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.

Life of a Salesman

Life of a Salesman

An Interview with Bryan Maxwell of Western State Design Bryan Maxwell is the senior laundry specialist for Western State Design, a major laundry equipment distributor, headquartered in Hayward, Calif. Maxwell began with Western State in 1988 – selling industrial OPL...

Word to the Wise, Part 2

Word to the Wise, Part 2

Laundromat Owners Share Best Practices for Long-Term Success [This is the second of the two-part feature article. Read Part 1 here.] Several leading laundromat owners share their best business and operational advice, tips and strategies for new store operators and...

Word to the Wise, Part 1

Word to the Wise, Part 1

Laundromat Owners Share Best Practices for Long-Term Success [This is the first of a two-part feature on best practices for new laundromat owners.] Starting a business – any business – can be stressful. It can feel like there are 1,000 things to think about and work...

Headlines

HappyNest Expands Reach in Southern California

Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its availability to Tujunga, Calif., and the surrounding region through new partner Elite Laundry Center. Based in Tujunga, Elite Laundry now offers HappyNest PUD laundry services to residents and businesses...

LaundroLab Grows Its Corporate Team

Laundromat franchise LaundroLab has announced new additions to its corporate team. They are: David Reeves, chief operating officer; Jason Carache, director of finance and accounting; and Keith Martinez, new store opening project manager. Reeves is an operations...

All You Need is ‘Luv’

Texas Laundromat Chain Champions the LaundryCares Message The LaundryCares Foundation’s early childhood literacy initiative – and its accompanying Family Read, Play & Learn Centers – seem tailor-made for Laundry Luv. In fact, the Texas-based company with...

Localize Your Message

Five Local Marketing Tactics That Can Grow Your Laundry Business Marketing can be a tricky subject to approach. On one hand, you want to attract new customers and gain business. On the other hand, you have a lot of options, information, competing ideas, and most...

Whirlpool Expands Care Counts Laundry Program

While students have been back to in-person learning for about a year, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact attendance rates nationwide. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 72 percent of U.S. public schools reported an increase...

Minnesota Publication Recognizes Laundromat Chain

For the second year in a row, the Star Tribune has named Tumble Fresh Coin Laundries “Minnesota’s Best” laundromat, based on the publication’s readers’ poll of top businesses throughout the state. “We got really good at what we were doing,” said Stephen Linn, chief...

2ULaundry Expands Business to Tampa

Pickup-and-delivery service 2ULaundry will open a new location on October 31 in Tampa, Fla. It will be the company’s second market after launching in Charlotte, N.C. “Tampa has always been on our roadmap for expansion,” said Dan D’Aquisto, co-founder and president of...

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...

EVI to Acquire Wholesale Commercial Laundry Equipment SE

EVI Industries Inc. has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Wholesale Commercial Laundry Equipment SE, a distributor of commercial laundry products and a provider of installation and maintenance services to the vended and on-premises laundry segments based in...

Whirlpool Named Among ‘World’s Best Employers’

Whirlpool Corp. has announced it has been named to Forbes’ 2022 list of the “World’s Best Employers.” The list includes companies worldwide and acknowledges each company’s dedication to make every individual feel at home within the four walls of the business. “At...

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September Magazine Issue

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

PayRange, Turns Announce Exclusive Partnership

PayRange Inc., a provider of mobile payments for unattended retail operations, has announced an exclusive licensing agreement with laundromat and drycleaning software provider Turnsapp Inc. “We are particularly impressed by the scope and caliber of Turn’s offerings,”...

CLA Promotes Gonzalez

The Coin Laundry Association has named Christina Gonzalez the organization’s new director of finance and human resources. Gonzalez, who joined CLA in April 2012, most recently served as the association’s director of administration and accounting. In her new role, she...

CSC ServiceWorks Announces Leadership Changes

Consumer services platform company CSC ServiceWorks Inc. has announced changes to its executive leadership team. The company’s board of directors has appointed Rod Castellanos as chief executive officer, who has served as co-CEO and been a member of the board since...

WashClub Partners with DoorDash in New York City

Brooklyn-based on-demand laundry and drycleaning service WashClub has announced its partnership with DoorDash to provide New York City customers with quick, convenient delivery. Currently, this new offering is available exclusively in Queens and Brooklyn. However,...

New Ownership at Mountain Electronics

Long Brothers Holdings Inc. (RDM Industrial Electronics Inc.) has acquired the assets of laundry electronic equipment remanufacturer Mountain Electronics Inc. “Customers are guaranteed a smooth transition of ownership with no immediate changes to ordering,...

FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS

Columns

The Laundry Doctor

Growing Your Business by Serving Your Community

Seniors and Other Niche Market Segments May Be Perfect Opportunities to Build Your Wash-Dry-Fold Clientele In many ways, doing wash-dry-fold laundry for seniors in your community can almost be considered a public service commitment. At my store, I have about half a...

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The Business Mind

The Psychology of Risk

The Psychology of Risk

Mastering the Uncertainties of Laundromat Ownership “Ninety-five percent of thought, emotion and learning occur in the unconscious mind without our awareness.” – Dr. Gerald Zautman, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University It’s a well-accepted fact that all business...

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Wash With Wally

Wash with Wally: Installing Automatic Doors

Wash with Wally: Installing Automatic Doors

I’m in the process of building a new laundromat from the ground up. The question I have is about the front and side doors to my facility. I’ve already decided that I will put in automatic doors. However, do you think I should install sliding or swinging doors? In your...

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Viewpoint

Define Your Business

Of all the factors impacting the success of a laundromat, site selection is right up there with having sufficient capital to launch and operate a new business. Both affect a business' chances of succeeding to a larger degree than almost any other factors.With that...

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Digital Marketing

Deconstructing the ‘App’

Deconstructing the ‘App’

Three Types of Apps Any Business Can Use – Even Yours When you hear the word “app,” you probably think about something on your phone that has a pretty specific use. Something like the Facebook app or your bank app. They’re useful and handy – but, ultimately,...

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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.