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.

The Local Laundry Hub
For Many of Today’s Vended Laundry Owners, It’s No Longer a ‘Cash-at-All-Cost’ Business An exciting movement is taking hold within the vended laundry industry. More and more laundries are serving as community hubs, where giving back is as important as receiving....

Please Advise…
Successful Laundry Owners Share the Best – And Worst – Business Advice They’ve Ever Received “In life, you need many more things besides talent. Things like good advice and common sense.” – Hack Wilson, Major League Baseball Player from 1923-1934 “No enemy is worse...

By the Numbers
An Interview with Ideal Spot CEO Marc Smookler Marc Smookler has started five companies – three of which are market leaders in their respective spaces: a commercial real estate data platform, an online retailer and a unified communications provider. Mr. Smookler’s...
Headlines
‘Like a Fine Gumbo’
A Literacy Theme Runs Throughout Famed New Orleans Laundromat/Restaurant Combo Jane and Scott Wolfe, who own Wash World laundromat in New Orleans, are not novices when it comes to incorporating a literacy theme into their business ventures. In fact, the Wolfes also...
LaundryCares to Host Free Laundry, Literacy Day in Indianapolis
On Thursday, June 10, the LaundryCares Foundation will host a Free Laundry and Literacy Day, in collaboration with Too Small to Fail and Big Heart World. This event will be held from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Indyland II Laundromat in Indianapolis. Free Laundry and...
HappyNest Adds Customer Service Manager
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has named Alexandria Messom as manager, customer success. Messom previously served as team lead, customer onboarding at custom sports apparel provider, SquadLocker. “Our customers’ happiness is of utmost importance, as...
The Future of Wash-Dry-Fold
A Look at the Evolving Full-Service Laundry Business Model Long before COVID-19 turned many – at least for a while – into semi-reclusive shut-ins venturing out only as far as the front porch to retrieve their latest Amazon packages, numerous companies offering...
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...
Creating a ‘Warm, Fuzzy Feeling’
Multi-Store Owner Explains How Commitment to Early Childhood Literacy Has Boosted Customer Loyalty A laundromat isn’t the easiest type of business in which to create that “warm, fuzzy feeling” for customers. Just ask Daryl Johnson who owns 10 (soon to be 11) Giant...
Payment Systems: Are You Confused Yet?
How to Decide Which Options Are Right for You and Your Business When I entered the industry in 2010, two types of payment systems were being widely used – quarters and prepaid loyalty cards. And quarters were the overwhelming favorite among store owners. In fact,...
Starchup, Drop Locker to Merge, Forming SUD Systems
Starchup and Laundry Locker, Inc. (dba Drop Locker) have entered into an agreement to merge the two companies into a new single entity – SUD Systems, LLC. Effective immediately, the two companies will begin to operate as a unified team, sharing the best from each...
Rinse Acquires ButlerBox
Rinse, a national brand in drycleaning and laundry delivery, has acquired ButlerBox, a Los Angeles-based drycleaning and laundry provider specializing in locker-based services with multifamily and commercial office partners. ButlerBox is the latest in a series of...
Clean Ventures, Mr Jeff Team Up to Bring Franchise to U.S. Laundromats
Mr Jeff, an international laundry service franchise, has signed an agreement with Clean Ventures, a venture capital fund that invests in growth-stage laundry companies, to help grow the franchise’s expansion within the U.S. Clean Ventures is managed by industry...
GNA Promotes Pollnow, Willman
Girbau North America has announced two promotions within the company. Brennan Pollnow has been named North American business manager, Girbau Industrial brand, and Tyler Willman has been promoted to regional business development manager – Canada and Northwestern U.S....
CCI, Cents Announce Partnership Agreement
Card Concepts Inc. has teamed up with Cents, a business management and in-store operations platform created for laundromats. The partnership between CCI and Cents will enable store owners to leverage CCI’s hardware and card technology, alongside Cents’ POS, online...
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
Don’t Overlook Supply Chain Delays When Considering Section 179 Deductions
To be eligible for a 2022 Section 179 deduction, the eligible equipment must be purchased and put into service by midnight December 31, 2022. It’s not enough to merely buy the equipment. Given that, laundromat owners are reminded to keep the current supply chain...
State Tax Changes Taking Effect Mid-Year
Although the majority of 2022 state tax changes take effect at the start of the calendar year, some are implemented at the beginning of the fiscal year. Individual and corporate income tax changes usually take effect at the beginning of the calendar year to maintain...
Oregon Laundromat, Rotary Club Help Fund Local Laundry Program
The Rotary Club of Crook County in Oregon recently presented the Family Access Network with a grant of $2,000 to support laundry services at Express Eco Laundromat in Prineville, Ore. The laundromat partially matched the grant funding to help support the purchase of...
Mr Jeff Expands Franchise Further into South Florida
Mr Jeff, a home-delivery laundry service franchise, has announced the signing of two new franchise agreements in South Florida. Franchisees Sam Boulet and Christian Santo will open new Mr Jeff locations in Ft. Lauderdale and Broward County, respectively, later this...
Recruiting Strategies for Tight Labor Markets
In today’s scramble to recruit the best employees, a new or growing business may need to devise creative recruitment strategies to keep pace with the competition. This is especially important in today’s labor market, where the unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Warming Up to Cold Calls
Originally posted - May 04, 2012 If you're serious about growing the commercial accounts segment of your laundry business, you can't avoid it - eventually, you're going to have to make cold calls on potential clients. Some laundry owners have their drivers handle...
The Business Mind
Going Off-Script
How to Raise Your Laundry Business Above and Beyond the CompetitionYou might assume – understandably so – that most customers select a specific laundry based essentially upon location, vend prices and hours of operation. But that just isn't so.Let me explain...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Replacing Vinyl Tile with a Poured Resin Floor
My vinyl tile floor is old and needs to be replaced. I'm considering perhaps ceramic or some other form of decorative tile. What do you think? Are there other options available that you would recommend? One other great option is to go with a poured resin flooring....
Viewpoint
Vital Signs
Neglect Your Store's Signage at Your Own Risk Because a laundromat is a self-service business, there is the tendency among some owners to have a "build-it-and-they-will-wash" attitude toward their stores. In other words, the focus is primarily on the equipment offered...
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.