I have a rust problem at my laundromat. A few of my dryers have lost portions of their galvanized finishes in some spots – and, as a result, they are creating rust stains on some of my customers’ clothes and linens. How can I remove these rust stains?
There are a few commercial-grade products on the market that will work. One is called RustGo, and you should be able to purchase this product from your local distributor. In addition, you may be able to buy certain rust-removing products over the counter at your local supermarket. Of course, with any such product, always be sure to carefully follow the usage instructions on the bottle.
But this still doesn’t truly solve your main problem, which is the rust coming through your dryer drums. Therefore, I would recommend that you remove the drums and have them re-galvanized, or else it may be time to purchase new dryers to replace the current ones that are giving you problems. That’s the only way to really solve this rust issue.
I’m building a new laundromat in large metropolitan area. I’m trying to figure out my market potential and to focus my promotions. In your experience, how far will my potential customers typically travel to get to my laundry business within this relatively densely populated urban setting?
Depending on the competition in your marketplace, most of your business likely will come from about one-and-a-half miles away, with some customers coming from as far as approximately three miles.
Again, the answer will be partially based on demographics, your specific business model, and the number and quality of competing laundry businesses in your trade area. However, I would suggest mailing your promotional materials to a five-mile radius around your new store.
My commercial accounts operation handles sheets and pillowcases for a number of massage therapists, who use oils during their massages. My problem is that standard laundry detergent has been ineffective at removing these oils from the sheets. In addition, one of the therapists has requested that I use only hypoallergenic laundry soap, which is even milder than most commercial-grade detergents.
The sheets are colored and have designs on them, so bleach is not an option. I’m afraid of spontaneous combustion in my dryers, if my attendants aren’t able to get all of the massage oils out of the sheets. What would you suggest to help get the oils out of these sheets and to prevent any issues from occurring in my dryers?
You’re in a difficult situation, because it’s true that most hypoallergenic types of detergent simply don’t have the strength to remove the kinds of oils you’re trying to tackle.
You have a couple of options. First of all, you can try washing the items with a D-limonene-based detergent, which should help remove these oils. What’s more, D-limonene is a natural, citrus-based product that will have much less of an effect on people’s allergies than some other detergents.
Next, follow up with a standard washing and drying. Be aware that you may need to wash the items twice to completely remove the massage oils.
Your second option is to use a good dishwashing detergent. Sometimes, depending on what kind of oils you’re trying to remove, dishwashing detergent can be quite effective.
