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.
Pickup-and-Delivery Pricing Done Right
Are You Charging ‘By the Bag’ or ‘By the Pound?’ I don’t think any of us would be surprised to hear that pickup and delivery is the hot topic in our industry today. In fact, this month I presented a keynote presentation on this very topic at the inaugural Laundromat...
Smooth Operators (Part 2)
From Preventive Maintenance to Equipment Repair, Store Owners Share Key Strategies for Keeping Their Laundromats Running Smoothly and Profitably [This is the second of a two-part feature article. You can read Part One here.] In a continuation of PlanetLaundry's March...
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...
Headlines
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...
ARM & HAMMER Laundry Partners with Dress for Success
ARM & HAMMER Laundry has continued its support of Dress for Success, a global not-for-profit organization that empowers women to achieve economic independence. Building on a two-year partnership, ARM & HAMMER Laundry will serve as presenting sponsor of the...
Whirlpool Named One of the Top Companies for Multicultural Women
Whirlpool Corp. recently was recognized as one of Seramount’s 2022 Best Companies for Multicultural Women. The award recognizes companies that create and use the best hiring practices while retaining and promoting multicultural women in the United States. “Inclusion...
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...
EVI Industries to Acquire Aldrich Clean-Tech Equipment Corp.
EVI Industries Inc. has announced that it executed a definitive agreement to acquire Aldrich Clean-Tech Equipment Corp., a commercial laundry distributor headquartered in Worcester, Mass. The acquisition will expand EVI’s sales and service presence within the...
Speed Queen Recognizes Star Distributing with Top Honor
Speed Queen recently honored its top distributors at an evening reception held in Atlanta, prior to this year’s Clean Show. “It was certainly an inspiring evening to have the whole Speed Queen commercial family in one room again and to celebrate their collective...
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...
SPONSORED CONTENT
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
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...
California Bill Would Require Microfiber Filters on Washers
California Assembly Member Tina McKinnor has introduced a bill that would mandate the installation of microfiber filters on all new washing machines sold in her state by 2029. “California has been a leader in reducing plastic pollution and must continue to lead on...
WaveMAX Teams with OMNI Solutions to Offer UV Technology
Laundromat franchise WaveMAX has announced the expansion of its strategic relationship with OMNI Solutions, an EPA-registered provider of UV technology. “The WaveMAX advantage elevates the laundromat visit from an inconvenient chore to a positive experience in a...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Building a Winning Team, Part 3
The Right Attendants with the Proper Training Will Have Customers Viewing You and Your Staff as Their Local Laundry Experts [This is the third of a three-part series on hiring and training laundry attendants.] Last month, I discussed how to track a new attendant's...
The Business Mind
What’s on My Bookshelf?
The ‘Best of the Best’ from the Author’s Own Personal Business Library I’ve had the same office in the same building for the last 15 years – from which my brother, Fred, and I run our laundry machinery distributorship. As with most repetitive actions, when I arrive to...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Licensed to Launder?
I offer a drop-off laundry service at my store, and I’ve been doing so for years. However, a local business inspector recently visited my laundromat and told me that I need a special license to provide this type of wash-dry-fold service. Do you know anything about...
Viewpoint
Out of Necessity
"Necessity is the mother of taking chances." – Mark TwainA recent visit to a laundromat in the Lower Price Hill enclave in Cincinnati got me thinking about our business and the nature of necessity. The aforementioned laundry is Washing Well community laundromat, a...
Digital Marketing
Marketing Your Multi-Store Operation
To Grow Your Vended Laundry Business, Focus on Four Key Factors Here’s a fact that shouldn’t surprise you by now: More than half of all purchases are influenced by a digital presence. You, your neighbors and the strangers across town are all Googling (and maybe...
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.
