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.
Laundromat Safety is No Accident, Part 2
Here’s How to Keep Your Employees and Customers Safe – And Your Business Compliant with Today’s OSHA Regulations [This is the second of a two-part feature on workplace safety in the laundromat. You can read Part 1 here.] There are some measures that don’t necessarily...
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
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...
Headlines
Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution Relocates Dallas Office
The Dallas-area headquarters of Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution has relocated to the Dallas suburb of Coppell, Texas. The office previously was based in Farmers Branch, Texas. “I can’t wait to open the doors of our new office to customers,” said Sam Husain,...
Iowa Laundry Hosts ‘Clean for a Cause’ Event
Clean Laundry in Ottumwa, Iowa, recently partnered with Whatsoever You Do Inc., a Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the less fortunate, during one of the laundromat’s “Clean for a Cause” charitable events. Clean Laundry co-founder Phil Akin...
Texas Laundromat Holds Coat Drive for Homeless
Gr8 Laundry in College Station, Texas, has teamed up with Hope’s Locker, an organization that helps homeless children within the area, to host a coat and blanket drive. “For us to be able to reach out and help however we can makes us feel good with what little bit we...
Alliance Acquires Laundry Equipment Services
Alliance Laundry Systems has expanded its direct distribution base with the acquisition of Laundry Equipment Services. The acquisition – Alliance’s fifth distributor asset purchase in the last two years – is the company’s latest move in a strategy “to bring...
Wash with Wally: Making ‘Scents’ of WDF Laundry
My store handles a good amount of wash-dry-fold laundry, and lately I’ve been using a lot of detergent and softener. When I approached my laundry attendants about this issue, they told me that many of the customers indicated that they wanted their clothes to smell...
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...
Milnor Honors Top Distributors
At this year’s Clean Show in Atlanta, Pellerin Milnor Corp. hosted a banquet and awards ceremony to celebrate outstanding sales efforts by its distributor network. “Pellerin Laundry Machinery Sales Company had a tremendous level of sales activity for 2021,” said Rick...
Business Bio: Avenue O Laundry
Jim and Melanie Cobb Avenue O Laundry Fort Madison, Iowa Before Getting into the Laundry Business… Jim is an operations manager for a general contractor, and Melanie is a realtor and property manager. Both owners remain in those positions. Store Opening June 2022...
Clean Brands Offers Laundry Services at U.S. Military Bases
Clean Brands has begun offering an array of cleaning and garment-care services at the Exchanges at U.S. Army and Air Force bases across the U.S. As part of the agreement, Clean Brands will provide laundry and drycleaning services in several formats. Those could...
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....
Laundry Luv, LaundryCares Team Up for Free Laundry Event in Texas
The LaundryCares Foundation will welcome the community of Abilene, Texas, to experience a Free Laundry and Literacy Day event at Laundry Luv on December 7. Guests can enjoy complimentary laundry services and cleaning products, plus free food and fun activities for...
Whirlpool Named to 2022 Seramount Inclusion Index
Whirlpool Corp. has been recognized as an inclusive workplace by Seramount’s sixth annual Inclusion Index. The Inclusion Index helps organizations understand trends and opportunities in demographic representation; creates a road map to drive internal change; and...
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 Salutes Top Distributors
Pellerin Milnor Corp. has recognized the leading distributorships within its dealer network, naming Western State Design – headquartered in Hayward, Calif., and founded in 1974 – as its top distributor of 2022 for machinery sales and service support to Milnor...
ACI Supports Adding New Laundry Products to EPA Programs
The American Cleaning Institute has recommended new product categories be added to the Environmental Protection Agency’s potential expansion of its Safer Choice and Design for the Environment programs. The Safer Choice and DfE programs allow companies to receive an...
ByNext Acquires Laundry Angels
ByNext, a tech-enabled clothing and premise care company, has acquired Laundry Angels, a tech-enabled laundry and drycleaning pickup-and-delivery services company based in New Jersey. The move is part of the ByNext strategy to expand its omni-services and omni-channel...
CG West to Host Customer Appreciation Days
Continental Girbau West will host a three-day customer appreciation event on September 12-14 at the company’s headquarters in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. This free event, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day, is open to current and potential CG West...
Eastern Funding Bolsters Sales Team
Eastern Funding LLC – a financial lender to laundromats, industrial laundries, car washes, commercial vehicles, and other businesses – has announced that Raina Bass has joined the company as loan officer. Bass, who will focus on commercial laundry financing, joins...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Maximizing Your Wash Dry Fold Labor
How to Build Key Efficiencies into Your Full-Service Laundry Business In last month’s column, I wrote about the keys to partnering with your local drycleaner, which will be one of the educational topics discussed at Clean 2017 in Las Vegas. This month, I’d like to...
The Business Mind
Are You a Procrastinator?
The Time You’re Wasting is Costing You Money, Customers and the Opportunity to Reach Your Full Potential While attending Michigan State University as an undergraduate, I served as the student manager of the varsity tennis team. One particularly freezing January...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Battling Bleach Stains
A few of my drop-off laundry customers have complained about small bleach spots on their clothes. However, we don’t use bleach on their clothes, nor do we place the garments where bleach could be splashed on them. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the bleach...
Viewpoint
Partners in Laundry
To say the least, business partnerships of any kind are always going to be challenging. In fact, the majority of partnerships I've ever seen have failed, rather than succeeded. What's the problem? I believe the issue is that a business partnership is much like a...
Digital Marketing
Marketing During Times of Crisis
Some Promotional Do’s, Don’ts and Considerations as We All Try to Navigate the COVID-19 Crisis It’s easy to get downhearted about the state of the world in the middle of COVID-19’s madness. With social distancing measures, self-quarantines in place and a heightened...
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.
