This Couple Reinvented the Boring Laundromat into Something Much Cooler
Laundromats aren’t normally the most exciting places, but Jason Wenworth and his wife Sandrine’s small business in Maine is shaking up the industry like a tumble dryer.
Their operation, Washboard Eco Laundry, in Portland, Me., is environmentally friendly, cheaper than your standard laundromat and has a café-like atmosphere that you might actually want to hang out in.
The entrepreneur never set out to own his own laundry service, but his unique model has since grown and is being emulated by laundromats all over the country.
Before being eco-friendly was trendy, Jason took his experience with solar and energy-efficiency and wanted to test it on a mass scale with laundromats. “The company I was with was looking for commercial applications with energy efficiency,” Jason tells Yahoo Makers. “Laundromats came up on the list as one of the applications that might work really well because they use a lot of hot water and electricity.”
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Unable to convince the industry as a whole to try his method, he decided to take on the venture himself, opening Washboard Eco Laundry in Portland in 2001. “After about the fifth ‘no’ I thought I might just have to try this myself.”
Unlike typical laundromats, Jason’s establishment uses solar power to generate most of the hot water, sells detergents from bulk containers to reduce waste, has the most energy-efficient front-load machines and sells a choice of natural detergents, fabric softeners and a chlorine-free bleach alternative.
The renovation was more expensive because they did things such as put in good quality, energy efficient windows and a radiant floor heating system, which are not typical in most laundromats. “The added cost was probably around 20% over what we would have spent on a standard renovation,” says Jason. “But that expense has been more than offset by lower operating costs and the value of a more comfortable and inviting space for employees and customers.”
On the energy side, they operate at about half the energy cost of a typical laundromat, adding up to over $100,000 in savings. This cost discrepancy has helped Jason promote another mission close to his heart. “It allows us to offer our service a little more inexpensively than our competitors, which was part of our mission to be respectful of our customer base, most of whom live paycheck to paycheck,” he adds. “My wife and I were both adamant about not trying to enrich ourselves on the backs of people who are really struggling to make ends meet.”
How much savings are customers getting? Jason admits cost is a hard thing to compare because there is a wide variation in pricing around the country, which is related to utility costs and overall cost of living/business. “For our market we are on the low side at $2.50 for a double load wash and about $1.75 to dry but we do not price our service based on what the market will bare,” he adds. “We can afford to have a better price and pay our employees a higher wage than our competitors while still making a decent profit, in part because we save so much on operating costs with our focus on efficiency.”
Never setting out to get into the business, Jason and his wife Sandrine created a space that was both in line with their environmental values and comfortable for the locals using their services.
“I had been in a lot of laundromats that weren’t very enjoyable and it made doing laundry more drudgery than necessary,” adds Jason. “In addition to creating a place that was super energy efficient and focused on clean clothes with the lowest environmental impact, we wanted to make a place that was really enjoyable to be in.” The couple added more windows to brighten it up and created a living room area for people to relax in while waiting for their clothes as if they were at home. “We didn’t follow any of the traditional cookie-cutter stuff,” adds Jason. “It’s very light and airy and has more of a café feel and all the materials are eco-friendly.”
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This unique idea certainly garnered attention from the locals and has helped to drive business. “I can confidently way that we have far more loyal customers because of our mission,” says Jason. “We still get plenty of people coming in because we are the most convenient to where they live but we have people who pass 2 or 3 other laundromats to come to us because they like the atmosphere and the commitment to green that is unique to the Washboard.”
Since he’s conquered the laundromat business in his town, Jason has been invited to trade shows to speak about his success. But, the entrepreneur has an even bigger vision. “The planet is going to hell,” says Jason. “I want to contribute in as big of a way as I can to lower the impact of what I do to the environment.”
After nearly 15 years in business now, the couple has learned what they can do to improve this model and that being green does not help one avoid the challenges of running a small business. Next the duo has their eyes set on expanding their laundromat expertise. “ My next project, if I decide to stay in the industry and not try something totally different, is to create a laundromat that will be operated without the use of fossil fuels,” says Jason. “It will also significantly change the way customers get their laundry done, saving time for them and eliminating many of the challenges for laundromat owners.”
And while he admits it may be a slow start since laundry isn’t as sexy as other eco topics, he notes there’s a new trend in the industry with almost all laundry manufacturers offering some sort of energy efficient equipment aka a step in the right direction. “I think it’s great,” he adds, but is quick to say that he’s by no means preaching this eco-friendly attitude. “I don’t want people to feel guilty,” he says. “I want a person using those harsh detergents to come into our Laundromat and slowly learn something new.”
If you do want to lower your negative impact on the environment in terms of your laundry, Jason gives two useful tips you can try at home:
1. Air Dry Your Clothes
“The biggest thing people can do is dry clothes on a rack or clothesline whenever possible. Drying in a dryer uses the majority of energy involved in doing laundry and it takes lots of life out of your clothes,” he says. “If clothes feel too stiff after line drying then toss them in the dryer for just a few minutes to soften them up.”
2. Choose a Natural Detergent
“The brands are full of artificial perfumes, dyes and petroleum based surfactants that all are big contributors to water pollution downstream from our washing machines,” Jason adds. "Wash in warm or cold water whenever possible. It works fine for things that have few grease type stains.“
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