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
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...
California Bill Would Require Microfiber Filters on Washers
California Assembly Member Tina McKinnor has introduced a bill that would mandate the installation of microfiber filters on all new washing machines sold in her state by 2029. “California has been a leader in reducing plastic pollution and must continue to lead on...
WaveMAX Teams with OMNI Solutions to Offer UV Technology
Laundromat franchise WaveMAX has announced the expansion of its strategic relationship with OMNI Solutions, an EPA-registered provider of UV technology. “The WaveMAX advantage elevates the laundromat visit from an inconvenient chore to a positive experience in a...
Knowing When the Price is Right
Laundromat Owners Share the Pricing Philosophies They Utilize to Keep Their Self-Service Customers Happy – And Their Bottom Lines Healthy [This is the second of a two-part series on vend price strategies for today’s self-service laundry businesses. Read Part 1 here.]...
Alliance Kicks Off New Partnership with CLA
Alliance Laundry Systems recently kicked off its participation in the Coin Laundry Association’s Strategic Corporate Ally program by hosting CLA President and CEO Brian Wallace at its corporate office in Ripon, Wis. Wallace met with Alliance’s executive staff and...
Grant Rawlins Named President of R&B Wire Products
R&B Wire Products, headquartered in Santa Ana, Calif., has promoted Grant Rawlins to president. Rawlins, the third generation in his family to lead the company, has been with R&B since graduating from Pepperdine University in 2016. During his time at R&B,...
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...
Clean Show Scheduled for August 2025 in Orlando
Messe Frankfurt, which manages the Clean Show, has announced the upcoming dates for North America’s largest drycleaning, laundering, and textile-care exposition. The four-day event will next take place August 23-26, 2025, at the Orange County Convention Center in...
HappyNest Continues to Expand Service Footprint
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest announced that the company expanded its availability in 11 states during the fourth quarter of last year. HappyNest is now offering service in Minneapolis, Asheboro, Hendersonville, San Bernardino, Colorado Springs,...
PayRange Launches Contest for App Users
PayRange Inc. – a developer of a mobile payment app and a manufacturer of payment hardware for automated retail – has announced the launch of its #IHEARTPAYRANGE contest for users of the company’s app. This contest is intended to celebrate and thank PayRange’s more...
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
CLA Names Executive Vice President
The Coin Laundry Association has promoted Danielle Bauer, CAE to the position of executive vice president. Bauer most recently served as the association’s director of membership and education. In her new role, she will oversee CLA’s marketing and communications,...
PayRange, KioSoft Settle Patent Dispute
Payment providers PayRange Inc. and KioSoft Technologies have settled a four-year patent dispute over mobile payment technology used to enable consumers to pay self-service retail machines, including laundry and vending machines. PayRange had alleged that KioSoft and...
Alliance in Negotiations to Acquire REM
Alliance Laundry Systems and REM Company Inc. have entered into an exclusive agreement, subject to due diligence, to acquire the distribution assets of REM, with a target closing of early February. “From the very beginnings of the company, the Moore family made...
The Laundry Boss Appoints New Chief Product Officer
The Laundry Boss, a provider of technology solutions for the laundry industry, has named Adam Dill its new chief product officer. Before joining The Laundry Boss, Dill most recently served as director of information technology for Alliance Laundry Systems. During his...
HappyNest Expands Service in New York
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its availability to Queens Village, N.Y., through the company’s new partner, So Fresh So Clean Laundromat. The store is now providing HappyNest PUD laundry services to residents and businesses in the cities of...
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: Laundry Detergent, Drainage Systems and More…
I own a successful laundromat in a small Midwestern town. One of my promotions is giving my customers free detergent – all they need Monday through Friday. The problem I have is that some of the customers use too much of the detergent and over-suds the washers. I was...
Viewpoint
A New Laundromat in the Neighborhood?
Not that long ago, I had a competitor build a store right across the street from me. Literally, I could stand at the front door of my laundromat and throw a rock through his window. (Just for the record, I didn’t.) Fortunately, it takes a while to build a store from...
Digital Marketing
Investing in Online Real Estate
A Look at Some Digital Marketing Options to Help You Build Your Laundromat Business As someone who is in the vended laundry business (or is considering investing in a laundromat), you’re also somewhat – by default – in the commercial real estate business as well....
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.
