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.

Coping with COVID-19
Laundromat Owners Share Their Thoughts on Providing Essential Services During These Historic and Unsettling Times With the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, our world changed – seemingly overnight. At least for now. Sheltering in place, social distancing and personal...

The Art of Legendary Customer Service
How to Create a Culture of Connection Within Your Marketplace Customer service in a laundromat may not qualify as an “art form,” per se. However, over the years, I’ve encountered some fantastic store owners and attendants who let me know that I definitely was in the...

The New ABCs of Worker Classification
Are Your Workers ‘Employees’ or ‘Independent Contractors?’ In 2018, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles in which a new standard – commonly referred to as the “ABC Test” – will be used to...
Headlines
Making a Connection, Part 2
From 3G to 4G to 5G and Beyond: How Cellular Connectivity is Helping to Power Today’s Laundromat Industry [This is the second in a two-part series on internet connectivity options for laundromats. The first part appeared in the August issue of PlanetLaundry magazine,...
With Section 179 Deadline Looming, Don’t Overlook Supply Chain Issues
To be eligible for a 2021 Section 179 deduction, the eligible equipment must be purchased and put into service by midnight December 31, 2021. It’s not enough to merely buy the equipment. Given that, laundromat owners are reminded to keep the current supply chain...
CLA at 60!
Trade Association Celebrates Major Milestone The Coin Laundry Association is celebrating a major milestone in 2021 – 60 years of serving the laundromat industry. Originally known as the National Automatic Laundry and Cleaning Council, the not-for-profit trade...
Making a Connection
Examining the Internet Connectivity Options Available to Your Laundromat Business With the evolution of the Internet of Things, the number of devices that are created and need connectivity to the internet to function is skyrocketing. Laundromat owners have more...
Digital Marketing 101
Executing the Basics to Promote Your Laundromat Digital marketing can get complicated. Really complicated – really quickly. So, this article is dedicated to all of those laundromat owners and managers out there who could use some help executing just a basic digital...
Wash with Wally: Selecting the Perfect Laundry Site
I’m interested in building a new laundromat. I have two locations, but I feel that I have time to handle a third store as well. My first two laundries were built by the previous owners, so I’m not very familiar with the due diligence process of knowing how to properly...
HappyNest Expands Into Boston Area
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest is now available in Boston, through its new partner, Boston Laundry, Inc. The 9,000-square-foot facility in Malden, Mass., serves residents and businesses in cities and towns throughout Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk...
Setomatic-SpyderWash Names West Coast Account Manager
Setomatic Systems-SpyderWash has named Ryan West its new West Coast account manager. West began his career in the laundry industry 10 year ago, as a laundromat owner. Since then, he has held laundry equipment sales and laundromat brokerage positions at Elite Business...
Planet Laundry Podcast Episode 24: An Interview with Mike Kelly
Welcome to the PlanetLaundry Podcast – brought to you by PlanetLaundry, the magazine of the Coin Laundry Association. In this episode, Coin Laundry Association Director of Membership and Education Danielle Bauer chats with Mike Kelly, director of distribution...
Embracing Change
I began my career in the commercial laundry industry in 1980 as a regional sales manager for one of the major equipment manufacturers. Since then, I’ve held various sales and management positions, owned a finance company focused on the laundromat industry, served as a...
Statewide Laundry Unveils Enhanced Website
Statewide Laundry Equipment – a regional distributor serving Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and southern Virginia – has launched a redesigned website featuring a number of new user-friendly features. The company has remodeled its website to better...
Make Yourself Replaceable
Stop Working IN Your Laundromat Business One of the most common questions I receive when helping other laundromat owners is how to build a great team. Typically underpinned within this question is a bigger question, and it usually follows shortly thereafter – that...
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Create a Standout Customer Experience
This Month's Issue
- Designing for Success: Winning Ideas for Your Next Laundromat Design, Layout, or Remodeling Project
- Guest Feature: Five Lessons I Learned from Selling My Laundry Business
- Digital Marketing: A Well-Planned Laundromat Can Boost Customer Engagement and Loyalty
- Business Profile: How Chicago’s Wash Smart Chain is Redefining the Laundry Experience
- And More…
THE LATEST ON LAUNDROMATS
Industry News
Clean 2022: CLA’s ‘Women in Vended Laundry’ Luncheon Sells Out
More than 100 laundry professionals took part in the Coin Laundry Association’s “Women in Vended Laundry” luncheon program at Clean 2022 in Atlanta. The sold-out session served as a key focal point of the association’s initiative to recognize, empower and connect...
Clean 2022: CLA Panel ‘Delivers the Goods’
Many laundromat owners have taken their self-service business to the next level by adding wash-dry-fold and pickup-and-delivery services. What’s more, those who already provide their customers these full-service offerings are raising the bar. Residential wash-dry-fold...
Clean 2022: Evaluating New Technology for Your Business
With so many different systems available for laundromat management, payment acceptance, accounting, point-of-sale for wash-dry-fold and pickup and delivery, and more, it can be overwhelming to choose the right system for your business. In the second CLA educational...
Clean 2022: CLA Panel Speaks to Aspiring Laundry Owners
The second day of the Coin Laundry Association’s educational program at Clean 2022 in Atlanta kicked off with a focus on prospective investors and aspiring laundromat owners. The morning’s first session – “Everything You Need to Know About Your First Laundromat” – was...
New CLA Board Members Take Center Stage at Clean ’22
The Coin Laundry Association has welcomed three highly respected industry leaders to its 2022 Board of Directors – each of whom agreed to generously share his industry knowledge during the association’s educational programming at Clean 2022 in Atlanta. Brian...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
At Your Service
Originally posted - Jun 03, 2014 Last time, I discussed some of the questions you should ask your wash-dry-fold customers in order to best process their laundry. In this article, I'd like to take that customer service topic a bit further and talk about training your...
The Business Mind
Creating a Buzz
Here's a Look at the Advantages of Word of Mouth Advertising – And How Your Laundry Business Can Best Leverage ThemWay back, long before social media, the internet, television, radio, printing or even "business" itself (at least as we are familiar with it these days),...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Increasing Store Capacity, Removing Musty Odors, More…
I'm having trouble removing a musty odor from some of my drop-off customers' garments. What's the problem, and more importantly what's the solution? Most likely, the problem is with the materials that are being used by the garment manufacturers. Today, most cotton...
Viewpoint
Investing in Customer Service Yields Real Value
"The customer is always right." - Marshall Field When I cite the quote above about the customer always being right, you might be quick to caution "you haven't been to my laundromat!"Well, I see this well-worn adage as aspirational, if not requiring some suspension of...
Digital Marketing
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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.