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.
Building the Basics
Growing Your Self-Service Laundry Business in a Full-Service World These days, running the self-service portion of your laundromat business can feel a bit like swimming upstream – with the traditional laundromat model at times appearing, at best, quaint and perhaps...
Pricing for Profit
Industry Experts Discuss Pricing Strategies for Self-Service Success [This is the first of a two-part series on vend price strategies for today’s self-service laundry operations.] It’s an art and a science. It requires an experimental attitude coupled with an...
Some Good News on the Energy Front?
CLA Energy Program Provider Shares an Update on the Natural Gas and Electricity Markets I’m excited about utility costs in 2023. OK, before you assume that I’ve lost my mind, let me reiterate that I’m truly feeling positive about this year for many reasons – not the...
Headlines
Wash-Dry-Fold POS Expands to All 50 States
Software provider Wash-Dry-Fold POS recently announced that it has expanded its services to all 50 states in the U.S. Since its inception in February 2016, Wash-Dry-Fold POS has grown rapidly, selling 124 systems in the state of Florida alone. The company has even...
CLA Agrees to Share Compliance Information from NJDOL to Ensure Fair Treatment for Laundromat Employees
First announced in November 2022, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s Wage and Hour Division recently completed a strategic enforcement initiative involving the laundromat industry, which included a comprehensive analysis of industry...
New Bill Supports Entrepreneurship for Those Formerly Incarcerated
Senator Ben Cardin, chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, has introduced his NEW START Act, which is legislation aimed at creating reentry programs with the SBA, awarding grants for business counseling and entrepreneurial development training to...
OSHA Announces New Enforcement Guidance
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued new enforcement guidance regarding penalties for repeated violations of workplace safety and health requirements. OSHA regional administrators and area office directors now have the authority to cite certain...
States to Consider Predictive Scheduling Mandates
Some states – mainly those controlled by Democratic lawmakers – are now considering enacting further “employer mandates,” which are laws that spell out certain aspects of the employer-employee relationship. These states have enacted mandates such as $15 per hour...
Lawmakers Look to Ban Natural Gas in Commercial Buildings
In January, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission created a flurry of controversy over a rumored proposal to restrict the use of gas-powered stoves in homes. Although fears over that federal proposal were exaggerated, state and local lawmakers have been active...
Service Taxes: An Update on State Sales Tax Expansion
State legislators continue to express ongoing interest in expanding the sales tax to new services, according to MultiState Associates, a government relations firm headquartered in Alexandria, Va. Here’s a look at where those efforts stand: Income tax...
PUD: Your Game Plan for Success
Building and Promoting Your Laundromat’s Pickup-and-Delivery Business Waleed Cope believes that we’ve only just scratched the surface of what residential laundry pickup and delivery can be. “As more and more people incorporate more service-based businesses into their...
Wash Day Offering WDF Services at Walmart Locations in Delaware
Wash-dry-fold and drycleaning services are now available at three Walmart Supercenters in Delaware. Through a new company called Wash Day, customers can drop off their laundry at the local Walmart and receive a text message when the clothes are ready to be picked up....
Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution Expands West
Alliance Laundry Systems has acquired the distribution assets of Taylor Houseman, based in Pittsburg, Calif. Taylor Houseman boasts more than two decades of experience providing commercial laundry solutions throughout northern California. “This acquisition further...
Cents Unveils New Marketing Tool for Laundry Owners
Laundromat technology provider Cents has launched an integrated marketing suite called Cents Accelerate – which provides the company’s customers with a website, email, and SMS marketing tools developed exclusively for laundry business owners. Created to enable laundry...
DOE Proposes New Energy Standards for Residential Washers
The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed new energy-efficiency standards for clothes washers and refrigerators, in a move aimed at lowering household energy costs and reducing pollution. It should be noted that the products covered by the proposed rules include...
SPONSORED CONTENT
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
Milnor Promotes Brock Pellerin to Vice President
Pellerin Milnor Corp., headquartered in Kenner, La., has announced the promotion of Brock Pellerin to the position of vice president. Pellerin began his career with Milnor in 2006 as a member of the company’s Application Engineering Department. However he previously...
LG Expands Relationship with WASH
LG Electronics recently announced that it has grown its relationship with WASH, one of the largest laundry route businesses in North America. The new agreement will enable LG to increase its position within the multi-family housing and university dormitory laundry...
Eastern Funding Launches Workshop Series for Laundry Businesses
Industry financial lender Eastern Funding LLC recently announced the launch of its latest round of workshops for laundry businesses. These in-person sessions are designed to provide a forum for laundry owners, prospective investors, and other industry participants...
Cents Announces Reserve with Google Integration
Laundry business management provider Cents recently announced that it has been named the inaugural booking provider for the laundry industry on Reserve with Google. Reserve with Google offers industries like restaurants, salons, and contractors the ability to book...
Cents, LaundryCares Join Forces to Launch Charitable Donation Program
Business management platform Cents and the LaundryCares Foundation have teamed up. Thanks to this newly formed partnership, laundromat visitors across the United States can contribute to the LaundryCares mission through a pioneering round-up program, which allows...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Kaizen: Get Better at Getting Better
Improve Productivity by Embracing This Japanese PhilosophyYears ago, my good friend and fellow store owner Paul Pettefer and I began work on an employee manual. We wanted to create the best possible set of processes and procedures for our businesses and staff...
The Business Mind
Signs, Signs… Everywhere a Sign
How to Make Signage an Essential Ingredient of Your Laundromat’s Marketing Strategy Have you ever thought about how many signs you see in a given day? Likely, it numbers in the hundreds if you consider the signage on the internet, on buildings, on billboards, and in...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Restaurant Laundry, Store Windows, Bedbugs and More…
I have been asked to wash towels, dishcloths and oven mitts for a local café. These items have gray stains from the restaurant's aluminum baking pans. They soak the towels, but the cloths and mitts are badly stained. What can I use to get this laundry white again?...
Viewpoint
Working Together for a Stronger Industry
As my chairmanship on the Coin Laundry Association Board of Directors comes to a close, I want to reflect on both my personal growth and evolution… as well as that of the CLA. The CLA, which works to grow and better the vended laundry industry, is ever-changing to...
Digital Marketing
Create Enthusiasm for Your Wash-Dry-Fold Business
Four Basic Steps to Marketing Your Full-Service Offerings Wash-dry-fold services can be an incredible boon to your customers. You’re offering them a time-saving, hassle-free way to get their laundry done. You’re helping today’s customers stay on top of their busy...
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.
