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.

Getting Paid, Part 2

Getting Paid, Part 2

Payment Options and Considerations for Today’s Laundromat Owners This is the second of a two-part feature on payment acceptance options for laundromat owners. You can read Part 1 here.] Several laundromat operators share their thoughts on the payment methods they...

Laundromat Safety is No Accident, Part 1

Laundromat Safety is No Accident, Part 1

Here’s How to Keep Your Employees and Customers Safe – And Your Business Compliant with Today’s OSHA Regulations [This is the first of a two-part feature on keeping your laundry business OSHA-compliant.] “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” – Benjamin...

Getting Paid, Part 1

Getting Paid, Part 1

Payment Options and Considerations for Today’s Laundromat Owners [This is the first of a two-part feature on payment acceptance options for laundromat owners.] As a laundromat owner in 2022, you need to give yourself as many opportunities to succeed in your business...

Headlines

Laundromat Software Startup Raises Pre-Seed Funding

Turns, a vertical SaaS startup for the laundry industry, has raised $500,000 in pre-seed funding, led by Better Capital, along with participation from PointOne Capital and a group of angel investors. Turns provides laundromat owners with an integrated software and...

Laundry Owner to Speak at Women’s Conference

Monica Wales, owner of Happy Laundry in Spokane, Wash., will be a featured speaker at the upcoming WE Ignite Conference 2023, a virtual event scheduled for February 9-11. Wales’ interactive session – “From Paycheck to Paycheck to Abundance” – will be held at 1:00 p.m....

SDA’s Cleaners Showcase Free to CLA Members

The Southwest Drycleaners Association recently announced that conference registration and housing is now open for Cleaners Showcase 2023, which will be held April 28-30 in Irving, Texas. Registration is free for Coin Laundry Association members, while non-members are...

Managing Your Fleet, Part 3

A Look at One of the Most Critical Aspects for Successfully Scaling a Pickup-and-Delivery Service [This is the third of a three-part feature article on managing a fleet of laundry delivery vehicles. Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2.] One of the main elements in the...

CLA Announces Connect LIVE Events for 2023

The Coin Laundry Association has scheduled 10 Connect LIVE events in select locations for 2023. The main purpose of the events is to provide opportunities for laundry owners to network and share ideas over dinner at a local restaurant. The events scheduled for the...

SBA Adjusts Disaster Loan Program

The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced it will waive the interest rate for the first year on new disaster loans and extend the initial payment deferment period automatically to 12 months. “We must ensure that communities struck by disaster have the help...

Managing Your Fleet, Part 2

A Look at One of the Most Critical Aspects for Successfully Scaling a Pickup-and-Delivery Service [This is the second of a three-part feature article on managing a fleet of laundry delivery vehicles. You can read Part 1 here.] Make no mistake: your delivery vans are...

Six Regulatory Issues to Watch in 2023

Human resources and payroll solutions company Paychex recently unveiled its annual list of the most prominent regulatory issues employers will need to contend with in 2023. Here’s a look at the leading compliance-related topics laundromat owners should keep an eye on:...

Clean Rite Hosts Financial Literacy Graduation

More than 50 people representing nine nationalities recently participated in a free, eight-week virtual financial education session, which was led by Qualitas of Life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving Hispanic family financial security. On December 10,...

CLA Promotes Thomas

The Coin Laundry Association has named Nika Thomas as the organization’s director of advertising and sponsorship sales. Thomas, who joined the CLA in August 2013, will lead all advertising sales for PlanetLaundry, as well as all sponsorship sales for the CLA’s...

States Upping the Minimum Wage in 2023

In 2023, 27 states will increase their minimum wages – with most of these hikes taking effect on January 1. California will have the highest minimum wage rate at $15.50, up from the $15 it set in 2022. Only Washington D.C. has a higher minimum wage of $16.10. D.C.’s...

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June 2025 Cover of PlanetLaundry Magazine

This Month's Issue

 

  • The Business of Laundry: Models That Work
  • PlanetLaundry Podcast: AI as a Business Partner – Changing the Game for Laundromat Owners
  • Member Spotlight: Redefining Utility Access for the Modern Laundromat
  • CLEAN SHOW 2025: Schedule of CLA Events
  • And More…

THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS

Industry News

Star Distributing Celebrates 65 Years of Industry Service

Established in 1958 by Durwood R. Davis Jr., Star Distributing – headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. – this year celebrates 65 years of serving the laundry industry. A long-time full-service distributor, Star has provided laundromat owners in the Southeast with sales,...

EVI Reports Record Growth

EVI Industries Inc. recently reported record results in key financial metrics for the fourth fiscal quarter and the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023. The company also announced that its board of directors has declared a special cash dividend on the company’s common...

Tide Opens Third Chicago Laundromat Location

Tide Laundromat has announced the opening of its third Chicago location in the city’s North Riverside neighborhood. To celebrate the grand opening, the community was invited for a Free Wash Weekend on October 14-15. “We are thrilled to open our third location in the...

Laundrylux Distribution to Host Educational Events

Laundrylux Distribution will host The Laundry Experts Forum, a series of free educational and networking events focused on laundromat owners and potential investors in the vended laundry industry. These events will take place at four separate locations and will...

FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Columns

The Laundry Doctor

Touching Moments

Cut Costs by Limiting the Number of Times Employees Handle Each Wash-Dry-Fold Order Do you mind if we get a little touchy-feely this month? Over the last six months or so, I've had numerous conversations with some of my colleagues from all across the country as to...

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The Business Mind

What, Me Worry?

What, Me Worry?

You’ll Never Eliminate Anxiety from Your Business Life, But Here’s How to Control It “Stop worrying about what can go wrong, and get excited about what can go right.” I’m confident you’ll agree that owning a business such as (but not limited to) a laundromat can be,...

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Wash With Wally

Wash with Wally: Cleaning White Dress Shirts

Wash with Wally: Cleaning White Dress Shirts

I recently washed and dried a load of white dress shirts. When these shirts came out of the washer, they were bright white. However, after drying them, they had all turned yellow. I’ve never had this problem before. What can I do to prevent this from reoccurring? And...

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Viewpoint

Good for the Community, Good for Business

Good for the Community, Good for Business

For two days this past March, the somewhat esoteric worlds of early-childhood education and library science intersected with the pragmatic, bottom-line business of laundromat ownership. Strange bedfellows, indeed. It’s a partnership that, at first glance, maybe...

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Digital Marketing

Marketing Fads to Reconsider

Marketing Fads to Reconsider

When It Comes to Promoting Your Laundromat, Jumping on the Latest Marketing Bandwagon is Not a Great Idea Remember fidget spinners? It seems like 2017 was decades ago, but it’s only been a few years since the spinning fad took the world by storm – then disappeared to...

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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.