When planning a new coin laundry store, or just remodeling and existing one, there are many different factors you want to keep in mind! To help your laundry customers make the best use of your facilities, here are some important tips from Dexter Authorized Distributors to remember in planning your laundromat.
Useful Area of Building
Keep in mind the building’s layout and the structural features that you cannot or do not want to change. These will need to be built around with your new design.
Additional Services Offered
Are you going to offer dry cleaning, wash / dry / fold service? Alterations? Make sure you allow plenty of space to accommodate any additional services they might be providing including ATM’s, video games, etc.
Number of Machines & Load Capacity
• Make sure you have enough machines for weekends--a laundry's busiest times!
• Include small, medium and large washer sizes to accommodate many different individuals' needs.
• Have plenty of drying capacity for customers to finish their loads.
Efficiency of Customer Flow and Facilitate Processing Speed
Help your customers around quickly and efficiently with smart planning that includes. • Large, automatic doors • Available carts • Wide aisles • High speed extraction washers • Bountiful folding space
Design In Safety
A laundry’s design should help customers both keep safe and feel safe by complying with all codes, having ample interior lighting, plenty of open spaces and non-slip flooring. Be sure to have emergency shut-offs and a recordable camera security system.
Other Elements To Consider
• Easy access
• Elbow room to work
• Electrical shut-offs
• Quality water valves
• Lighting
• Future expansion
• Secured office space
• Cleaning supply storage
Elements To Limit Or Avoid
• “Going it alone” and “re-inventing the wheel”
• Too many interior signs
• Negative “Don’t Do” signs
• Too much space for kids play areas
• Too many video games can keep mothers away
• ATM machine
Elements To Add
• Get “creative” with paint – not tile
• Add personality with decorations or plants
General Planning
• Dryer venting and intake air, 12” x 12” after screens, louvers and opening covers.
• Each Dryer should have its own disconnect.
• Leave 2 feet behind Dryers min.
• Leave 6 ft 7 inches between washer rows for people and carts.
• Make sure there is enough folding tables or customer will go other places.
• Laundry flow- they fill front to back. Large machines in front fill early. Small machines to back fill later.
• Wash dry and fold will need some storage area.
• Folding tables and areas are important to customers.
• Vending can bring in additional dollars – remember to plan for electrical outlets
• Bulkheads - the cost is less for smaller ones but, leave less space to work on machines.
• Match washer pounds with dryer pounds. Ratio of 1:1
• Plan a dedicated power outlet for the computer network and a phone line near by for the network.
