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.
The Unattended Laundromat
Successful Multi-Store Operators Explain How They Make This Business Model Work for Them For many laundromat owners, building a quality, reliable, and affordable staff has always been the most difficult piece to completing the small-business puzzle. And with lingering...
Invest in Your Operations
A Look at Chicago-Based Distributor Midwest Laundries From a young age, Jim Schultz was drawn to the idea of owning his own business. And, with a number of family members already involved with the laundry business, he quite naturally became very familiar with the...
‘I’m Pushing for Our Younger Generation’
Former Educator Brings Learning to the Laundromat Once a teacher, always a teacher. Laundromat owner Sheleah McPherson is a former educator who knows first-hand the importance of early literacy to a child’s future success. And now – as the operator of Leah’s...
Headlines
Above the Crowd
Thoughts, Tips and Strategies to Help Differentiate Your Laundry Business from the Competition So… you’ve established the “Next Big Thing” in laundromats. You‘re ready to take on all comers and make your millions. You’re amped up. You’re psyched. You’re stoked. You’re...
EVI Acquires Express Parts and Services
EVI Industries, Inc. has simultaneously executed a definitive asset purchase agreement and completed the acquisition of Express Parts and Services, a distributor of commercial laundry products and a provider of related technical installation and maintenance services...
Speed Queen Laundry Franchise Expands into Florida
Speed Queen has announced the continued expansion of its Speed Queen Laundry franchise with the brand’s first store in Florida. The new 2,500-square-foot Speed Queen Laundry is located in Boca Raton. “With high-performance equipment in capacities up to 80 pounds,...
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Unlock a New Level of Efficiency for Your Laundry Business with ChatGPT I recently was speaking with a seasoned laundromat operator who had reached a point in her business where she was having difficulty finding qualified applicants to offer wash-dry-fold services....
New Distributor Partners with B&C, Announces Open House
Prairie Commercial Laundry Services, based in Chicago, has announced that it has teamed up with B&C Technologies of Panama City Beach, Fla., to introduce B&C’s new line of commercial vended washers and dryers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan....
HappyNest Adds Laundromat Partner in Virginia
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its offerings to residents and businesses in and around the Richmond, Va., area through the company’s new partner, Neighborhood Laundromat. The 3,600-square-foot vended laundry provides HappyNest services to...
Speed Queen Spring Show Slated for June 1
Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution – South Region will host its Spring Show on June 1. The event, to be held from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., will be held at Victoria Palms RV Resort in Donna, Texas. The show is geared toward current and prospective laundromat owners...
Lucy Doll Retires from Mountain Electronics
After 13 years with Mountain Electronics, Customer Service Representative Lucy Doll has announced her retirement. Mountain CEO Whitney Brasington remembers hiring Doll: “The clinic she was working for was getting ready to close, so she ran a classified ad in the local...
Lavanett Named GNA’s Top Canadian Distributor for 2022
Girbau North America recently recognized Lavanett, headquartered in St. Laurent, Quebec, with its third consecutive Canadian Distributor of the Year Award for exemplary performance in the vended and on-premises laundry markets. Owned by Earl Eichen, Lavanett employs...
ACI Unveils Redesigned Website Promoting Cold-Water Washing
The American Cleaning Institute has launched a redesigned website for its Cold Water Saves initiative, which is a joint effort of ACI and The Sustainability Consortium to promote the power of cold-water washing. Originally launched in 2016, Cold Water Saves aims to...
The Unattended Laundromat
Successful Multi-Store Operators Explain How They Make This Business Model Work for Them For many laundromat owners, building a quality, reliable, and affordable staff has always been the most difficult piece to completing the small-business puzzle. And with lingering...
Wash with Wally: How to Starch Tuxedo Shirts
I’ve recently been offered a tuxedo rental account, which would require me to wash and starch about 400 shirts each week. How do I starch these shirts in my washers? During which cycle would I need to insert the starch? To starch the shirts in your laundromat’s...
SPONSORED CONTENT
SPONSORED CONTENT
Scaling Wash & Fold Operations
Learn how to grow your wash & fold from an offering into a money-making operation.
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
Eastern Funding Bolsters Commercial Financing Sales Team
Industry financial lender Eastern Funding LLC has announced that Cameron Clark has joined the company as a loan officer. An industry veteran with more than 18 years of experience, Clark previously managed a successful family-owned distributor of commercial laundry...
Bill to Regulate Commercial Washers Introduced in Illinois
A bill has been introduced in the Illinois State Senate that would require new washing machines for both commercial and residential use to be equipped with microfiber filtration systems featuring a mesh size of not greater than 100 micrometers. This legislation,...
Pending Legislation Seeks to Extend Sales Tax to Laundromats in Nebraska
As part of the 2024 legislative session, various lawmakers in Nebraska have introduced no fewer than eight bills that seek to expand the sales tax base within the state. Currently, self-service laundry is exempt from the collection of sales tax in Nebraska. However,...
Wash-Dry-Fold POS Unveils New Logo, Brand Refresh
Since its inception in 2016, the Wash-Dry-Fold POS logo has been characterized by a simple icon of a desktop computer on top of washer icon in navy blue and off-white. Celebrating the transition to the modern hardware and cloud-based software it now sells, the...
Eastern Funding Adds Brendan Ristaino to Commercial Financing Sales Team
Eastern Funding LLC, a financial lender to laundromats and other businesses, recently announced that Brendan Ristaino has joined the company as a loan officer. Ristaino joins Eastern Funding with several decades of experience in the laundry industry. He began his...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
WDF 101: Back to Basics, Part 2
Consistently Folding and Professionally Packaging Your Customers' Garments Are Keys to a Successful Wash-Dry-Fold Business[This is the second in a series on running a successful wash-dry-fold service. Part One appeared in the April issue.]Last time, I discussed how to...
The Business Mind
Feeling Emotional (Part 2)
How to Use Emotional Intelligence to Better Manage Yourself and Your Laundry Business [This is the second of a two-part column. Part One can be read here.] While emotional skills may come more naturally to some due to their background and upbringing, there are ways...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Removing Gum, Diagnosing Rust Stains, And More…
I recently processed a wash-dry-fold load, and unfortunately I didn’t check the pockets like I normally do. As luck would have it, there was gum in one of the pockets, and it got all over a pair of dark blue pants. I tried rewashing the pants, but the gum won’t come...
Viewpoint
A Decade of Transformation
“Call me crazy, but I like to see other people happy and succeeding. Life is a journey, not a competition.” I read that quote years ago on a billboard somewhere, and it just resonated with me. So, when I became a CLA Board member, I knew my purpose was to help others...
Digital Marketing
‘Web’ Site Selection
Developing a Strong Online Community for Your Laundry Business We all know that finding just the right site for your laundromat can make all the difference in whether or not your new business is a success. And the same goes for your “digital site” – that is, your...
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.
