Member Spotlight: Lab-Tested, Laundry-Approved

How Laundry Labs Plans to Change the Industry In today’s business world, efficiency and quality are paramount – and the commercial laundry industry is no exception. Recognizing the need for superior cleaning solutions specifically tailored to laundromat operators,...

Wash-Dry-Fold POS Launches New Feature

Wash-Dry-Fold POS® has announced its new Attendant Checklist Feature. According to Managing Partner Ian Gollahon, it is a simple but integrated tool that is so powerful, it’ll make you wonder how you ever ran your business without it. "You can monitor the checklist...

LaundroLab Celebrates National Laundry Day – April 15

LaundroLab to Offer Free Laundry, Resources Nationwide for National Laundry Day In celebration of National Laundry Day on April 15, 2025, LaundroLab—an innovative laundromat brand focused on reimagining the wash experience—is giving back to local communities by...

I’d Like to Speak to the Manager

On the Front Lines with Some of the Laundry Industry’s Leading Store Managers In an industry once dominated by unattended, self-service operations, the role of store managers in laundromats has never been more critical. As laundries evolve into full-service businesses...

PlanetLaundry Podcast

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Making a Statement

May 27, 2015

The ‘What,' ‘Why' and ‘How' of Mission Statements In a long history of looking at mission statements, researchers and practitioners have almost universally acknowledged the value of a singular mission as a driving force for companies – and yet have been inconsistent...

Dirty Bird Laundry

May 27, 2015

Ryan and Bernadette Hansen Dirty Bird Laundry Fresno, Calif. www.DirtyBirdLaundry.com Before Getting into the Laundry Business… Ryan was the operations manager for a produce distributor, and Bernadette worked at Costco. Store Openings Store 1: November 2009 - Fresno...

Going ‘Undercover’

May 26, 2015

Forced to Take a Fresh Look at His Laundry Business, the Author Gained an Entirely New Perspective on His Overall Operation When is the last time you went "undercover?" No, I'm not suggesting you sneak into one of your competitor's laundries, pretending to be a...

Headlines

Retooling: The Gateway to a Stronger Industry

For the past year or so, I’ve been traveling the country giving presentations on how to become a better, more successful laundry operator. I’ve been talking to store owners, distributors… basically, anyone who will listen. I’ve gone to Coin Laundry Association events,...

Wash with Wally: Oil-Based vs. Water-Based Stains, Uniform Rental and More…

Is there a way of determining whether a stain is oil-based or water-based before I launder the garment? The only way you can determine that is by laundering both types of stains year after year. Visually, there is no way to tell the difference. Some water-based stains...

Business Bio: Dirty Laundry Express

Kevin Adkins Dirty Laundry Express Irvington, N.J. Before Getting into the Laundry Business… Kevin used to work for the U.S. Postal Service. Store Opening December 12, 2016 Business Hours 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. – Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. –...

Rough Waters Ahead

An Interview with the American Water Works Association’s Director of Communications Greg Kail Greg Kail is the director of communications for the American Water Works Association, where he oversees internal and public communications, public affairs, media relations...

Signs of Success

Is Your Store’s Exterior Signage Doing All It Can for Your Laundry Business?Your exterior signs serve as a type of silent salesperson for your self-service laundry.They draw attention to your business and help differentiate it from the others down the street or...

Wanna Do Something Different for Christmas?

Laundry Owner Serves Holiday Dinner to Area Homeless“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” – Mahatma GandhiFor the last five years, we’ve done laundry for the homeless at our store every week.Here’s...

Dirty Laundry Never Takes a Vacation

Summer Camps May Provide the Perfect Opportunity to Grow Your Laundry Business’ Wash-Dry-Fold Revenue Summer is just around the corner – which means that, for many kids, so is summer camp. And, while going to camp has been a rite of passage for so many...

Lessons Learned From Life’s Superstars

Here’s How to Apply Examples Set by Extraordinary Individuals to the Successful Operation of Your Laundry Business Over the decades during which I’ve been curiously roaming this planet, I have been indeed fortunate to have encountered and known some truly...

Potential Sales Tax Threatens Nebraska Owners

Imagine having to hand over 7.5 percent of your gross sales to your state government – without being able to recoup this tax from your customers. That’s the dire possibility self-service laundry owners in Nebraska are currently facing. Like most states,...

Statewide Laundry Bolsters Management Team

Statewide Laundry Equipment’s Miami branch, based in Hialeah, Fla., has announced the addition of Elia Garcia to its management team. Garcia, a laundry industry veteran of nearly 15 years, joins the company as office manager.She is responsible for daily...

Census Bureau: South, West Lead U.S. Population Growth

Utah’s population crossed the 3 million mark as it became the nation’s fastest-growing state over the last year. Its population increased 2 percent to 3.1 million from July 1, 2015, to July 1, 2016, according to recent U.S. Census Bureau national and state...

Dexter Announces Organizational Changes

Dexter Laundry Inc. and its parent company, Dexter Apache Holdings Inc., recently announced the following organizational changes. Pat Albregts – the current chairman and CEO of Dexter Apache Holdings – will retire as CEO on February 28, 2017. Albregts, who...

This Month's Issue

‘I’d Like to Speak to the Manager’: On the Front Lines with Some of the Laundry Industry’s Leading Store Managers
Business Management: Generate Additional Income Through Greater Market Penetration
Company Close-Up: Western State Design Has Been Helping Laundry Owners Thrive for More Than 50 Years
New Member Spotlight: How Laundry Labs Plans to Change the Industry
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Laundry Industry Veteran Retires

Laundry industry veteran Herald Birchfield recently announced his retirement after nearly 50 years in the business. Birchfield began his laundry career selling washers and dryers in the 1970s. He and his wife, Nancy, ran the Maytag Commercial Laundry Division of...

CLA Offers Digital Marketing for Laundromats

The Coin Laundry Association has introduced a new membership benefit for digital marketing services, provided by American Marketing & Publishing, LLC. The CLA is collaborating with American Marketing & Publishing to bring store owners a new opportunity to...

CLA Launches Garment Care White Paper with Upcoming Webinar

The Coin Laundry Association will release a new white paper outlining proper garment care and stain removal for laundry professionals on October 16. “Garment Care and Stain Removal Basics for Laundry Owners” is part of the CLA’s Gold Book Research Series of resources...

CLA Connect LIVE Announces Upcoming Events

Register now to attend the following CLA Connect LIVE events planned for the next two weeks. These upcoming events are open to current and potential laundry owners, as well as distributors and manufacturers. CLA Connect LIVE – North Carolina October 2 in Raleigh, N.C....

PWS Adds Payment Systems Specialist

In a move to solidify its place as a complete, full-service commercial laundry distributor, PWS has hired long-time industry veteran Alfredo Duque of AMD Card Solutions. AMD specializes in the installation and service of payment systems in the vended laundry and...