PUBLISHED ON JUNE 13, 2024

Not that long ago I found an article about the Federal Government’s newest proposal to mandate further water reduction in washing machines. These regulations might be necessary to protect the global environment, but what is without dispute is the impact this will have on Laundromat owners. Manufacturers have responded to these proposed new regulations by stating that reducing water will result in the following: "each cycle will take longer, the detergent will cost more, and in the end, the clothes will be less clean."

Here are some items that Laundromat owners could learn from this factory spokesman statement.

  1. The factories are finally stating that lower water levels in washer cycles reduce the cleaning capability of washers. Up to now, manufacturers have not commented on the effect their latest models using lower water levels have been impacting cleaning. Current washer models claiming “energy efficiency and lower water use” are finally out of the closet on disclosing that lowering water use reduces the ability of cleaning clothes.

  2. In order to replace the necessity of sufficient water, manufacturers must increase the time of agitation. Although Laundromat washers currently average about 22 minutes per complete wash cycle, the same machines made for home use averages over an hour per complete wash cycle. Could Laundromats afford to have extended wash times? How business volume and need for more washers be impacted by increased times of wash cycles?

  3. Are we content to allow the poor quality of a wash be offered to our customers in the future? Manufacturers are already under on restriction on lowering water use, what will be the required increased agitation time with these even lower proposed reduced reduction requirements. Will commercial washers need to run for an hour and a half to produce any cleaning capability?

  4. Another issue being promoted as a necessity for the future is new, more expensive detergents and soaps to assist in soil removal from clothes. Can Laundromats effectively restrict soaps and detergents that are being used in self-service facilities? If the type of soap being used becomes a mandatory in the amount and type inserted in a washer, will this require total attendance of every Laundromat? Will be smaller, partially attended Laundromats be priced out of the market?

  5. Will interior sinks need to be removed to prevent customers from filling containers with water and pouring it into their soap dishes to increase the amount of water in the washer? What challenges will these potential new regulations bring to Laundromats?

  6. One thing that will certainly be in the future is the oncoming death of the hard mount washer. Soft mount washers that spin with 400g force extract speeds will be needed to extract the water from clothes. The soap residue and dirt particulate is suspended in any wetness that remains in clothes after the completion of a complete wash cycle. Mechanical removal (or drying) is accomplished with higher washer extract speeds. Without this high speed extract, the quality of the completed wash result will be reduced even more with any new water use restrictions. Can Laundromat owners ethically continue to produce such a low quality fabric cleaning and still attract customers, and will customers seek alternative options? Maybe new technology with the forthcoming that will allow clothes cleaning without the need for washing and dryer. Could innovations destroy the Laundromat? Things to think about.