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...

Startup to Scale

How Western State Design Has Been Helping Laundry Businesses Thrive for More Than 50 Years For more than five decades, Western State Design has been a leading provider of turnkey laundry solutions across the vended, on-premises, and commercial/industrial markets....

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...

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At Your Service

Jan 20, 2015

Originally posted - Jun 03, 2014 Last time, I discussed some of the questions you should ask your wash-dry-fold customers in order to best process their laundry. In this article, I'd like to take that customer service topic a bit further and talk about training your...

Grease is the Word

Jan 20, 2015

Originally posted - Mar 07, 2014 During a recent webinar I conducted for the Coin Laundry Association, one of the questions that came up from several of the attendees was how to handle tough kitchen grease stains – either in a residential wash-dry-fold load or a...

The 4 Most Common (and Costly) Mistakes Laundromat Newbies Make

Jan 14, 2015

"Some of us learn from other people's mistakes; the rest of us have to be the other people." – Zig Ziglar Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or someone looking to be their own boss for the very first time, the self-service laundry business has many fundamental...

Headlines

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....

Wash with Wally: Choosing the Perfect Location

Originally posted - Jun 07, 2013 I want to build another laundry, and I'm currently looking at a site that's located between two large apartment complexes, which hold approximately 1,000 people. This site is on a main street with a good traffic pattern. What do you...

Wash with Wally: Battling Smoke Odors

Originally posted - Dec 28, 2012 I have a wash-dry-fold customer who is a very heavy smoker. In the winter, it seems that the clothes he brings in are at their worst; even the plastic hamper he brings them in reeks of smoke. I have tried an odor-reducing fabric...

Wash with Wally: Cleaning Mop Heads

Originally posted - Oct 08, 2012 I recently landed a commercial laundry account, which involves cleaning closed-loop mop heads for a large nursing home in my area. Can you suggest the most efficient way to wash and dry these mop heads? The good news is that you don't...

Wash with Wally: Vetting a New Laundry Location

Originally posted - Jan 31, 2014 I'm looking to build a new self-service laundry. I already own two stores, and I have time for one more. I think I've found a great location for this new laundry. The area is mostly Hispanic, and there aren't any other laundries within...

Wash with Wally: Purchasing a Vacated Laundry

Originally posted - Nov 01, 2013 I've found a coin laundry that's been closed up. All of the plumbing and electrical are still intact. I only have to reequip it, and I'm in business. What should I look for or try to find out before I sign the lease? I would proceed...

Wash with Wally: Removing Ink Stains

Originally posted - Aug 30, 2012 At my small laundromat, I often have a problem with customers washing and drying their clothes with ballpoint pens in the pockets. This has created a major staining problem in my dryer drums. I have used rubbing alcohol and hair spray...

Wash with Wally: Wrinkle-Free Table Clothes

Originally posted - Jun 04, 2014 I service a commercial account that has just purchased some rather inexpensive, polyester table clothes that wrinkle when washed. Even the client admits that she bought an inferior product. We pretreat these items, wash them in warm...

This Month's Issue

Metrics That Matter: Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry
Women In Laundry: Haley Gould Finds Perfect Fit
Company Close-Up: Company Founded to Help Small Businesses Shines
New Member Spotlight: How Robotics Could Change Laundromat Industry
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Metropolitan Laundry Machinery Named Huebsch Distributor of the Year

Huebsch presented Metropolitan Laundry Machinery Sales, Inc. with the manufacturer's highest honor - the 2016 Distributor of the Year - at a ceremony held June 5 at the Foundation Room inside the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. This is the 13th time...

CLA’ss Dinner Party Packed; Honors Industry Leaders

The Coin Laundry Association held a festive dinner party at The Clean Show on June 6, 2017. In attendance were CLA members including laundry owners, prospective laundry investors, distributors, CLA staff and manufacturers, as well as partners of the organization and...

Clean 2017 Attendance Numbers Top 2015 Event

At a press conference held by the Clean Executive Committee at the Las Vegas Convention Center on the third day of Clean 2017, CEC Chair Mary Scalco released some impressive numbers regarding the first two days of this year's show. Scalco said she was "very pleased...

CLA, DLI Team Up for First-Ever Joint Session at Clean 2017

The Coin Laundry Association and the Drycleaning & Laundry Institute kicked off Day Two of Clean 2017 in Las Vegas with the first joint educational presentation by two of the show's sponsoring organizations in the 40-year history of the event. As CLA President and...

Online Marketing: The 10 Keys to Facebook Success

The first day of Clean 2017 in Las Vegas wrapped up with a jam-packed presentation by digital marketing expert Bonnie Hanson of The Laundry Doctor, based in St. Paul, Minn. Approximately 450 people attended this educational session, which was held in the exhibition...