Laundromat Business Trends: Large-Capacity Commercial Washers and Dryers

Coin Operated and Vended laundry owners see high traffic at their high-capacity washing machines and dryers because customers will pay more for the convenience of doing all their laundry at once.

There’s big business in big laundry machines these days, with laundromat owners reporting up to 50% of their weekly profits coming from high capacity commercial washers and dryers. This equipment includes 60-lb, 80-lb, and 100-lb commercial washers, for example, handling 60, 80, and 100 pounds of laundry, respectively. That volume translates to 6 to 10 residential machine size loads at once—roughly two weeks’ worth of clothes for a family of four. The convenience of washing and drying your family’s clothes twice a month in one fell swoop is driving even the washer/dryer owners back to the laundromat.

Our laundromat owner clients report that more than a few of their customers own their own laundry equipment at home. These customers give various reasons for going to their local laundromat and using the large machines:

• They want to get all their laundry done at once, to save time — and also, utility costs
• They have bulky items such as comforters, duvets and bedspreads that don’t fit in their small residential laundry machines
• Top-rated Dexter commercial washers and dryers clean and sanitize their laundry more effectively than their home machines—an important point in the age of Covid-19.

For the past several years, the industry has been heading in the direction of bigger machines, with fewer top-loading washers and 30-lb dryers. In 2020, Planet Laundry, the magazine of the Coin Laundry Association, reported an increasing emphasis on 60-lb washers and above. Just one year later, the magazine stated in their article “Go Big” that “large-capacity washers are the most important element in any vended laundry today – and every store owner should have at least two of each unique capacity.”

Adding large capacity commercial laundry equipment to the mix in your laundromat will set you apart from competitors who still rely on slower, less efficient top-loading or 20-lb machines. As mentioned above, the bigger machines also make quick work of comforters, rugs, sleeping bags, and other bulky items that overload home washers or top-loading commercial washing machines. In addition, the big machines tend to be faster and quieter, allowing for more paying customers in a more pleasant environment. 

The undeniable attraction of large capacity machines results in an expanded customer base, more revenue, and greater efficiency for more successful laundromats. Soon, the answer to the question of which is the best washing machine for a laundromat may be “the biggest one you can afford.” 

If you’re ready to upgrade to large capacity machines, we offer Dexter commercial washers in 90-lb, 80-lb, and 60-lb models. For Dexter commercial dryers, we can set you up with 50-lb and 80-lb capacities. Dexter reversing dryers have proven to be very popular among customers laundering sheets, towels, and comforters as they prevent these bulky items from getting all twisted up and significantly reduce drying time. 

Contact a WSD Laundry Specialist today to learn more.