Clean Door Seals

 

Take a look at the door seals on your larger washers. Make sure they are clean. If not, here is how you clean them.

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

clean-your-washer-doors

Here is a good basic article about the pros and cons of owning laundromats in case you are tired of hearing me say them:
16-pros-cons-of-owning-a-laundromat

I've also reprinted the article below in case the link is broken.
Thanks to Martin Ray Distributors and Laundry Biz Center
Ev

16 Pros & Cons Of Owning a Laundromat

2025-03-12laundrybizcenter

If you’re considering opening a coin laundry business, congratulations! Laundromats can be highly profitable, recession-resistant, and flexible businesses, making them highly attractive for entrepreneurs. However, as with any business investment, there are risks to owning a laundromat which potential investors should carefully consider before diving in.

As a leading laundry equipment distributor since 1980, Martin Ray has helped our fair share of laundromat investors get started. They’ve witnessed the successes as well as the struggles that laundromat owners have endured, and they want to pass the lessons they’ve learned on to new entrepreneurs. Before investing in a laundromat, here are the pros and cons you should consider:

Pros of Owning a Laundromat:

• Great ROI. How many businesses can say that? Not many.
• Minimal Inventory Requirements.  Unlike traditional retail businesses, laundromats have very little physical inventory. That means minimal ordering, rotating, or discarding products, which makes for easier management. It also means you won’t have to deal with preparing and storing large amounts of expensive inventory ahead of time.
• Not seasonal or weather-dependent. Many businesses and their products fluctuate with various seasons and holidays. While severe weather and high or low temperatures may impact whether or not people venture out, people always need to do laundry, so there’s not a lot of seasonal fluctuation to manage.  
• No franchise fees. Generally, laundromats are not franchised like a fast food or service chain may be, which eliminates pricey franchise fees. You also won’t have specific franchise rules to follow, meaning your business is yours to build as you see fit.
• Minimal employee management. Many laundromats operate with minimal employees. Not having to deal with scheduling and management responsibilities for a large team can make management, payroll, and other tasks easier.
• Recession resistant. Since people always need clean clothes, the laundry industry isn’t impacted by economic recessions as much as some industries, like hospitality, tourism, and real estate.
• Flexibility. This is one of the biggest perks that many owners note about being a part of the laundry industry. You’re able to set your own hours and it’s highly unlikely you’ll have to be at your store 40 hours per week, especially once you get the hang of running your business. Some investors even work another full-time job or use additional time to pursue a hobby more seriously.
• Simplicity. In a typical laundromat, the customers do the majority of the work washing and drying their clothes. That means training, on-boarding, and labor is relatively minimal for yourself and employees, at least in comparison to many businesses. Plus customers pay upfront, which makes accounting and tracking easier.  
• Potential for multiple locations and expansion. Due to the flexibility, versatility, and necessity of the laundry industry, there’s generally tremendous opportunities for growth. That could be opening another location in the city, expanding your current facility, or offering additional services (like dry cleaning or full wash-dry-fold service). Learn more about picking the perfect laundromat location.
• A great community. Just do a quick search online and you’ll find a really great community surrounding the laundry industry. From the Coin Laundry Association to American Coin-Op to laundromat owners, investors, equipment distributors and manufacturers all over the world, there’s a plethora of information available and people eager to learn and teach.

Cons:

• Irregular hours: As much as your schedule can be flexible to suit your needs, you also have to be flexible for your business. When emergencies and issues come up, your business and customers won’t care if you’re on vacation, sick, etc. You’ll likely be tackling problems at all hours.
• The investment can be substantial: Like most businesses, it costs money to get started. Whether you build or rent a facility, there are still a lot of costs. Thankfully there are flexible financing options for laundry equipment, but there’s still a large upfront cost to consider. While it can be incredibly rewarding, running a businesses takes a good deal of time, energy, and emotional investment. Commitment and dedication are must-have qualities.
• It’s competitive: There’s risk involved, just like any business. You really have to bring your A game if you want to be successful. You’re competing with other laundromats in the area, as well as multi-housing facilities (like apartments and condos) that may offer laundry equipment, and customers purchasing equipment for themselves.
• You have to be a jack of all trades: When it comes to owning a laundromat, you’re a plumber, electrician, businessman, marketer, janitor, and a million other things all rolled into one. You don’t have to be an expert necessarily, but experience and basic understanding in these areas comes in handy. If you’re considering investing, it would be prudent to try and pick up on some of these skills to help you run your business effectively. Finding experts that you trust and partnering with a trusted distributor (like Martin-Ray Laundry Systems), can help you thrive in areas where you aren’t as experienced.
• Operating costs keep on rising. Many investors note that utilities and rent are some of their biggest hurdles and expenses. As prices for gas, electricity, and water continue to rise, laundromat owners must keep energy-efficiency at top of mind when selecting equipment in order to remain profitable.  
• Customers. While customers can be a joy and make the job worth it, anyone who works in a customer service position will tell you they can also cause their fair share of issues. You have to be ready to deal with conflicts, unruly customers, and customers abusing your equipment, just like any other business.

LG Repair Help Videos

 

LG has moved to occupy a segment in the laundry marketplace for those laundromats, salons, hotels, spas, and other locations that need  a larger washer or dryer but can't do a large chassis machine.
The LG Giant or Titan washers and dryers are still small chassis machines but seem to be doing a great job in the facilities they are installed in.
LG has put a online help library for troubleshooting these machines with descriptions and videos explaining the problems and solutions.
From what I can see while it doesn't cover every error possible it covers all the common ones.
For repair hints on your LG click the link below:

LG-washer-error-code-list

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Small Chassis Wire Harness Woes

Small chassis washers like the Maytag MHN33 or similar size washers are not made to last as long as their large chassis washer cousins. All small chassis washers no matter who makes them are not meant to take the place of a large chassis washer.

Since all of these little machines are not bolted down to a concrete or steel base they are subject to vibrations and movement that their large chassis cousins don't have to worry about.

As a result wires and hoses can vibrate and break loose from their anchors inside the machine where you don't usually think or see to check.

In the case of this washer it kept giving errors that seemed common and might work for a cycle or two and then return. The owner cleared the error on the computer board each time and even replaced the computer board and the errors still returned on a  regular basis.

Opening up the top of the washer and tucked towards the lower rear of the washer it was discovered that the wire harness had broken loose from the wire tie that held it on the back of the frame and was rubbing on the concrete ballast until the insulation had rubbed away and the ballast started rubbing on the wires and a few wires had no insulation and would short on each other and caused the errors.

If you ever have to open up any panels on your washers and dryers to make a repair, take a look at the wires and belts that you can see just to make sure you're not missing something that might become an issue later on.

Ev

A Heck of A Nice Guy

 

Free Cycle Maytag MYR Washer

If you need to start a free cycle on a Maytag MYR washer learn how by clicking the link below: 

Start A Free Cycle Maytag MYR Washer

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Rowe BC-1200

 

Rowe changers were long a staple in laundromats, laundry rooms, car washes, arcades, and any other place that needed to shell out quarters to the public. 
The Rowe BC1200 (front loading) and the Rowe BC1400 are all over the place.
Many years ago American Changer bought Rowe and discontinued any production and support of these changers soon afterwards.
If you have one of these changers you might have wondered where do you go to get parts or service.
For a long time there were ton of independent repair shops or owners that had stocks of parts and repair knowledge. Over the last several years those parts stocks have dried up and the techs that worked on these changers retired or moved onto different companies so now unless you have experience working on these machines yourself you might be stuck with a bum changer if you have problems.

Different manufacturers make a conversion kit that you can change out the guts of these Rowe changers if you are in a situation where you can't remove the cabinet from the wall and need something to work in the space that you already have there. 
One of the best of the independent factory authorized service providers for Rowe changers in my opinion is/was Changetec in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The techs there have been very helpful over the years (Daryl is a legend when it comes to his knowledge). Changetec found a hole in the market as other changer manufacturers created conversion kits for the BC1400 (rear loading version) but not the BC1200 (front loading version) and they have developed their own conversion kit that is less in price than other equipment manufacturers.
If you have a changer that has the bill acceptor and change cup in the order like the above picture then this conversion kit might be a great option. It is simple to install and operate and at the time I purchased the kit was about $1,000 less than any other option I could find.

Watch the video below to see if this is an option for your Rowe changers:

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

New Lighting

 Rule #3 of owning a successful laundromat is "Keep it well lit."
You want to have good lighting in your laundromat or laundry room for many reasons:
-safety from crime and tripping hazards are two
-advertising as customers can see inside how nice your facility is
-customers can see how clean their clothes are

Advances in LED lighting have come a long way and the prices have dropped significantly and some utility companies have incentives for facilities to upgrade their lighting.

I went from incandescent to fluorescent bulbs and then about 10 years ago switched to LED bulbs and now have switched to flat full panel LED lighting and WOW!

I didn't realize how much of a difference the new lights would make in MY location!

I have large windows facing the west so I get lots of sun all day, however it was harder to see how much darker the back of the store was even with the sun out.

The lighting in the store is brighter and more even and I've gotten more compliments from customers about how clean the store is. I always thought the store was clean but now customers can see all the little nooks and so it is also a good time to remind your cleaning staff that they have to get all these little areas because they can now be seen!

A secondary benefit of the new lighting, but I think important, is how the
new lighting made ME FEEL.

I've always liked spending time in my stores but I noticed a definite improvement in my enjoyment being in the store. The brightness lifted my mood and is reflected in my behavior at the store. Problems don't seem to be so bad and I think I leave the store more energized even after a long day of repairs.

If you think that everyone knows the benefits of good lighting,

here is a post and video from a laundry room that I had to go in to do a repair:

laundry-room-rule-2-keep-it-well-lit

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Rapid Advance MYR Washer

 

In an emergency you might need to stop a washer.
Something gets stuck in the door as an example.
Maybe you don't need to stop something.
Perhaps you just need to spin something out.
Here are some ways you can do either by clicking the link below:

Stop & Rapid Advance Maytag MYR Washer

Ev
A Heck of A Nice Guy

Everet's Laundry Newsletter July 2026

 

Everet's July 2026 Laundry Newsletter Please keep in mind our fellow laundromat owners that were affected by the recent tornadoes in Menasha and Appleton

EVERET NEEDS YOUR ANSWERS to the Following Question: What do you say if a customer comments on money they see you pull out of a machine? Lets pretend they see a bucket of quarters and they say... "that sure is a lot of quarters/money!" You respond how? I've responded in many ways. Two of which are: "Maybe it is a lot of quarters but you should see the utility bills! "Unfortunately I have to pay bills in dollars and not quarters so divide this amount by four and it isn't a lot of money."   I'd like to publish answers in a future blog post so if you want to share your response call, text, or email me. Let me know if it is okay to use your first name/initials or if you want to remain anonymous. -Everet   Q3 REBATES from HUEBSCH The rebates apply to qualifying Huebsch equipment purchased and invoiced between July 1 and September 15, 2026.* Hardmount Washer-Extractors Model/Rebate HCT020                                     $200 per unit HCT030                                     $300 per unit HCT040                                     $400 per unit HCT060                                     $600 per unit HCT080                                     $800 per unit HCT100                                     $1,000 per unit   Tumblers  ProCapture™ Bonus: Additional $250 Rebate Per Tumbler   Model/Rebate HTT30                                       $300 per unit HTT55                                       $550 per unit HT075                                       $200 per unit HT075 w/ ProCapture™ $200 base + $250 ProCapture™ bonus $450 per unit   New equipment only. Must be purchased through an authorized Huebsch distributor like EVERET from WASH

Tidbits From Everet's Answers   Below are articles from my laundry blog:   Make sure your security cameras cover windows and doors: Security Cameras Cover Windows   As of November 2024 the reinforcement hinge was included in these door replacements Broken-Speed-Queen-Huebsch-Primus-IPSO-door-fix.html   If you were at the open house you heard me say several of these jokes. People asked for them so here you go! If you have any others that you want to share please let me know! Laundry Jokes