Laundromat Equipment: The Right Mix for your Coin Operated Laundry Business

In the beginning every coin operated laundry had the same Laundromat equipment. The majority of stores catered to small neighborhoods and featured a row of topload washers down the center of the retail space with dryers along the sides and back. If a store had 20 washers they would typically offer a dozen 30-pound dryers. Clients could generally find two large “rug washers” located at the back of the building. Over the years the coin operated laundry has evolved to suit the needs of a changing marketplace – topload washers have been replaced with commercial-style frontload washers suitable to family-sized loads.

If you’re starting or managing a coin operated laundry business, choosing the best Laundromat equipment can ensure your store’s longevity and can help you maximize profits. Larger washing machines (those that can accommodate 30, 40, 50, 80 and up to 125 pound loads) tend to produce a higher amount of revenue per square foot because they attract customers with large families who have more clothes and linens to wash. These customers also tend to have a defined laundry schedule and stick to it – they’ll make the trip to your coin operated laundry more often. While there is still demand for smaller stores that cater to “walk-in” apartment residents and college students who will carry in lighter loads of laundry, the trend seems to be toward larger, commercial Laundromat equipment installed in larger, “destination” stores that cater to high-volume families. These customers are people who don’t mind travelling for the convenience of commercial equipment and ample square footage.

Customer experience is an important concern for businessmen and businesswomen hoping to open a coin operated laundry. Central to customer experience is wait-time – people like to use a facility with efficient Laundromat equipment – in particular customers look for Laundromats with efficient dryers because while most washing machines will complete their cycle in 20 or 30 minutes, dryers typically take much longer to thoroughly dry towels and heavy clothing. Customers also have a tendency to stuff washers and dryers as full as they can in the hope of saving money and while this won’t slow down the wash cycle it will certainly mean longer wait times for all that clothing to get dry.

While many coin operated laundry owners used to struggle with this issue – never able to fit enough dryers in their store to keep pace – the invention of the stack dryer changed all that. If you’re just starting out, investing in the right Laundromat equipment is important and stack dryers produce an immediate and ongoing return on investment for several reasons:

Stack dryers double the number of dryers you’re able to fit in your Laundromat and are the best use of your square footage.

1. Stack dryers double the number of dryers you’re able to fit in your Laundromat and are the best use of your square footage.
2. If customers have the option to dry their clothes faster and reduce their stay in your coin operated laundry, most people will spread their clothes out in several dryers to reduce drying time, spending more money.
3. Today’s stack dryers come in a range of sizes. In addition to traditional 30-pound stacks there are stack dryers that range in size from 45 to 50 pounds.

While stack dryers are usually the best choice, 75 and 80 pound single pocket dryers are also viable money-makers, particularly in “destination” style Laundromats. Larger loads in large commercial washing machines mean that your customers will be looking for larger dryers. It’s important to realize that shelling out for two small dryers may not be a popular choice for everyone. In many locations large dryers that vend for more money quickly become a key profit source for coin operated laundry owners.

While these trends in Laundromat equipment and the evolution of the industry are interesting to read about, the fact is that the exact mix of machines used in your coin operated laundry will be determined by the specific clientele and demographic of your location. If you’re just starting out a good way to get a sense for the demographics of your store would be to ask the advice of your local Laundromat equipment distributor, other store owners in the area and local experts (if you can find them). In most modern coin operated laundry facilities the mix of machines includes at least 50% large washers 30 pounds and up.

The mix of dryers in your store can be determined in a number of ways and unfortunately there’s not an exact science for settling on the right blend of Laundromat equipment. In general you should try to have at least one dryer pocket for each washing machine that you have in your store and if you have a few extra dryers, the chances are that you’ll see a return on that investment. If you have larger (50 pounds or more) washing machines you should consider pairing larger dryers to accommodate those loads.

A few final important notes to consider for your coin operated laundry:

• Parking is critical if your store is designed to be a large “destination” type store attracting the family demographic. The people who come to these Laundromats do so because it’s convenient and efficient and they don’t want to jockey for a parking spot.
• Urban stores with a “walk-in” demographic which might include single apartment dwellers and college students are best suited to smaller Laundromat equipment. The best use of your square footage is to include numerous small stackable dryers as this demographic typically brings in small loads of laundry (nobody likes to walk down the street with an enormous bag … even Santa uses a sleigh).

Ultimately there’s no such thing as the “right” way to lay out your coin operated laundry. The perfect mix of Laundromat equipment for your niche market is likely something that you’ll identify over time. It’s also likely that your market and demographic will change over the years. Keep careful records of your Laundromat equipment usage so that when it comes time to replace or upgrade to new washers and dryers you can make the most of your square footage and give your customers exactly what they’re looking for.