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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Before Heading to the Junkyard

Jan 22, 2015

In a recent California case, a coin laundry operator took possession of a closed location, which contained a number of washers approximately 20 years old and cannibalized for parts over time. In assuming possession of the location, the coin laundry operator installed...

My Neighbors Tree Offends Me! Can I Get Out the Ax?

Jan 22, 2015

So your neighbor has trees. Large trees. Large trees with offending branches and roots. In fact, your local fire department is considering citing you because the branches of one of these offending trees are perilously close to your chimney. One day, you notice that...

Don’t Forget to Lock Up

Jan 22, 2015

At approximately 5:00 a.m. on a day in August, a few years back, a female tenant was assaulted in her Inglewood, Calif., apartment by an unknown assailant who was later caught and identified. The culprit had apparently entered through a window in the dining area of...

Headlines

Wash with Wally: Stains on Suede

Originally posted - May 02, 2014 A customer of mine recently brought in a chocolate-colored suede coat, on which she had spilled cola. Do you have any tips that would help me remove this dark stain for her? Suede can be very fragile to dye release. You can try using...

Wash with Wally: Is It Time to Buy New Equipment?

Originally posted - Apr 05, 2012 I really need to purchase some new washers and dryers for my store. I'm constantly repairing the machines I have. In addition, the parts bills are killing me. However, because of the uncertain economy, I'm not sure what I should do....

Wash with Wally: Comforter Questions

Originally posted - Feb 03, 2012 I just washed a white, queen-sized down comforter. I read the attached washing instruction label, which warned against using bleach. Are these labels always accurate? First of all, it doesn't sound like that particular care label was...

Wash with Wally: Saving with Solar

Originally posted - May 10, 2013 In addition to purchasing newer, more energy-efficient equipment, I'm considering using solar power to heat my water and help me conserve energy. What are your thoughts on this technology? I would definitely look into solar technology...

Wash with Wally: Cleaning Cloth Napkins

Originally posted - Apr 09, 2014 I have a commercial client who wants my store to take over the cloth napkin laundry service for his Italian restaurant. I'm not sure what is required to perform a quality service for this specific account. The napkins are red and often...

Wash with Wally: Spray Spotters

Originally posted - Aug 13, 2014 I do a lot of drop-off laundry at my store and was looking for a good spray spotter. Do you have any recommendations? Yes, I would get Liquid Wisk. This product is good on food stains, some inks and some light oils. It is probably one...

Wash with Wally: Should Tipping Be Allowed?

Originally posted - Jun 27, 2012 I'm considering starting a drop-off laundry service. Should I allow my customers to tip my attendants, or is this a bad idea? It's not a bad idea at all. If your customers want to tip your attendants, that's fine. In my opinion, that...

Wash with Wally: Too Much Fabric Softener?

Originally posted - Mar 10, 2014 I do a great business in drop-off laundry. The problem I'm having is that my attendants are overusing the liquid fabric softener in an effort to make the clothes smell good. I even gave them measuring cups, but that haven't seemed to...

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....

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

Equipment Marketers Holds 24th Annual Trade Show

Hundreds of laundry owners and potential investors in the Mid-Atlantic region attended Equipment Marketers' 24th annual trade show and service seminar, which was held May 4 at the company's headquarters in Cherry Hill, N.J. In addition, more than 25 vendors were...

Maytag Honors Leading Distributors

Maytag Commercial Laundry recently held its 58th Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, welcoming 218 attendees from 22 countries to the three-day event. One of the meeting's highlights was the Fred Maytag Awards Dinner, where the company saluted its leading distributors. This...

Girbau Signs Joint-Venture Agreement with Chinese Manufacturer

Continental Girbau Inc.'s parent company - Girbau, based in Vic, Spain - has signed a joint-venture agreement with Shenguang of China. The two laundry equipment manufacturing companies signed the agreement on May 18 in Shanghai. As a result of the joint venture,...

EnviroStar Acquires Martin-Ray Laundry Systems

EnviroStar Inc., a distributor of commercial laundry and drycleaning equipment based in Miami, has announced its acquisition of Martin-Ray Laundry Systems Inc., a distributor of vended, commercial and industrial laundry equipment, as well as a provider of laundry...

Clean 2017 Boasts Impressive Attendance, Exhibitor Numbers

The Clean Show, which was held June 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, celebrated its 40th anniversary this year – and 12,563 attendees joined the party. In addition, the show's exhibit floor was sold out at 227,006 net square feet, representing the largest...