The Business of Laundry: Models That Work

In today’s laundromat industry, one truth holds across every market, model and mission: success requires more than just machines. Today’s operators must choose business models strategically, execute consistently, and lead with intention. Some lean into simple,...

Green is Good Business

Green Operations Increasingly Important to Feed Consumer Demand When Green Laundry Lounge co-owners Pulin and Krishna Dasai got into the vended laundry industry, they wanted to change a narrative: laundromats are water and energy-intensive businesses. “The...

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...

Safety First, Last… Always

The Laundromat Owner’s Guide to Preventing Accidents, Protecting Your Business, and Controlling Your Insurance Costs As more and more entrepreneurs are discovering, running a laundromat can be a hugely rewarding business. But it also comes with its own set of risks...

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Common Sense vs. Company Policy

Jan 22, 2015

The concept of common sense clashed with company policy in a decision regarding an El Torito Restaurant in Burlingame, Calif. A disabled individual requested permission to use the employee restroom on the first floor, to avoid dealing with the 18-stair climb leading...

Liability Can Be a Slippery Slope

Jan 22, 2015

Picture this scenario: A woman slips and falls on the floor of your self-service laundry and suffers substantial injury to her back. An ambulance is called to transport the customer to a nearby hospital. The wailing sound of the siren grows fainter and fainter as the...

Lease Option: Future Rent Shall Be Determined By Mutual Agreement

Jan 22, 2015

In an action arising out of San Francisco, a tenant entered into a written lease with a landlord for a term of five years. The lease contained an option provision, which provided as follows: "Providing the Lessee has faithfully performed all of the terms, covenants...

Headlines

Small Package… Big Concept

Originally posted - Dec 18, 2012 Scott Moses had a leg up on his competition long before he entered the coin laundry business almost three years ago. As an economics major at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, Moses landed a position in the banking industry after...

I Educated Mysel

Originally posted - May 24, 2013 When it comes to a new business venture, Danny Delmarco is a big believer in doing one's homework. So, when he and his business partner, Lloyd Webb, decided to open a self-service laundry - in a building co-owned by Webb and Delmarco's...

People Need to Do Laundry

Originally posted - Jun 14, 2013 Mischelle Romesberg is accustomed to taking matters into her own hands. As director of plant operations for the personal care branch of Energizer Holdings, she's responsible for making sure some of today's leading over-the-counter...

Not Your Father’s Drycleaner

Originally posted - Apr 19, 2013 The Drycleaning & Laundry Institute has been the premier international trade association for garment care professionals since 1883. Representing retail drycleaning and laundry facilities in the United States and around the world,...

Buying Time?

Originally posted - Sep 06, 2013 Curtis Kroeker is group general manager for BizBuySell.com and BizQuest.com, the internet's largest and most heavily trafficked business-for-sale marketplaces. Since 1996, BizBuySell has offered tools that make it easy for business...

‘Clean, Filled and Working’

Originally posted - May 30, 2013 Emily Jed is senior editor of Vending Times magazine, the leading trade publication providing information to operators within in the vending industry. She's been a journalist for more than two decades, most of which has been spent in...

Wash with Wally: Fire-Damaged Dryers

Originally posted - Sep 16, 2013 I have a huge problem with my insurance company. I had a dryer fire, in which half of my dryers were totally destroyed. The other half had minor heat damage, but a lot of smoke and stain damage. The problem I'm having is that the...

Wash with Wally: Fragrances and Scents

Originally posted - Dec 10, 2014 I have a question about fragrances and scents. Is there any way to add something different to the wash to get it smelling fresh, aside from the normal scented detergents or fabric softeners? Sometimes I wish there was something to add...

Wash with Wally: What to Consider Before Adding Drop-Off Drycleaning

Originally posted - Aug 13, 2012 I have a coin laundry and am interested in adding a drop-off drycleaning business. Can you give me any suggestions regarding things I might need to know and/or do before adding this to my current operation? First of all, you have to...

Wash with Wally: Dealing with Dog Hair

Originally posted - Jul 01, 2014 What is the best way to remove dog hair from blankets and dog beds? The best way to handle such a situation is to put these items in the dryer before running them through the wash cycle. Let them run through a drying cycle or two, and...

Wash with Wally: Tracking Loads for Pickup and Delivery

Originally posted - Mar 07, 2013 I'm trying to establish a pickup and delivery business, in addition to my drop-off laundry service. I recently picked up the business of a retirement home, which has about 60 residents. How do I segregate the laundry loads? In other...

Wash with Wally: Stocking Your Wash-Dry Fold Business

Originally posted - Jun 01, 2012 What types of cleaning products and other items are required for me to have what you would consider a fully stocked wash-dry-fold arsenal for my attendants? Basically, to start a wash-dry-fold service, you need bagging supplies -...

This Month's Issue

Tech on the Rise: How Operators Are Using Innovation to Run Smarter, Faster Laundromats: From AI phone systems to real-time data tracking, operators and suppliers share how technology is reshaping the modern laundry business and what’s coming next.
Business Profile: Delivering a Superior
Laundry Experience
Member Spotlight: Rick Rome –
Innovating Laundry, One Customer at a Time
Guest Column: How AI Changed Google Reviews (What Laundromat Owners Need to Know)
And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Setomatic, SpyderWash Introduce New Product Features at Clean 2017

In the August print and digital versions of PlanetLaundry magazine, we inadvertently included incorrect copy under the "Setomatic/SpyderWash"listing. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused. Here is the correct product description:...

Washlava Launches App-Enabled Laundromat

Washlava - a mobile technology startup based in Tampa, Fla. - recently reported that it has launched the world's first exclusively app-enabled laundromat in Tampa. The Washlava-branded store is completely coin-free and cashless, with the laundry's Huebsch equipment...

Superior Laundry Named Maytag Distributor for New York, New Jersey

Maytag Commercial Laundry has chosen Superior Laundry Equipment as its distributor for portions of the New York metropolitan region's tri-state area, covering parts of New York and New Jersey. Superior Laundry, headquartered in Brooklyn, is a full-service...

Continental Adds Customer Care Associate

Continental Girbau Inc. has named Eric Novak the company's new customer care associate. In this position, Novak will interface with Continental's customer care department to process and maintain in-house orders and shipping dates, handle warranty administration and...

Continental Honors Lavatec with Business Partner of the Year Award

Continental Girbau Inc. recently recognized Lavatec Laundry Technology Inc. with its 2016 Business Partner of the Year Award. The honor salutes Lavatec's superior business results while working in partnership with Continental and its customers. Lavatec President Mark...