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.
Smooth Operators (Part 1)
From Preventive Maintenance to Equipment Repair, Store Owners Share Key Strategies for Keeping Their Laundromats Running Smoothly and Profitably Houston laundromat owner Rob Maes was still a newcomer to the industry when he received his first wake-up call, as to the...
What Can the CLA Do for You?
“What can Brown do for you?” That was the popular slogan for UPS from 2002 to 2010. Simple in structure yet far-reaching in scope, the slogan engaged UPS’ multi-platform customer universe to think about its relationship with the company and how it might be expanded....
Business Bio: Green Laundry Lounge
Jay Desai Green Laundry Lounge Greer, S.C. Before Getting into the Laundry Business… Green Laundry Lounge founder and part-owner Jay Desai is a design engineer, a self-described foodie and a hobbyist photographer. Desai is passionate about the environment, and he...
Headlines
The Best of Both Worlds
With a Few Equipment Tweaks, California Laundromat Owners Expand Their Business – Catering to Self-Service and Full-Service Clients Alike Shortly after purchasing an existing laundromat near Palm Springs, Calif., Keith and Jacqueline Reed decided to make a few...
CLA Names New, Re-Elected Members to 2023 Board of Directors
The Coin Laundry Association has announced five re-elected and one newly elected Board members, who will round out the organization’s 2023 Board of Directors. The Board election was ratified last month during the CLA’s annual meeting at the Clean Show in Atlanta. CLA...
Healthcare Group Offers Outreach at Philadelphia Laundromats
Philadelphia-based managed care organization Health Partners Plans is teaming up with Fabric Health for outreach at five laundromats in the city, according to a recent Philadelphia Business Journal report. Fabric Health will help Health Partners Plans members update...
Continental Creative Services Changes Name to Girbau Creative Services
Continental Creative Services, a division of Girbau North America, has changed its name to Girbau Creative Services. “We wanted to change the name to better align with our parent company, Girbau Global Laundry Solutions,” said Creative Services Manager Kim Foxcroft....
Speed Queen Laundry Franchise to Open in South Carolina
Speed Queen has announced that the first Speed Queen Laundry franchise in South Carolina is set to open in Greenville, with grand opening activities slated for September 7-14. The 2,800-square-foot location features touchscreen controls, washers with capacities...
Cents Acquires Starchup, Expands PUD Platform
Venture-backed technology company Cents has acquired Starchup, a provider of pickup and delivery, POS and drycleaning software. Through this acquisition, Cents stated it will be able to bolster its existing pickup and delivery platform by adding functionality and...
Business Partners to Open Five LaundroLab Locations in St. Petersburg Market
Laundromat franchise LaundroLab has announced it will expand its reach in Florida – with four entrepreneurs bringing five new locations to the St. Petersburg area. Carlie Canfield, Matt Denault and their spouses had been flipping single-family homes since 2019, when a...
HappyNest Expands Presence in Tennessee
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded its availability within the Tennessee market east of Nashville through the company’s new laundromat partner, Antioch Coin Laundry. “We pride ourselves on offering unparalleled service from our staff, which...
Our Industry is Alive, Well… And Thriving
Having now had the opportunity to fully digest my time at last month’s Clean Show in Atlanta, I’m happy to report that the self-service laundry industry – as well as the residential wash-dry-fold and pickup-and-delivery segments of the business – are alive and well....
‘Helping Youth in Need’
New York Laundry Owner Shares His Thoughts on Adding a Literacy Element to His Business Model Multi-store owner Steve Levine may be the perfect role model for the LaundryCares Foundation’s literacy programs and Family Read, Play & Learn Centers. After all, he’s...
Huebsch Honors Top Distributors
Huebsch recently honored its top-performing distributors of 2021 at an awards ceremony at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, held in conjunction with this year’s Clean Show. The manufacturer presented Aaxon Laundry Equipment of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with its Distributor of...
HappyNest Continues Chicago Expansion
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded within the Chicago market, now available in eastern portion of the city through its new laundromat partner, Easy Clean Laundry. The company had expanded westward earlier this year. “HappyNest was the obvious...
SPONSORED CONTENT
This Month's Issue
- Metrics That Matter: Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry
- Women In Laundry: Haley Gould Finds Perfect Fit
- Company Close-Up: Company Founded to Help Small Businesses Shines
- New Member Spotlight: How Robotics Could Change Laundromat Industry
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
Service Taxes: An Update on State Sales Tax Expansion
State legislators continue to express ongoing interest in expanding the sales tax to new services, according to MultiState Associates, a government relations firm headquartered in Alexandria, Va. Here’s a look at where those efforts stand: Income tax...
Wash Day Offering WDF Services at Walmart Locations in Delaware
Wash-dry-fold and drycleaning services are now available at three Walmart Supercenters in Delaware. Through a new company called Wash Day, customers can drop off their laundry at the local Walmart and receive a text message when the clothes are ready to be picked up....
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...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Minimizing Payroll, Maximizing Productivity
With Labor Costs on the Rise, Getting the Most Out of Your Staff is Critical to the Success of Your Wash-Dry-Fold and Commercial Laundry Business As a small-business owner, you’re very likely aware that there’s a movement in cities and states across the...
The Business Mind
Understanding Our Economic Behavior
How Our Psychological Makeup Impacts Our Financial Decisions I’ve consulted with a great many laundromat owners over the years. And nearly all of them have been preoccupied with their financial decisions – either those that had been made in the past or those that the...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Increasing Labor Costs
I own three vended laundries, and I’m quite concerned about the $15 per hour minimum wage that’s being talked about more and more these days. I have three or four employees at each of my locations, and I’m paying those attendants $10 per hour. I don’t know how I would...
Viewpoint
The Art of Building a Brand
Here Are the Keys to Establishing and Growing Your Laundry Business' Brand IdentityWhat is a brand and why is it critical to the success of a business? What factors must be considered when establishing a brand and brand identity? How is your brand communicated?...
Digital Marketing
Staying Connected
The Best Way to Keep Up with Today’s Fast-Paced Online World The internet is different today than it was yesterday. And it will change again tomorrow. Just go check out your Facebook feed – or inbox! You’ve likely got a completely different look, and that’s just on...
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.
