Increasing profits in vended laundries and maximizing throughput in on premise laundry rooms is a top goal for owners and managers. Utilizing the latest commercial laundry equipment from manufacturers like Electrolux, Speed Queen, Maytag and Wascomat offer energy-saving and profit-increasing features helping better your bottom line. Each manufacturer provides their unique spin on beneficial features, here’s a breakdown: Electrolux Automatic Weighing: The automatic weighing and water savings feature helps save as much as 30 percent of water on small wash loads by automatically calculating the weight of the load. After weighing the load Electrolux machines are able to add the right amount of water to deliver optimal results per load while reducing water consumption and energy costs. EcoPower: This unique technology determines when clothes are dry helping save up to 15 percent in gas. While the dryer automatically lowers temperature but keeps tuning ensuring wrinkle-free garments. 450-G Force Extraction: The high extraction speed shortens dryer time helping lower gas consumption and increases the amount of loads that can be dome in a day. Speed Queen Quantum Controls: Speed Queen’s Quantum Controls allow managers and owners to program, monitor, audit and diagnose machines from any internet-connected device. These controls also offer…

Building vended laundry customer loyalty takes more than offering up to date washers and dryers. Offering loyalty cards or additional services like drop-off laundry or dry cleaning is a great way to separate your vended laundry from the competition but you can keep your customers happy in a number of ways – here are a few examples of how to easily build customer loyalty: Lighting: Bright lighting creates a welcoming and safe atmosphere in your vended laundry. Good lighting in all areas also makes it easy for customers to read throughout your store. There are a number of LED lighting solutions that provide bright light and are extremely energy efficient helping you save money. Maintain a clean facility: This comes standard but a clean store speaks volumes about your vended laundry. If you maintain a clean store with spotless floors, smudge-free windows and a flawless bathroom your customers will feel comfortable and have zero second thoughts about returning to do their laundry. Build a community: Offering community-friendly promotions are a great way to create relationships with people in the neighborhood which can go a long way. For example, promote free bagel Saturday on the first Saturday of every month or…

Entering the laundromat business is a great investment with minimal operating costs in a recession proof industry providing consistent cash flow. Whether this is your fist business venture or you’re looking to diversify your portfolio, understanding some of the important factors of owning a vended laundry is essential to maintaining longstanding and profitable business. Location, Location, Location The location of your vended laundry is imperative to its success. An ideal store is located in a high traffic area and has prominent signage that potential customers can see from the road. It’s important to find an open space to avoid added expenses from knocking down walls and a space with enough power to run numerous washers and dryers without tripping the breaker. If the property was not previously a vended laundry you’ll have to look into installing new water pipes, electrical outlets and sewer access. Above all else you want to make sure your vended laundry is located in a high traffic area in a neighborhood with a lot of other retail. Material and Personnel Costs Whether you decide to purchase or lease equipment to outfit your new space it can cost between $150,000 to $450,000+ for the latest commercial washers and dryers….

Watching clothes spin inside washers and dryers is about as fun and exciting as it sounds – unless it’s your first time, but even then the excitement wears off fast. Face it, vended laundries will never be sexy or exciting but you can do several things to make your vended laundry memorable, welcoming and comfortable for customers. In addition to incentivizing customers with happy hour pricing you can give your store a personality or theme by creating a fun environment. Here are five ideas to get you started on the right track. Create a Vended Laundry Theme The theme in your vended laundry can capture a number of different styles like displaying your unique tastes, featuring antique laundry equipment or modeled after the demographics of your neighborhood. For example: College/young professional neighborhoods: Keeping this age group happy will do wonders for your business because they share everything online and with their friends in the area. One of the first ways to attract this group to your store is offering free Wi-Fi allowing them to stay connected and use smartphones or laptops with ease. Instead of leaving the TV on the Price is Right, local news or another rerun of Golden…

Just like cars or lawn mowers the best way to prolong the life of commercial laundry machines is to perform preventative maintenance tasks. Not every task is equal, some take a little more knowledge surrounding the machine and need to be performed once per year while others are simple habits you can incorporate into your daily routine. Receive consistent and long-lasting performance from your commercial laundry washers and dryers with these preventative maintenance tips: Pro Tip: Check the owner’s manual of your machine to see how often you should perform these tasks and if there are any specific cleaning products you should use. Clean or replace water inlet filters: When water filter inlet screens are blocked they prevent good water flow into the machine which can throw off water usage levels and raise utility costs. Remove dirt and soap inside the drum: Soap and dirt buildup inside the drum should be cleaned out annually. If not cleaned the buildup causes laundry to have a foul odor. *Some manufacturers offer brand-specific cleaners for optimal performance. Check inlet and outlet hoses: Prevent the loss of water which can cause a higher bill by checking inlet and outlet hoses, connections and joints for…

Welcome to the new BDS Laundry Blog, the newest way to connect and extend the conversation with vended laundry owners and, multi-housing and on premise laundry room managers online! With more than half a century of experience BDS Laundry Systems is one of only a few remaining commercial laundry distributors to reach this level of longevity. To do so we’ve always been ahead of the curve with our extravagant open houses, competitively priced Parts Website and a wide range of commercial laundry brand offerings. The BDS Laundry Blog aims to answer customers’ wants and needs, adapt to changes in the marketplace and build lifelong partnerships. Our team of laundry experts offers decades of experience in various industries from installing laundries in athletic facilities, hotels, hospitals and more to building and creating vended laundries or remodeling an outdated multi-housing laundry room. The BDS Laundry Blog will share our team’s expertise, answer customer questions, showcase company news and highlight our latest case studies to provide ideas of ways to improve your commercial laundry room. Look for blogs covering best practices, helpful how-to’s on making quick repairs, commercial laundry maintenance checklists, tips to improve productivity, ways to increase profits and reduce energy costs…