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.

Going Forward… (Part 1)

Going Forward… (Part 1)

Industry Insiders Recap the Past Year – And Look Closely at the Factors Shaping the Laundry Business in 2023 [This is the first of a two-part feature article reviewing the year in laundry and taking a glimpse at what 2023 and beyond might hold for store owners.] It’s...

CLA Member of the Year

CLA Member of the Year

An Interview with Colleen Unema of Brio Laundry in Bellingham, Wash. Colleen Unema is the owner of Brio Laundry in Bellingham, Wash. She’s also a nationally certified teacher, who taught the sciences for nearly 25 years – from the high school level to college classes....

Growing Your Full-Service Laundry Business

Growing Your Full-Service Laundry Business

Nine Suggestions to Help Maximize WDF and Commercial Accounts Profits The real question isn’t whether or not you should grow the full-service side of your laundromat business. It’s why wouldn’t you? Harnessing the right technology and equipment, you can enter new...

Headlines

Who Are You Talking To?

Knowing Your Customers’ Wants, Needs and Desires Will Give You a Leg Up on the Competition – And Reveal Just How Special Your Laundry Services Really Are! Running a laundry business can be an exciting journey, as you try to lure various customers with different wants...

Curbside Laundries Offers Laundromat Tours

Curbside Laundries is now offering tours of its own Super Suds laundromat in Long Beach, Calif., to store owners who use the company’s software. Super Suds is a laundromat business owned by the founders of Curbside Laundries. The tour provides an opportunity for...

New Financing Service Focuses on Quick Approvals

Clean Laundry Funding has announced the launch of its new financing service for commercial laundry investors and distributors. The company said it plans to offer a fresh take on financing that delivers express approvals and hands-on customer support to help laundry...

Speed Queen Announces Spring Shows

Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution West Region (previously PWS) will host spring shows in March at its three California locations. The shows are geared toward current and prospective laundromat owners considering equipment replacement or expanding to new locations....

Industry Mourns Bo Fosaaen

Industry veteran Knute Arthur “Bo” Fosaaen Jr. recently passed away at the age of 76. Born in California, Fosaaen’s family moved to Jacksonville, Fla., when Bo was just 3 years old. The oldest of nine children, Fosaaen served in the Florida National Guard after high...

CLA Promotes Hastings

The Coin Laundry Association has named Katherine Hastings the organization’s administrative and membership coordinator. Hastings, who joined CLA in 1997, is the association’s longest-standing employee, other than President/CEO Brian Wallace. During her tenure,...

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...

CleanCloud Teams with Cobblers Direct on Leather-Repair Service

Laundry POS and pickup-and-delivery software provider CleanCloud has announced a partnership with Cobblers Direct, an online spinoff of the world’s largest shoe and leather goods repair company, The Shoe Hospitals. The agreement enables CleanCloud’s North American...

LIG Health and Wellness Roundup

The Coin Laundry Association works with LIG Solutions to provide CLA members with healthcare insurance, as well as prescription drug services. Below are some articles LIG has provided to help expand your health and wellness awareness, as well as your knowledge of new...

2ULaundry Raises $20 Million in Series B Funding

Mobile laundry pickup-and-delivery service 2ULaundry recently announced a $20 million Series B funding, which was led by Level 5 Capital Partners. To date, the company has raised $25.4 million. With this capital injection, 2ULaundry plans to continue scaling physical...

Laundrylux Announces Senior Management Change

As the next step in its senior management development process, Laundrylux recently announced that Julia Milch has assumed the responsibilities of president of the company. “Julia will initially focus on technology, marketing, and supporting the Laundrylux Distribution...

CLA Aims to Elevate Industry with New Sponsorship Program

The Coin Laundry Association has partnered with five leading laundromat equipment providers in a bold new sponsorship initiative that will have benefits for the entire industry. Launched this month, CLA’s Strategic Corporate Ally program aims to strengthen services...

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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

Setomatic Names New President

Setomatic Systems Inc.-SpyderWash has promoted Gregg Schantz to president. Gregg, who is the third generation to enter the family business, has been with the company for more than a decade. During his tenure, he has worked in all aspects of the business and was vital...

ACI Unveils Spanish Language Version of ‘Packets Up!’ Website

The American Cleaning Institute has launched a Spanish version of its Packets Up! webpage. The Packets Up! initiative was developed to help reduce the number of unintended exposures to liquid laundry packets among children. The new webpage features a whiteboard video,...

Laundromax Opens First Texas Location

Laundry Capital – a Rego Park, N.Y., company consisting of the Laundromax and Clean Rite laundromat brands – has announced the grand opening of its first Laundromax location in Texas. With more than 80 laundromats in the United States, the newest Laundromax, located...

EVI Reports Record First Quarter Results

EVI Industries Inc. recently announced its results for the first quarter of its fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, including record revenue and gross profit. Since 2016, EVI has completed 25 acquisitions, expanded into new geographies, retained and invested in...

FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Columns

The Laundry Doctor

Pound Foolish

Here Are a Couple of Unique Pricing Models to Consider That May Help You Present and Market Your Wash-Dry-Fold Business I'm always looking for different ways to market and develop a wash-dry-fold service. So, this month, I'd like to discuss a couple of ideas that are...

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The Business Mind

‘Making a Bouquet’

‘Making a Bouquet’

Promoting Your Laundromat in Today’s Culturally and Generationally Diverse Marketplace During the last 20 years, the changes that have occurred – from both technological and cultural/social standpoints – have been profound. And these changes have had a major impact on...

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Wash With Wally

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...

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Digital Marketing

Investing in Online Real Estate

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....

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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.