Longtime Laundromat Owner on 23 Years of Service, Challenges, Community Impact

For more than two decades, Lee Ann Geurts has been a steady force in her Brooklyn Park community in Minnesota, running three laundromats that have become known not just for clean clothes, but for connection, comfort, and care. What began as a business venture for her...

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...

Leveling the Playing Field

John Um wanted to make sure small business owners could get fair pricing and access to reliable suppliers without needing to have significant buying power. As a leader whose career spanned several major retail and e-commerce companies, he had seen firsthand how hard...

Staying Fierce: Haley Gould Finds Perfect Fit in Vended Laundry

Haley Gould is the Director of Partner Success for HappyNest. She manages an internal team while leading more than 100 partners across the United States building a successful pickup and delivery operation in addition to running their laundromat business. A consummate...

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.

Still Serving

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

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...

Renovate, Renew, Reimagine

Renovate, Renew, Reimagine

Best Practices for Transforming Existing Laundromats for Greater Profit Breathing new life into that old laundromat you just bought may present as many challenges as opportunities – at least in the beginning. Navigating the journey of laundromat renovation requires a...

Headlines

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...

CG West to Host Customer Appreciation Days

Continental Girbau West will host a three-day customer appreciation event on September 12-14 at the company’s headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. This free event, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day, is open to current and potential CG West...

Renovate, Renew, Reimagine

Best Practices for Transforming Existing Laundromats for Greater Profit Breathing new life into that old laundromat you just bought may present as many challenges as opportunities – at least in the beginning. Navigating the journey of laundromat renovation requires a...

Give Your Bottom Line a ‘Boost’

Veteran Operators Partner with Digital Marketing Expert to Launch New Industry Marketing Company Are you happy with your current marketing strategy? Does your laundry business even have one? Marketing is often referred to as a necessary evil. In an industry that’s...

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Scaling Wash & Fold Operations

Learn how to grow your wash & fold from an offering into a money-making operation.

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September Magazine Issue

This Month's Issue

 

  • Connecting, Learning, Advocating: CLA Maximizes Impact at Clean Show 2025

  • Member Spotlight: Finding a Niche in the Laundromat Industry

  • PlanetLaundry Podcast: Turning Setbacks into Success: Saichelle McNeill’s Journey

  • A Laundromat With Heart: Inside Cherry Drive’s Customer-First Approach

  • And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Alliance Distribution Names General Manager for West Region

Alliance Laundry Systems has promoted John Endahl to general manager of the Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution West Region South Gate office. “John has been a proven performer since he joined the sales staff of our Los Angeles area office,” said Craig Dakauskas,...

EVI Industries Reports Third Quarter Results

EVI Industries, Inc. recently announced its operating results for the three- and nine-month periods ended March 31, 2024 – including record revenue, gross profit, and operating cash flows for the nine-month period, and record gross margin and operating cash flows for...

WASH Licenses PayRange Mobile Payment Technology

Mobile payment provider PayRange has entered into a non-exclusive licensing arrangement with WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems, one of the largest providers of laundry facilities management services in the United States. The agreement licenses PayRange’s patents for...

CLA to Survey Laundry Owners

Each year, CLA and its flagship magazine, PlanetLaundry, publish an industry survey of laundromat owners nationwide. The purpose of the survey is to compose a profile of today’s laundromats in the United States – including key data on net profits, employee salaries,...

FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Columns

The Laundry Doctor

Know Your Place in the Internet Space

Don’t Overlook Online Marketing When Promoting Your Wash-Dry-Fold Business As someone who studied marketing in college and who has always assumed a solid grasp on the art and science of the topic, I now feel myself moving further and further away from truly...

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The Business Mind

Are Your Attendants Happy?

Are Your Attendants Happy?

Developing a Positive Employee Culture is One of the Most Important Ways to Strengthen Your Laundry Business A large and growing body of research devoted to positive organizational psychology has demonstrated that not only is a “cut-throat” business environment...

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Wash With Wally

Wash with Wally: Increasing Drying Capacity

Wash with Wally: Increasing Drying Capacity

My laundromat currently has 40 30-pound stack dryers. However, they’re 18 years old, and I’m starting to have some mechanical issues with them – so I think it may be time to replace them. Lately, I’ve been considering possibly purchasing 50-pound stack dryers to...

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Viewpoint

Make 2020 Count

Make 2020 Count

“The more people, the more dirty clothes.” – Ancient laundromat wisdom Time flies, as do the decades. Despite the ongoing pandemic and economic concerns, there’s a headcount to be made in 2020. The original constitutional edict from the framers comes to life in the...

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Digital Marketing

Safety First

Safety First

Four Basic Tips to Help Keep Your Digital Presence Secure When it comes to marketing, most people typically think of digital strategies such as social media and email campaigns. However, it’s just as important to have a security plan in place for your laundry business...

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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.