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.
Leveling the Playing Field
John Um wanted to make sure small business owners could get fair pricing and access to reliable suppliers without needing to have significant buying power. As a leader whose career spanned several major retail and e-commerce companies, he had seen firsthand how hard...
Robotic Arms Designed for Laundromat Industry
Robotics has long been the stuff of science fiction, but increasingly the technology is being leveraged in various manufacturing capacities. Now, it’s being leveraged in the laundromat industry thanks to the work of the team behind Dyna Robotics. Founded in the fall...
Metrics That Matter
Profit, Performance, and Planning in Vended Laundry The laundromat business is like most businesses in that you need to do a lot of things right to be successful. But how do you know if it’s working? According to successful owners, you just need to look at the...
Headlines
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...
Engaged Employees, Happy Customers
Building a Positive Workplace Culture in Your Laundromat Since I started consulting in 2005, I’ve heard a common sentiment among business owners and executives: “I just want people who work.” And why wouldn’t a business owner want this? After all, human capital theory...
Publication Recognizes Eastern Funding’s Karen Tennant
Karen Tennant, vice president of risk management for Eastern Funding, has been named to Monitor’s list of Top Women in Equipment Finance for 2024. The recognition highlights Tennant’s contributions and leadership within the industry, showcasing her dedication and hard...
CCI, PayRange Settle Patent Allegations
PayRange, a developer of mobile payment solutions for unattended retail, and laundry payment technology provider Card Concepts Inc. have reached a settlement in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by PayRange against CCI. As part of the mutually agreed-upon...
SPONSORED CONTENT
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
Location, Location, Location
Over the last 42 years, I’ve had countless new laundry investors and existing store owners contact me for help finding new locations – more precisely, great locations. Although I would love to take out a magical crystal ball and have such a location jump out in front...
Digital Marketing
Home Sweet Home
How to Make Your Laundromat Feel Like Home to Your Customers… No Matter Where Home May Be Last summer, I decided to jet off to the Mediterranean. I thought it’d be cool to pick up a little bit of every language before I went. Trust me, my Italian was more spaghetti...
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.
