Commercial Wash-Dry-Fold Accounts

The primary objection most drycleaners have to scaling retail wash, dry, and fold (WDF) service is they don’t have the right equipment mix. If you are limited on washers and dryers, you might want to expand your commercial WDF lines instead of your retail WDF lines.

The advantage to focusing on commercial accounts is you are typically washing larger orders with similar pieces and you can still process a lot of work with fewer machines. Once you get these clients into a routine, they will almost always have a bag(s) for your driver. They are some of our very best clients.

Some commercial accounts are small and do the laundry themselves, or send it home with someone who works there. Other commercial accounts are very large (think hospitals and hotels) and are prospects for large linen companies like Cintas, Unifirst, and Ameripride. In between these small and large accounts is what I like to call niche laundry – too much laundry for them to do themselves, but not so much to attract the attention of the large linen companies.

This niche laundry generally allows for increased price per pound and higher margins. Companies with these laundry needs usually want higher quality than the linen companies, own the linens they want processed (instead of renting it), and will give you significant orders driving a lot more revenue for you.

The majority of the commercial WDF accounts fall into one of three categories – towels, bed linens, and uniforms.

Here are some types of companies we’ve found success with serving commercial WDF –

• sleep clinics
• fitness gyms
• dentists
• massage salons
• day spas
• assisted living/retirement homes
• vacation rentals
• restaurants
• coffee shops
• specialty medical
• sports uniforms
• security companies
• and same-day surgery centers.

If you have a flatwork ironer, you can expand your offerings to include table linens and pressed bed linens.

Next week, we’ll discuss how you can use a complimentary WDF audit Form to approach and sign up commercial WDF prospects in a magnetic way, without involving high-pressure sales.

Have a great week!

Dave