educational campaign designed to help laundry owners understand the importance of their online presence. Dubbed "Where's Lauren," the campaign follows the online journey of a store operator's perfect customer...

FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Columns

The Laundry Doctor

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The Business Mind

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Wash With Wally

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Viewpoint

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Digital Marketing

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Strategic Corporate Allies Program

Our Strategic Corporate Allies support CLA’s mission through advocacy, education, and innovation to strengthen the industry, advance our members’ businesses, and prepare the next generation of laundry professionals for the future.

Interested in becoming a Strategic Corporate Ally of CLA? Contact President & CEO, Brian Wallace via email at [email protected] or call (630) 491-0499.