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.
All the Buzz
An Interview with Katy Chen of Laundrybee Katy Chen is the founder and CEO of Laundrybee, a chain of nine, branded laundromats located within the five boroughs of New York City. Ms. Chen has owned and operated numerous laundromats over that last 20 years. And, in...
At Your Service
Planning for Full-Service Offerings at Your Laundromat A growing number of vended laundries are now offering full-service wash-dry-fold and/or residential/commercial laundry services. And for good reason. After all, through this type of diversification of services,...
More Than Just Laundry
Store Owners Share Profitable Business Options and Service Offerings They Run in Tandem with Their Laundromat Operations Successful laundromat entrepreneurs have always focused on two things – customer service and efficiency. In other words, best serving the customer...
Headlines
Laundrylux Distribution to Host Educational Events
Laundrylux Distribution will host The Laundry Experts Forum, a series of free educational and networking events focused on laundromat owners and potential investors in the vended laundry industry. These events will take place at four separate locations and will...
New Jersey’s Minimum Wage to Exceed $15 Per Hour
New Jersey’s statewide minimum wage will increase by $1 to $15.13 per hour for most employees on January 1, 2024. This surpasses the goal set by legislation signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in February 2019 to raise the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour by 2024. “When I...
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...
Wash with Wally: Removing Tough Smoke Odors
I have a wash-dry-fold customer who is a heavy smoker. In the summer, it seems that the clothes he brings in are at their worst; even the plastic hamper he brings them in reeks of cigarette smoke. I have tried an odor-reducing fabric softener from my laundry supplier,...
Are You Annoying?
Look for Small Annoyances That May Be Bugging Your Customers and Silently Destroying Your Laundromat’s Otherwise Pleasant Atmosphere Believe it or not, you may be inadvertently annoying your laundromat customers without even knowing it. And, honestly, very few of them...
Still Serving
Former Marine Operates Laundromat/Fitness Center in Upstate New York Bryan Donegan’s first child was born while he was serving in Afghanistan as an intelligence specialist for the U.S. Marine Corps’ 1st Battalion, 9th Marines unit. However, once Donegan returned home...
Beyond the Surface
Unveiling the Key Factors Industry Professionals Look for When Buying an Existing Laundromat When considering the purchase of an existing laundromat, there’s a multitude of factors to examine beyond just the surface level. In the words of experienced laundromat buyers...
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...
Wash with Wally: How to Safely Clean Bar Towels
We have accounts with several large restaurants to wash their bar mops, towels, and rags. I’ve heard of rags and towels – even clean ones – spontaneously combusting. Is there a specific process to help guard against this, as well as a recommended timeline in which to...
12 Steps to Success in Life and Business
Some Common Sense Advice to Make You a Stronger Laundry Owner – And a Better Person Believe it or not – there is a strong relationship between the behavior patterns of your personal life and your business life. Although there are several different ways to measure...
SPONSORED CONTENT
This Month's Issue
- Reimagining the Laundromat Experience: Technology, Design, and a Strong Focus on the Customer Have Set a New Standard for Store Amenities
- Business Management: Building a Positive Workplace Culture
- Digital Marketing: Make Your Laundromat a Place People Love
- Company Close-Up: The Vision Behind Masters Laundry Equipment
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
Curbside Laundries Launches Text Message Marketing Module
Laundromat management software provider Curbside Laundries has introduced its new text message marketing module, which is now available to all of the company’s clients using its wash-and-fold POS and pickup-and-delivery software. According to the company, the...
CleanCloud Reaches Business Milestones
Entering its 10th year in business, laundry industry software provider CleanCloud recently announced it has hit a couple of major milestones signaling the company’s continued growth. The software provider has topped 10 million customers worldwide who have benefitted...
Laundroworks, Cents Join Forces
Business management platform Cents and loyalty card payment system provider Laundroworks have joined forces. The companies have teamed up by pairing Laundroworks’ on-machine payment system with Cents’ full-service laundry point-of-sale and business management system....
PayRange Sues CSC ServiceWorks for Patent Infringement
Payment solutions provider PayRange Inc. has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against CSC ServiceWorks, the largest U.S. operator of laundry machines in multi-family housing and college dorms. PayRange is seeking damages estimated to be in excess of $108 million...
Laundry Industry Mourns Jerry Schantz
Set-O-Matic founder Jerry Schantz recently passed away at the age of 90. Mr. Schantz had been involved in the commercial laundry business since his teen years, serving the industry in several facets – from the distribution of washers and dryers to the manufacturing of...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
The Perfect Complement?
Here’s How Linen Rental Can Be a Profitable Addition to Your Full-Service Laundry Business One of the easier and more profitable opportunities for vended laundry owners who service commercial accounts – which a number of operators, including myself, have ventured into...
The Business Mind
The Discomfort of Uncertainty
For Entrepreneurs, Uncertainty is a Part of Daily Life – Accepting the Inevitable Anxiety of This ‘High Stakes Waiting’ Game is Half the Battle Believe it or not, there is a science of uncertainty. Some psychologists actually study and conduct research in this field....
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Leasing vs. Owning
I’m in the market to buy an existing laundromat. I’ve looked at quite a few laundries – some were rentals and some came with the property. Am I better off buying a laundromat with the property or leasing a storefront? Unless you come across a rental opportunity with a...
Viewpoint
Silver Linings
Typically, December is a time to pause, look back and take stock of your life and your business. It’s normally the perfect opportunity to reminisce about the 365 days gone by (366, in this case) – and to try to predict what the next 365 have in store. Not this year!...
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.
