PlanetLaundry Podcast
America’s #1 Resource for Vended Laundry News & Info
PlanetLaundry is the official publication of the Coin Laundry Association and is trusted by thousands to deliver the latest news and industry-specific topics for laundry owners and professionals.
‘I’m Pushing for Our Younger Generation’
Former Educator Brings Learning to the Laundromat Once a teacher, always a teacher. Laundromat owner Sheleah McPherson is a former educator who knows first-hand the importance of early literacy to a child’s future success. And now – as the operator of Leah’s...
PUD: Your Game Plan for Success
Building and Promoting Your Laundromat’s Pickup-and-Delivery Business Waleed Cope believes that we’ve only just scratched the surface of what residential laundry pickup and delivery can be. “As more and more people incorporate more service-based businesses into their...
Knowing When the Price is Right
Laundromat Owners Share the Pricing Philosophies They Utilize to Keep Their Self-Service Customers Happy – And Their Bottom Lines Healthy [This is the second of a two-part series on vend price strategies for today’s self-service laundry businesses. Read Part 1 here.]...
Headlines
Wash with Wally: Removing Rust Stains
I have a rust problem at my laundromat. A few of my dryers have lost portions of their galvanized finishes in some spots – and, as a result, they are creating rust stains on some of my customers’ clothes and linens. How can I remove these rust stains? There are a few...
Teamwork
Store Owners Share Their Tactics for Creating a Motivated, Effective Staff of Laundry Attendants It’s easy for the uninitiated to underestimate the job that laundromat attendants perform. However, their duties couldn’t be more significant. After all, if a customer has...
Above the Crowd
Thoughts, Tips and Strategies to Help Differentiate Your Laundry Business from the Competition So… you’ve established the “Next Big Thing” in laundromats. You‘re ready to take on all comers and make your millions. You’re amped up. You’re psyched. You’re stoked. You’re...
EVI Acquires Express Parts and Services
EVI Industries, Inc. has simultaneously executed a definitive asset purchase agreement and completed the acquisition of Express Parts and Services, a distributor of commercial laundry products and a provider of related technical installation and maintenance services...
Speed Queen Laundry Franchise Expands into Florida
Speed Queen has announced the continued expansion of its Speed Queen Laundry franchise with the brand’s first store in Florida. The new 2,500-square-foot Speed Queen Laundry is located in Boca Raton. “With high-performance equipment in capacities up to 80 pounds,...
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Unlock a New Level of Efficiency for Your Laundry Business with ChatGPT I recently was speaking with a seasoned laundromat operator who had reached a point in her business where she was having difficulty finding qualified applicants to offer wash-dry-fold services....
New Distributor Partners with B&C, Announces Open House
Prairie Commercial Laundry Services, based in Chicago, has announced that it has teamed up with B&C Technologies of Panama City Beach, Fla., to introduce B&C’s new line of commercial vended washers and dryers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan....
HappyNest Adds Laundromat Partner in Virginia
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its offerings to residents and businesses in and around the Richmond, Va., area through the company’s new partner, Neighborhood Laundromat. The 3,600-square-foot vended laundry provides HappyNest services to...
Speed Queen Spring Show Slated for June 1
Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution – South Region will host its Spring Show on June 1. The event, to be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., will be held at Victoria Palms RV Resort in Donna, Texas. The show is geared toward current and prospective laundromat owners...
Lucy Doll Retires from Mountain Electronics
After 13 years with Mountain Electronics, Customer Service Representative Lucy Doll has announced her retirement. Mountain CEO Whitney Brasington remembers hiring Doll: “The clinic she was working for was getting ready to close, so she ran a classified ad in the local...
Lavanett Named GNA’s Top Canadian Distributor for 2022
Girbau North America recently recognized Lavanett, headquartered in St. Laurent, Quebec, with its third consecutive Canadian Distributor of the Year Award for exemplary performance in the vended and on-premises laundry markets. Owned by Earl Eichen, Lavanett employs...
ACI Unveils Redesigned Website Promoting Cold-Water Washing
The American Cleaning Institute has launched a redesigned website for its Cold Water Saves initiative, which is a joint effort of ACI and The Sustainability Consortium to promote the power of cold-water washing. Originally launched in 2016, Cold Water Saves aims to...
SPONSORED CONTENT
SPONSORED CONTENT
Navigating Tax Season: Laundromat Owner’s Guide
This Month's Issue
- Beyond Our Borders: A Look at the International Laundromat Market
- Business Management: How a POS System Can Add Value for You and Your Customers
- Guest Feature: Embracing Technology – The Digital Evolution of the Laundromat Industry
- Women in Vended Laundry: An Interview with Lisa Mahan of Daniels Equipment Company
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
HappyNest Expands Reach within New Jersey
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its availability into Egg Harbor, N.J., through the company’s new partner, Harbor Island Laundromat. The facility is now providing HappyNest laundry services to residents and businesses in Atlantic City,...
Milnor Salutes Top Distributors
Pellerin Milnor Corp. has recognized the leading distributorships within its dealer network, naming Western State Design – headquartered in Hayward, Calif., and founded in 1974 – as its top distributor of 2022 for machinery sales and service support to Milnor...
ACI Supports Adding New Laundry Products to EPA Programs
The American Cleaning Institute has recommended new product categories be added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s potential expansion of its Safer Choice and Design for the Environment programs. The Safer Choice and DfE programs allow companies to receive an...
ByNext Acquires Laundry Angels
ByNext, a tech-enabled clothing and premise care company, has acquired Laundry Angels, a tech-enabled laundry and drycleaning pickup-and-delivery services company based in New Jersey. The move is part of the ByNext strategy to expand its omni-services and omni-channel...
CG West to Host Customer Appreciation Days
Continental Girbau West will host a three-day customer appreciation event on September 12-14 at the company’s headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. This free event, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day, is open to current and potential CG West...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Who’s Servicing Your Wash-Dry-Fold Customers?
A Look at the Pros and Cons of Utilizing Independent Contractors vs. Laundromat Employees With the outbreak of COVID-19, I’ve recently received quite a few questions from laundry owners about wash-dry-fold services. The wash-dry-fold business has not fallen off during...
The Business Mind
Anger Management
Seven Psychologically Sound Ways to Deal with Angry, Irate or Emotionally Difficult Customers Every laundromat owner is going to come face to face with angry, difficult or emotionally challenging customers from time to time. After all, you can’t please everyone....
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Safe Bleaching, Cleaning Lint Screens, More…
I offer a wash-dry-fold service at my laundromat, and I was wondering if there is any product we could use in place of chlorine bleach. The problem we occasionally run into is that my attendants will mistakenly use the chlorine bleach on colored garments, which will...
Viewpoint
Who’s Minding the Store?
Businesses all across the United States are desperate for workers these days. The numbers don’t lie. In late April, the Labor Department reported a record 9.3 million job openings. “The worker shortage is real – and it’s getting worse by the day,” commented Chamber of...
Digital Marketing
Online ‘Stain Removal’
How to Effectively Manage Your Business’ Digital Reputation When you Google your business, what do you see? I’d hope that you’d be viewing your brand at the top of the heap – complete with pages full of five-star reviews, links to helpful content and a sterling online...
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.
