What Can Ozone Do for Your Laundry Business?
[This is the second of a two-part feature article on the use of ozone in a laundromat setting. You can read Part 1 here.]
In the first part of this article, we discussed the nuts and bolts of introducing ozone to the laundromat environment. In Part 2, four successful laundromat owners share their specific experiences with adding ozone to their operations:
Paul Hansen
Su Nueva Lavanderia
Chicago
I currently offer ozone on every washer in two of my five laundromats. I wanted to be able to differentiate my facilities from the competition, and I thought ozone would be a good way to do that.
There are multiple benefits, both for the operator and the customer. For the operator, there is an opportunity to upsell the service if they so choose, they can offer it free of charge if a customer decides to use a cold-water wash cycle. Fewer hot-water washes will save money on water heating costs.
Ozone also helps with store cleanliness, especially when it comes to mold and mildew buildup in soap boxes and door gaskets. Plus, it’s great for stores with drain troughs, to keep odors away.
For customers, the benefits include softer laundry, sanitizing, the need for less detergents and a longer life to their clothing.
The biggest hurdle might be the cost, because ozone systems can be expensive. However, many utility companies offer substantial rebates for installing them. Personally, I received an approximately 30 percent rebate on the cost of my systems, and I’ve heard of some utilities rebating up to 100 percent.
As with anything, marketing is important. I market each of my stores with ozone somewhat differently, due to the type of equipment in each. In one, I offer ozone for free if the customer chooses cold water for their wash cycle. This has resulted in about 40 percent of my customers choosing hot or warm, as opposed to approximately 60 percent at my non-ozone stores. At my other ozone laundry, I offer the option of what I refer to as a “Super Ozone Wash” for an upcharge – and it features ozone, extra wash time and an extra rinse.
Of course, educating both staff and customers are an essential part of the marketing plan. Honestly, coming up with interesting and informative explanations that relay the benefits of ozone has been a challenge that I still struggle with. Hopefully, with these systems becoming more common, the manufacturers will develop even better ways for laundromat operators to show off the benefits.
Above all, owners should check with their local utilities regarding ozone rebates, because those can make all the difference.
Dave Menz
Queen City Laundry
Amelia, Ohio
I’ve had ozone in one of my stores for nearly two years, and I just installed it in my new store that opened a few months ago. We’re always looking to differentiate our laundromats within the market, and ozone is a game-changer.
Ozone does a better job of cleaning clothes, and it does so in cold water, which is easier on the fabrics. It also helps with stain and odor removal, as well as sanitizing every load and the machine itself with every wash.
Perhaps the cost of a systems may be the biggest obstacle. However, if ozone is viewed as an investment, the cost is easily absorbable into a laundromat’s business plan. To that end, we market that we’re the only “sanitizing laundromat” in Cincinnati, or in our county. We focus heavily on the benefits of ozone.
I think we’ve really grabbed the public at “…sanitizes every load.” In my experience, that’s really enough for them. Then, they notice the other benefits as a bonus. And our staff has seen a huge difference when processing drop-off and pickup-and-delivery orders with ozone.
Our business has grown 30 percent year over year since adding ozone and marketing our store as a “sanitizing laundromat,” and it continues to grow. As a higher-end laundry facility, we charge a premium for ozone, which is part of our business’ value proposition.
To other owners, if your store needs to be modernized in other ways, I’ve advise you to start there before adding ozone. However, if you are or desire to be a premium laundromat with premium prices, ozone is an absolute necessity.
Art Jaeger
Santa Clarita Laundry
Santa Clarita, Calif.
Ozone is an “active oxygen” and a natural purifier, rather than requiring chemicals such as chlorine. It also kills viruses, bacteria, mold and mildew – and it assists in removing more soil and stains, leaving clothes cleaner and smelling fresher.
When I originally developed this concept for my business in 2012, it required a third supply line, new inlet valves on each washer and a mechanism to allow for opening the valve when ozone was selected. We needed a plumber, engineers and programming assistance.
Today, that’s all different and highly simplified. It’s a two-day install, with no permits required, and the store can continue to operate as normal.
Direct ozone infusion at each washer ensures that every machine will receive the proper amount of ozone, whether it’s one washer or 40. Also, my ozone generator kicks on only when needed, so I’m not wasting utilities or water. And my annual maintenance is handled by local distributors and takes about two hours.
The only employee training involved is to be sure your attendants understand they are to be salespeople and “ambassadors” for this product and that they can speak to its benefits.
Beyond that, we’ve marketed our ozone offerings through our website, as well as our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Additionally, we’ve been able to mount the new unit right in the laundromat, with LED lighting and signage. We have an exterior banner, wall signs and stickers on all of the washers. And we’ve added in-store flyers on top of each bulkhead and at the service counter.
For laundromat owners considering an investment in ozone, I have three suggestions:
- Be prepared to market it.
- Understand the importance of multiple revenue streams to be able to monetize it.
- Analyze your demographics to see whether or not your customer base will appreciate it. However, since the pandemic, there has been a large increase in potential ozone laundry customers.
To me, serving as a market differentiator has been one of the most important aspects of adding ozone from the beginning. We’ve used ozone in-store for several years. And now, with the growth of our home delivery service and that area of the business in general, we’re able to use it to attract and retain both residential and commercial customers.
Matt Simmons
Super Suds
Long Beach, Calif.
We’ve been offering ozone at our laundromat for two years. All 84 of our washers are connected to our ozone system. We feel that – if ozone is good, which it is – we want all of our customers to benefit from it.
I first considered ozone after hearing Art Jaeger discussing it at a CLA event. He said, “Even if ozone were a gimmick, the marketing opportunity is huge. However, it isn’t a gimmick. It works.”
Ozone has helped our wash-dry-fold and pickup-and-delivery businesses flourish. It also has helped us earn commercial accounts. No more do we simply say we wash, dry and fold. We let prospective clients know that we also sanitize every wash with ozone. Some commercial clients call just to price shop, but when we mention ozone and its benefits, that piques their interest and we move beyond price.
Our attendants doing the wash-dry-fold have noticed the clothes come out softer. In addition, ozone removes bacteria and viruses, and our customers appreciate that we are looking out for their safety and well-being.
Clearly, ozone works, but you’ve got to educate customers about the benefits. Don’t keep it a secret:
- Label every machine with “Ozone Enhanced!” stickers.
- Publicly display your ozone generator to pique customer curiosity.
- Hang an educational sign on the wall.
- Place postcard-sized marketing pieces on your service counter.
- Include ozone information postcards with each completed WDF order.
- Email your WDF customers about the benefits of your ozone system.
- Reach out to your local newspaper about how you’re helping the community through your ozone features.
From a marketing standpoint, you will get out of your ozone system what you put in. Ozone is a great vehicle to help promote your laundromat.
When we first installed our ozone system, we had mostly older machines – and that one purchase enhanced all of those washers. Now, we’ve upgraded most of our washers, but ozone still makes these new machines even better. In addition, it helps every part of our business – self-service, drop-off wash-dry-fold and pickup and delivery. And it has already paid for itself several times over with the commercial accounts we’ve landed because of it.
