If you’re thinking of opening a laundromat, there will be many important decisions for you to make on your journey. Once you have found a great location for your store and have a clear idea of the kind of laundromat you want to open, you can get down to the fun part – designing your laundromat!
Your store can be anything you want it to be, but there are certain things you need to get right to maximize customer satisfaction, staff productivity, and revenue during peak hours. Read through these top tips to make sure you don’t miss anything!
In a hurry? Jump to our key takeaways!
- First things first – Connect with an expert
- Consider your location
- Put yourself in your customers’ shoes
- 8 top laundromat design tips
- Key takeaways
First things first – Connect with an expert
Before getting out your sketchpad to design your dream laundromat, why not take advantage of the expertise available to you? With decades of experience in building successful laundromats, Laundrylux’s team of experts can help you create a layout adapted to an existing space or develop plans for a ground-up project. We also work with business owners and multi-housing laundry managers to design the best on-site laundry room spaces.
Consider your location
Once you’ve found the best location for your store, you can decide what kind of laundromat business you want to run and start designing it.
Whether you’re retooling an existing laundromat or retail space or building from the ground up, considering the demographics of your neighborhood will help you to determine the right commercial laundry equipment for your business and the extra services and amenities you can offer.
Put yourself in your customers’ shoes
Your goal as a laundromat owner is to make your customers’ experience as positive as possible so you can beat the competition and keep them coming back week after week.
The first way to do this is to offer them the best commercial laundry equipment available, so they can save time doing their laundry and achieve incredible results. The second way is to provide a superior customer experience so that every trip to your store leaves a great impression. Check out our top laundromat design tips below to learn more about creating an environment your customers want to return to again and again!
8 top laundromat design tips
- Create a laundromat brand experience
- Think about store layout
- Choose the best equipment
- Consider laundromat lighting
- Choose your materials and surfaces
- Equip your store with extra services and amenities
- Put up clear, professional signage
- Think about store security
Create a laundromat brand experience
Creating a recognizable laundromat brand not only adds to the experience of your customers but increases the value of your business. It also establishes a model that’s scalable across multiple locations when you’re ready to grow and expand.
Designing in-store branding with colors, furnishings, and signage that reflects your laundromat’s name and logo can create a fully immersive and memorable experience. This is the part where you can also express a little bit of your personality and think about how want your customers to feel when they come to your store. The possibilities are endless, so hunt around for ideas and get designing!
Design ideas to compliment your laundromat branding
- Create a crisp, minimalist atmosphere with whites, greys, and stainless steel.
- For an eco-laundry vibe, choose light wood furniture with modern wood paneling on the walls.
- Create a fun, community-oriented feel with bright, bold colors.
Did you know that Laundrylux provides a complimentary laundromat branding and marketing service? Our experienced team will take care of everything from your store’s logo and website to interior design. Contact us today to get started!
Think about store layout
When designing the layout of your laundromat, your goal is to make everyone feel as welcome and at ease as possible when they come through your door. The aim is to create a good flow through your store, so customers can complete their laundry quickly without experiencing any roadblocks. This will also help to free up parking spaces and increase customer turnover during your busiest hours.
- Ensure adequate space between your equipment, seating, and folding tables, and keep in mind the extra space taken up by an open washer or dryer door.
- Leave space in the aisles for two laundry carts to comfortably pass one another.
- Provide your customers with enough folding tables to reduce the risk of creating a bottleneck.
- Position your most popular equipment at the front of the store (ideally in a front-facing window) to make the space appear busier and attract more customers.
- Balance each end of the store with washers and dryers of equal capacities. This will create a better traffic flow through the store and make it look busy and more filled out to passersby.
- Consult your building team in relation to accessibility for customers with restricted mobility.
Choose the best equipment
When you’re designing your laundromat, the most important thing to get right is your equipment. Laundrylux provides our partners with Electrolux Professional, Wascomat, and Encore Pro commercial laundry equipment to suit all needs. With washer and dryer capacities ranging from 18-80 lbs., extraction speeds of 100-450 G force, and a variety of control panels to choose from, your trusted laundry advisor will determine the perfect equipment mix for your store. The right equipment for you will depend on:
- Your budget
- Your location and neighborhood demographics
- The experience you want to create for your customers
- Your profitability targets
- Your lifetime cost of ownership goals
Questions to ask your Laundrylux equipment expert
- What equipment will maximize my profitability?
- What washer and dryer capacities will meet customers’ needs in my location?
- What extraction speeds will lower my utilities and increase my revenue?
- What control panel and custom programming options will help me achieve my customer experience goals?
Consider laundromat lighting
Proper store lighting is essential for the comfort and safety of you and your customers. While you might choose cozy lamps for your home, brightness is key in a laundromat setting.
- LED or fluorescent lighting will provide great visibility for your customers and staff as they carry out their laundry tasks.
- Bright lighting helps customers feel more at ease, especially when visiting your store at night.
- A well-lit, shining storefront will increase your laundromat’s visibility and help attract more customers, especially in the darker winter months.
- If you have a parking lot outside your store, make sure that it is adequately lit so people can easily get from their car to your door at night.
- Motion-sensor lighting in areas like bathrooms can help control energy costs.
- Choose more stylized lamps or pendant lights at laundry drop-off or reception areas to add some flair to the design.
Choose your materials and surfaces
Your laundromat’s furnishings should add to your brand aesthetic while meeting your practical needs as a store owner. To make your job easier and to save money in the long run, you should ensure your materials and surfaces are both hard-wearing and easy to clean.
- Floors: High-traffic floorings like tile or vinyl can withstand heavy footfall and is simple to clean at the end of the day. You can even choose antimicrobial flooring for added sanitation.
- Seating: Plastic, wooden, or metal seating comes in a range of different styles and colors suitable for laundromats. They require less work to clean and are more durable than soft-furnishing like sofas and armchairs.
- Walls: Using easy-clean paint, tile, or laminate paneling will make it simpler to wipe away splashes and dirt from your walls. You can choose colors and textures that match your laundromat’s overall interior design.
Equip your store with extra services and amenities
Accessories such as laundry carts, folding tables, and soap vending machines or purchase points are essentials for any laundromat. But if you want to go the extra mile for your customers, there could be some simple design decisions, extra laundry services, or even a hybrid business service you can offer to give them more reasons to choose your store.
Simple design decisions to make customers choose your store
- Place laundry carts near the door to make it easier for people with heavy bags of laundry.
- Folding tables can double up as a waiting or study area. Offering free wifi and USB charging points could make a real difference for customers on the go.
- If your laundromat brand is community-focused, think about creating a kids’ play area, a book swap, or a donation box.
Creating space for extra laundromat services
Depending on your neighborhood demographics, you can decide to offer customers extra laundry services like wash-dry-fold, commercial laundry, and even delivery. Designing space for these extra services will help to create a better workflow for your laundromat team members.
- Create a laundry drop-off and collection counter near the front of the store.
- Make a designated wash-dry-fold area for attendants to carry out extra services.
- Don’t forget to advertise your full laundry services with in-store signage and flyers!
Is there room for a hybrid laundromat in your neighborhood?
A great way to maximize the profitability of your business and incorporate some of your other talents and interests is to create a hybrid laundromat. This trend has become more popular in recent years, giving store owners the opportunity to offer other services while customers wait for their laundry. Which of these services could you combine with your laundromat?
- Cafe
- Salon or nail bar
- Retail space
- Games arcade
- Barber shop
Put up clear, professional signage
In-store signage can make your customers’ trip to the laundromat much easier and even act like an extra staff member at times. You can provide useful information like pricing, laundry tips, and instructions on how to use your washers and dryers, so customers can be more self-sufficient and don’t always need to ask for assistance. You should make sure your signage is:
- Clear and easy to read.
- Placed in an obvious spot where everyone can see.
- In English and any other language that’s widely spoken in your neighborhood.
Did you know that partnering with Laundrylux means that you’ll receive complimentary laundromat sign kits customized to your Electrolux Professional or Wascomat equipment? We also create custom flyers, postcards, and door hangers for you to spread the word around town. Contact us to learn more!
Think about store security
As with any retail or service premises, good security measures are essential to helping everyone in your store safe and comfortable. Here are some things you can do for better peace of mind.
- Install security cameras in conspicuous areas both inside and outside your store. This will also be necessary if you intend to leave your store unattended at any point.
- Card and mobile payment options for your laundry equipment are more convenient for your customer and an added security bonus for your store. You can choose the LaundryPulse and LaundryPay management and payment apps, or we can advise you on suitable third-party software for your equipment.
- If you’re considering providing an ATM facility, make sure it’s in a secure location.
Key takeaways
- Connect with our laundromat design experts to create the perfect layout and in-store brand experience for your business.
- Ensure you provide enough folding tables to avoid any bottlenecks and enable customers to complete their laundry as quickly as possible.
- Consult neighborhood demographics to choose the best equipment mix, extra laundry services, and amenities to offer your customers.
- Choose bright lightning with flooring and furnishings that are both hard-wearing and easy to clean.
- Put up clear, professional signage with information about pricing, laundry tips, and instructions on how to use your washers and dryers to boost customer experience.
Want to learn more about getting into the laundry business? Check out our 7-Step Guide to Starting a Laundromat!