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.
Startup to Scale
How Western State Design Has Been Helping Laundry Businesses Thrive for More Than 50 Years For more than five decades, Western State Design has been a leading provider of turnkey laundry solutions across the vended, on-premises, and commercial/industrial markets....
Member Spotlight: Lab-Tested, Laundry-Approved
How Laundry Labs Plans to Change the Industry In today’s business world, efficiency and quality are paramount – and the commercial laundry industry is no exception. Recognizing the need for superior cleaning solutions specifically tailored to laundromat operators,...
I’d Like to Speak to the Manager
On the Front Lines with Some of the Laundry Industry’s Leading Store Managers In an industry once dominated by unattended, self-service operations, the role of store managers in laundromats has never been more critical. As laundries evolve into full-service businesses...
Headlines
Blueprint for Success
The Key Elements of a Laundromat Business Plan “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin About 30 years ago when I was considering starting my first business, I met with my wife’s boss, who was a business owner, to get some advice. The first...
EVI Industries to Acquire Haiges Machinery
EVI Industries Inc. has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Haiges Machinery Inc., a commercial laundry equipment distributor based in Huntley, Ill. This marks EVI’s first acquisition in the Midwest region of the United States. Haiges Machinery will operate...
CLA Appoints Member Engagement Manager
CLA, formerly the Coin Laundry Association, has named Suzanne Henn, CAE, to the newly created position of member engagement manager. In her new position, Henn is responsible for driving growth in membership, enhancing engagement of new and existing members, and...
GNA Adds to Sales Team
Girbau North America has named Aly Auchtung sales solutions associate. In her new role, Auchtung will nurture new construction leads and support special sales projects, while working closely with multiple departments to ensure customer satisfaction and success. Most...
Florida Distributors Donate Commercial Washer to Local Pet Rescue Organization
Laundry Owners Warehouse and The Laundry Shop – two laundry distributorships based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. – have partnered in support of Paws Fur Recovery, a pet rescue organization located in nearby Indiantown, Fla. The two companies donated a commercial LG washer...
Setomatic Systems-SpyderWash Steps Up Its Support of the Industry
Setomatic Systems-SpyderWash, a longtime champion of the industry, has teamed up with the CLA, the laundry association, to take its support to a new level. The company is part of a year-long sponsorship initiative that will have benefits for the entire industry....
Loads of Success
Splash ’Em Out’s Kelli Reed Discusses Her Leap into Laundry Entrepreneurship Kelli Reed is the owner of Splash ’Em Out Laundromats, headquartered in Lexington, Ky., where she operates nine laundromats and one commercial laundry operation. Kelli earned a degree in...
How to Market Your Amenities
Make Your Laundromat a Place People Love I recently renovated my house and faced a big challenge –furnishing it. I had the basics in mind but wanted everything to come together just right. So, I called a few furniture stores I liked, and one of them said something...
Aloha Laundry Life Acquired, Rebranded as kathy ireland Laundry
MainStreetChamber Holdings, a provider of intellectual property and brand licensing, recently acquired Dirty Laundry Solutions LLC, doing business as Aloha Laundry Life, and rebranded the company as kathy ireland Laundry. The company will focus on laundromat license...
Onnera Group Names New Head of Marketing
Onnera Group – an international business group providing equipment solutions worldwide, including laundry equipment – has appointed Dawn Nagle its marketing director in North America for the Fagor and Domus commercial laundry brands. With more than a decade of...
Cents Launches Call Center for Laundry Businesses
Business management platform Cents has launched Cents Assist, a call center and customer experience solution designed exclusively for laundry businesses. This new service combines AI-powered technology with human expertise to improve how laundry businesses handle...
Reimagining the Laundromat Experience
Technology, Design, and a Strong Focus on the Customer Have Set a New Standard for Store Amenities It’s no secret that today’s successful laundromats are embracing customer-centric amenities that transform what was once a mundane chore into a convenient, even...
SPONSORED CONTENT
SPONSORED CONTENT
Scaling Wash & Fold Operations
Learn how to grow your wash & fold from an offering into a money-making operation.
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
SDA Unveils New Logo After Decades of Tradition
After decades of representing the Southwest Drycleaners Association (SDA) with its iconic cowboy hat logo, the Board of Directors voted to adopt a new logo marking the beginning of a new era for the association. The logo redesign process began last fall with an open...
Tide Laundromat Expands Footprint in Chicago
Tide Services, a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, is expanding its Tide Laundromat footprint in Chicago with a new location in the city’s Lakeview neighborhood. The fourth Tide Laundromat in Chicago, this location is part of an expansion led by U.S. Laundry LLC,...
Whirlpool Among ‘Most Admired’ Companies
For the 15th year in a row, Whirlpool Corp. has been named one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” by Fortune. Whirlpool was once again selected for this honor due to the company’s performance, management, products, and commitment to the communities around the...
Eastern Funding Announces Texas Workshops
Eastern Funding will host the next two events in its Laundry Business Workshop series on April 9 and 10 in Houston and Dallas, respectively. The workshops are open to existing laundromat owners, new investors, and other industry participants, including equipment...
CleanCloud Unveils New Automated Marketing Tool for Laundry Owners
Laundromat point-of-sale system provider CleanCloud has introduced Automated Flows – a built-in marketing tool to help laundromat owners run targeted, multi-step campaigns without additional software costs. With Automated Flows, store owners can set up multi-step drip...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
A Change of Heart
The Laundry Doctor Reconsiders His Perspective on the Profitability of the Wash-Dry-Fold Business For 20 years, I’ve warned laundromat owners against letting their wash-dry-fold operations interfere with and encroach upon the self-service end of their businesses....
The Business Mind
Know Your Customers
Here’s How to Keep Your Laundry Business Growing Steadily by Systematically Tracking Your Client Metrics “Revolve your world around your customers, and more customers will revolve around you.” – Anonymous It’s widely accepted that today’s consumers are inundated with...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: How to Safely Clean Bar Towels
We have accounts with several large restaurants to wash their bar mops, towels, and rags. I’ve heard of rags and towels – even clean ones – spontaneously combusting. Is there a specific process to help guard against this, as well as a recommended timeline in which to...
Viewpoint
Not Your Father’s Laundromat Buildout
When it comes to building a new laundromat these days, it’s a whole different ballgame that it was 35, 25 or even 15 years ago. I can remember when all I needed was a clean, hand-drawn, to-scale plan with an architect’s stamp – and I could get a building permit within...
Digital Marketing
Get Ahead of the Game
Start Your Holiday Marketing Campaigns Early I remember the feeling vividly: the first day of school after a long summer break. The excitement of new school supplies, seeing friends again, and the anticipation of a fresh start. But there was always that moment when I...
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.
