What to look for in a business laundry delivery service.

Whatever you need – there’s an app for that. But, is that always a good thing?

While you might not care who is delivering your pizza, you should care who is doing your laundry. With the rise of middle-man apps that pair you with the closest, cheapest, (insert any other superlative here) service provider, you have no idea who is picking up, cleaning, and delivering your clothes. And, this likely changes order-to-order based on however the middle man app chooses to schedules your service.

These providers even opt to send orders to individuals to wash at their home instead of a professional company operating in a professional laundry facility.

Here is the rundown:

1. You’ll want to find a business laundry service that ACTUALLY does your laundry: It takes a simple Google search. You’ll find a couple of options of app-based middle man companies that shop your laundry out to the nearest provider. These almost always cost you twice as much as going directly to the source. When deciding on a business laundry service, be sure to research or ask who is actually doing your laundry.
2. Dry Cleaners vs. Laundry Services: There is a difference. If you though the third-party middle man apps were expensive, dry cleaners typically cost 3-4x the price of a true laundry service. Dry cleaners specialize in high volumes of small garments. While your business laundry service focuses on small volumes of bigger garments – sheets, towels, comforters, etc. And, for the most part, dry cleaning your linens is a good way to expedite the wear and tear on them. Check both the linen care tags and your dry cleaning receipts before using a dry cleaner.

A business laundry delivery service should always offer you a free trial. Websites, apps, and even how-to guides like this are nice. But, what it really comes down to is quality and price. A good business laundry service will always offer you a free trial for a couple of reasons.

1. A free trial gives the business laundry service a better idea of your laundry volumes. This can help guide pricing structures since most small business owners do not know the volume of laundry they produce and the special requirements their laundry may need.

A free trial lets you see their folding style and quality – without any risk. If you’re an experienced business laundry customer, you know that folding and packaging inconsistencies can create headaches. Conventional laundromats and laundry services don’t have account standard operating procedures – they just wash & fold. A good business laundry service will offer to create a folding and packaging template to use and reconcile against every time your laundry is sent in. If you’re interested in setting up a call to create a business laundry service folding and packaging template with The Folde, schedule a call here.

1. A free trial get’s the hiccups out of the way before starting your paid service. Is the pickup and delivery happening during business hours or after hours? Who is responsible for leaving the laundry bags out for pickup for the laundry service? Are there any gate codes or hallway access points that need to be discussed? A free trial let’s you find an operating rhythm with your business laundry delivery service. And, it makes sure you’re not paying for the service while the hiccups are still getting worked out.

Conventional wash and fold laundry services are priced by the pound. This means prices can vary from a dollar per pound to well over a few dollars per pound – usually with peak pricing on weekends. If you’re having your clothes picked up and delivered, this means you have no idea what you will be paying until the clothes are returned.

Given the choice, do you think the service provider will weigh your laundry before cleaning – where dampness, dirt, and everyday-debris is included in the weight? Or will they weigh the clothes after they’ve been cleaned – usually resulting in a 7-10% weight reduction? Not to mention the sharp spike in pricing when you send your towels, comforters, and heavier linens…

A good per-pound provider will include a photo of the scale as proof of your order totals – weighed after the clothes have been washed, dried, and folded. But that doesn’t fix the per-pound variability that’s hard to budget for.

At The Folde, our flat-rate wash & fold pricing makes laundry predictable and affordable. While we do offer per pound pricing to those interested, most of our business accounts prefer our flat-rate pricing because it eliminates the hassle and sticker shock of per pound pricing. Stuff your bags full; it doesn’t change the price!

You’ll find a wide range of turnaround times when scouting potential business laundry services. Traditional laundromats boast two-hour turnaround times while a dry cleaner usually asks for three-days with wash & fold laundry. We’ve found that good laundry services treat turnaround time like a pool cleaning or maid service – not an Uber ride. Scheduling it out in advance is important and you’ll find between one and two days is to be expected.

Laundry is delicate. And, we take it seriously at The Folde. From our customized packaging, stain treatment, hang-dry options, and complimentary inventory and stain management, we know that doing it right takes time. With a little bit of forethought and planning, our one-day turnaround is easy to plan for. And, it’s delivered straight to your door.

As a premium, all-inclusive laundry service, our goal is to bring you a premium laundry product at an affordable and predictable price. There are local, old-school laundromats that offer entry-level pre-pound pricing and there are other software companies out there offering quicker turnarounds. Be careful. Be sure you know who is doing your laundry when you order online and make sure to check the quality before dropping your linens off at a low-cost or quick-turnaround provider.