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.

Diamonds in the Rough
What Makes a Laundry Ideal for a Successful Turnaround? There’s been a lot of talk about purchasing and retooling older, neglected laundromats. And, in recent years, it has proven to be a great strategy for many savvy laundry operators looking to grow their...

Clean 2019: A Recap from New Orleans
Taking a Look Back at the Industry’s Trade Show and Convention Technology was center stage at this year’s Clean Show in New Orleans. “Technology is beginning to rapidly disrupt the vended laundry world,” noted Sharon Brinks, who owns The Laundry Station in Wichita,...

The First Lady of Literacy in the Laundromat
An Interview with New York University’s Dr. Susan Neuman Dr. Susan B. Neuman is a professor of childhood and literacy development at New York University. Previously, she has been a professor at the University of Michigan and has served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary...
Headlines
Alliance Laundry Systems to Acquire D&M Equipment
Alliance Laundry Systems recently announced that it is acquiring the distribution assets of D&M Equipment Co., headquartered in Chicago. This marks Alliance’s third acquisition of 2021 and the first purchase of a distributor of multiple manufacturers’ products....
In Your Face
Never Stop Looking for Creative Ways to Get Your Brand in Front of Your Customers – And Potential Customers If you’re a regular reader of PlanetLaundry, you know that my fellow columnists Stephen Bean and Dennis Diaz are always talking about the importance of your...
Alliance Laundry Systems to Acquire Washburn Machinery
Alliance Laundry Systems is acquiring the distribution assets of Washburn Machinery Inc. and is expected to close on the purchase later this year. Established in 1948, Washburn Machinery, Elk Grove Village, Ill., provides on-premises laundry solutions to a variety of...
General Booth Sales Now Open for Clean 2022
General booth sales are now open for the upcoming edition of the Clean Show, which is scheduled for July 30 – August 2, 2022, in Atlanta. Space is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. With pre-sales already underway for all 2019 Clean Show exhibitors, the...
PlanetLaundry Podcast, Episode 20: Interview with Yvette Morton Williams
In this episode, you will hear our editor Bob Nieman interview Yvette Morton-Williams, a result-oriented business owner with over ten years in the coin laundry industry. Yvette owns three laundromats in the Atlanta Metro area, is a powerful business leader coming from...
Laundry’s Changing Landscape
From Branded Concept Stores to Franchise Opportunities, Laundromat Investors Have Never Had More Choices “I hate that word ‘franchise.’ It always makes me think of French fries.” – Sigourney Weaver French fries? Yes. Cheeseburgers? Definitely. Dirty laundry? Maybe not...
Wash with Wally: Removing Permanent Marker Stains
How can I best remove black, permanent marker stains from a pair of heavy-duty, brown duck fabric coveralls? Any leads you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Admittedly, some black marker stains can be very difficult to remove, especially if the spots have been...
HappyNest Expands into Denver Market
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest is now available in the Denver area through the company’s new partner, Sunshine Cleaners & Laundromat, based in Arvada, Colo. “HappyNest is sweeping the country with our latest location in the Denver area,” said John...
Are You a Procrastinator?
The Time You’re Wasting is Costing You Money, Customers and the Opportunity to Reach Your Full Potential While attending Michigan State University as an undergraduate, I served as the student manager of the varsity tennis team. One particularly freezing January...
GNA Honors 2020 Distributors of the Year
Girbau North America recently recognized several distributors for outstanding sales and service in 2020. Fowler Laundry Solutions, based in Union, N.J., received the Vended Laundry and Multi-Housing Distributor of the Year awards; Sunshine Sales, headquartered in...
Speed Queen Adds Alliance Laundry Equipment to Distributor Network
Speed Queen recently announced the addition of Alliance Laundry Equipment to its distributor network. Alliance Laundry Equipment will represent the Speed Queen brand throughout Utah and Colorado, as well as parts of Nevada, Idaho and Wyoming. The company will take on...
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...
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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 Rite Locations to Host Free Summer Storytimes Throughout the Bronx
This summer, six Bronx-based Clean Rite Centers will host family storytimes, led by the New York Public Library. The partnership between Clean Rite and NYPL is part of a nationwide movement to bring learning to local laundromats – and, in this case, to specifically...
Jobs Report: Unfilled Openings Abound
According to the National Federation of Independent Business’ monthly jobs report for May, the labor shortage continues to be a challenge for small businesses, with 51 percent (seasonally adjusted) of owners reporting job openings they could not fill in the current...
Franchise Development Veteran Joins Tide Cleaners
Tide Cleaners has announced Bill McCane as its new vice president of franchise development. Prior to joining Tide, McCane worked for a number of prominent franchisors with roles in franchise operations, product marketing and business development. Most notably, he...
CSC ServiceWorks Expands Social Impact Program
CSC ServiceWorks has announced it is expanding its social impact program, CSC CommunityWorks. In 2022, the company continues to extend its network of community center/local CSC branch partnerships in the company’s 40 markets – donating and servicing new equipment and...
HappyNest Expands Reach in Utah
Laundry pickup-and-delivery service HappyNest has expanded south of Salt Lake City and is now available in West Jordan, Utah, through its new partner, Midvale City Laundromat. This Midvale-based operation also provides PUD services to residents and businesses in the...
FROM YOUR FAVORITE INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Columns
The Laundry Doctor
Stain Removal: Back to Basics
Originally posted - Aug 27, 2014 I get calls from laundry owners every week, asking a number of questions about different ways to enhance their drop-off laundry businesses. However, the most common queries I receive revolve around stain removal. So, let's go back to...
The Business Mind
Hard Facts on Dealing with the ‘Soft Costs’ of Business Ownership
Are Stress, Customer Diversity and Managing Your Employees Taking Their Toll on You and Your Laundry Operation? In general, self-service laundry owners typically face about 11 or 12 costs on a monthly basis. These costs can range from utilities and labor to vended...
Wash With Wally
Wash with Wally: Researching a Former Laundry Location
I do a considerable amount of drop-off laundry at my store, and I always seem to have a problem removing chewing gum from garments. Can you offer any suggestions for removing it? There are two ways to deal with this problem. One way is to spot it with a good paint and...
Viewpoint
Avoiding Surprises
Running a small business is far from an exact science. And operating a self-service laundry – with all of the market-by-market idiosyncrasies this entails – at times can be even less of a sure thing. With PlanetLaundry's cover story in May focusing on industry myths...
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.