Coin-operated laundries, Smart Laundry, that is how the self-service laundries can be called, but also in many other different ways, while the substance remains always the same. They are evolving from functional and service-oriented places, to meeting and pleasant waiting places. High technology, the respect for the environment and a careful eye on the budget – an essential detail for times like nowadays, when the energy costs have reached skyrocketing levels, so that the entrepreneurs and the families need to balance their accounts. A minimum common denominator for all the interviewed companies is the versatility and customisation of the self-service laundry, and the turnkey package is by far more predominant than the other offers.
Payment systems are also largely versatile and easy to use and combine with the intuitive operation of the washing and drying machines. The token has become a residual payment system, being replaced with more convenient and functional electronic payment systems, like cards and keys. And the customised organisation of the laundry and the meticulous space management is an added value for everyone. And the innovations are not missing, looking forward to EXPOdetergo International 2022…
The self-service laundry is transforming, becoming a meeting place, an environment of social exchange with a high technological content. Hospitality, speed of service and information are the focal points of the future development of these social and business environments. This is sociological premise that we starting our conversation with Carlo Miotto, CEO of IMESA S.p.A.. “The Apps will be the “must have” of the moment for a self-service laundry in step with the times, respecting not only the needs of the shop manager, who is always more focused on performance at the click of a button (costs, savings, earnings), but above all on the end user, whose need for efficiency, convenience and support will be achieved in real time directly through their mobile device. For this, IMESA has created Laundry For You, the new application designed for both types of user.
Laundry For You is the app of IMESA dedicated to the laundry dealers and the managers, helping them to better monitor and manage their own fleet of machines, and the possibility to access the dedicated portal for creating news and customised promotions.
The app is divided in three main sections for the beginning:
• can upload promotions and share news and useful washing and drying tips;
• Statistics, dedicated to the operating performance of the washing machines, where the consumption, the washing cycles and other parameters can be checked, in order to keep always the operations under control;
• Technical Information, that thanks to a cutting-edge technology, allows you to see the main technical information about the washing machine.
For the customer or the “end user”, will be enough to download the app on the mobile device to access the functions available today, as for example the Community section that can be constantly updated on current promotions for obtaining valuable suggestions of washing (cycles, chemistry) and drying (time, temperature) for always impeccable and cared garments. This is just the beginning of an important technological journey that will lead us as IMESA to make this new service increasingly adapted to the needs of our customers, enriching it with an effective, customer-oriented functionality. “Stay tuned” says Miotto.
World leader in the sector, Electrolux Professional has been designing and manufacturing solutions for the professional laundries for over 100 years. A brand that became the guarantee of reliability, productivity and eco-sustainability, turning the excellence into the main principle of every activity. Electrolux Professional is well-known globally for the completeness of its proposals, designed to make the daily life easier and more profitable. We are talking with Andrea Corazza, the Sales Director of Electrolux Professional Italy. “The technology and the quality of Electrolux Professional solutions ensure a long-life cycle and reduced operating costs: a low water, energy and detergents consumption, without compromising the performance. Compact machines, equipped with intuitive control panels, for simple and faster washing operations.
The Compass Pro(r) microprocessor designed for all the self-service washing machines and dryers, allows the machines to be customised and programmed to offer a greater flexibility, efficiency and cost savings. The washing machines, for example, have an automatic saving system that defines the loading weight for adding the right amount of water. Our precision system detects and corrects automatically the drum unbalances during the washing process. On the other hand, our dryers are equipped with an advanced technology that reduces significantly the drying times, and guarantees over 60% of energy savings. Electrolux Professional solutions are extremely versatile in the self-service sector: from on-board payment with cards, coins or tokens to the possibility to connect the equipment to the most existing centralised payment systems. The Electrolux Professional solutions, offer the possibility to optimally monitor and manage the self-service laundry, with direct access to the machine performance and operating statistics, for reducing the downtime and for a better planning of the preventive maintenance.”
The Renzacci group focused its attention on self-service, tells Marco Niccolini, the General Sales and Mkt Director. “The self-service had a phase of great expansion at the beginning of 2000, then it has been affected by the critical market issues from 2008 to 2016, for returning to grow in the recent years with a very different market trajectory. The self-service machines range by Renzacci, is strongly characterised by a great interconnection with the customer: the machines are equipped with facilities, such as the possibility of creating customised discounts, incentives for the customers on specific days of the week, information about the machine and much more…
The laundry owner has the possibility to have more information about the real-time profitability of each machine, but also to control it remotely, without the need of his physical presence. All this is possible thanks to the Intellectus System, that has the right technology to take advantage of the 4.0 Industry incentives. Digital connection 4.0, and as we have seen, the possibility to put a magnifying glass on the economic performance of the company.
Another key product in the self-service sector, is the RZ series closed-circuit dryer, with total airflow recovery by Renzacci, that is working without the expensive suction hoods. Concerning the services offered by Renzacci, we would also like to mention the disinfection service with the IGenius ozone cabinet, essential for sanitising any type of article and good for the daily use, but the “Pet Corner” set-up is also very successful, a product indicated and designed for those who have to take care of our four-legged friends”, concludes Niccolini.
We meet Marco Treggiari, in charge of the Speed Queen brand of Alliance, who points out that “the pandemic – it is useless to underline – has also disrupted and revolutionised the professional laundry world. The self-service laundry sector, where Alliance Laundry Systems is the market leader with its Speed Queen brand, makes no exception. In a positive sense. Besides increasing their number (there are now more than 200 in every region of Italy), Speed Queen laundries have registered an interesting and uniform turnover increase. An important indicator standing as proof: in 2021, one of two new Speed Queen laundries were opened by licensees already owners of one or more Speed Queen machines. Alliance always wanted to enrich its proposal by offering to investors the so defined as a Total Retail Solution.
Around the equipment and an already established design, has been developed a social marketing programme and a management platform, and have been introduced some important technological innovations, the first and foremost being the washing with ozonated water. This allows a significantly reduced electricity consumption (ozone washing is made with cold water), less detergents and therefore a lower environmental impact. There are now more than 50 Speed Queen laundries that adopted the ozone technology that have remarkable results regarding the customer satisfaction”.
We move on to Girbau Italia and interview Massimo Scatto, Sales Director, who explains the offer of the Spanish company. “The selfservice laundries of Girbau rely on 
high-performance, energy- efficient equipment and the most advanced control technologies. The HS-High Speed Series washing machines have a simple and intuitive programming, with extra functionality available to its customers. Their reliability over the time can be translated into a minimum technical maintenance.
The ED-Ecodryer Series tumble dryers are equipped with unique features: hot air trans-flow, double side insulated panels, double glass on the porthole, rotation speed control, double sense rotation, linen residual humidity control, time-temperature humidity control setting. Thanks to the new SAPPHIRE system, all the equipment in the self-service laundry can be interconnected and controlled remotely, from almost any electronic device (PC, smartphone, tablet) of the laundry owner. He can have anytime a complete picture of the activity: productivity, profitability, possible anomalies, daily cycles, peak working hours, etc. The DMP system (Disinfection Monitoring Package) is monitoring the entire washing cycle of each washing machine so that the setted parameters are ensuring the complete linen disinfection,” concludes Scatto.
Concerning the cleaning, we are talking to Stenilio Morazzini, the General Manager of Montega®. “For some time now, Montega® acknowledged the right active ingredients and formulations for ensuring a hygienic and aseptic washing. The sanitary crisis has been the perfect opportunity for improving and finding the right dosages and treatments timing in this sense. We can provide specialised advice about saving energy and gas, and protecting the environment. Montega® is a partner of various European brands specialised in the self-service sector. To ensure the efficiency of each wash, Montega® has created a line of highly concentrated and very competitive products in terms of efficiency, energy savings, quality and hygiene,” concludes Morazzini.
“Regarding our self-service line, says Francesco Ciaponi, the Sales Manager of AGA C.O.M., we have equipped our machines with a computer that goes beyond the old machines that had only four fixed, not modifiable programs. Today our machines have twenty programs available, customisable by the laundry owner (colours, settings, etc.) according to the market requirements. For example, in bigger cities and in some areas, the customers require a special care for certain garments, and today the selfservice machines are able to accomplish these needs. Customisation means creating a dedicated program, different besteps, and up to the cycle cost. At AGA C.O.M. we offer turnkey packages.
We have three available packages: starting with the basic Easy self-package, moving on to the Laundry Pro, and finally to the most prestigious, the Premium. They are versatile and customisable packages. We are for many years on the market, and the 450 self-service laundries that we have set up around the world are standing for us. We have a strong presence in Italy, in Europe (Portugal is the leading European country after Italy with 35 laundries opened during 2021), in Russia (we’ll be opening one by March) and also in many Arab countries (Amman, Jeddah, Riyadh, etc.).
We are currently working to a new opening in Sao Paulo in Brazil. We have opened in the last year many laundries with the water recovery system – the waste water recovery, allowing the customers to recover 40% of the used water. As for the dryers, the keyword is consumption savings. Open-circuit dryers, Eco Boost model, with an average of 40% less consumption, and as a novelty for 2022, we are promoting the closed-chamber model with more than 2/3 electricity reduced costs (the average used is 15-20 kW while ours consumes not more than 6 kW)”.
“In addition to beauty, functionality and elegance, Brentareno is also paying a special care to ecology, and for this we make sure that our materials are as much recyclable as possible, and our detergents are in fact 99% biodegradable. Marzio Klos, the Managing Director of Brentareno, gives us a comprehensive insight about all the self-service machines. We are ready to offer and supply the complete laundry equipment solution so that the customer doesn’t have to worry about anything. Our structure of over 2,000 square metres allows us to offer a 360° service to our customers. We have a staff responding to any requirements.
We are proud to have opened more than 1,500 laundries in Italy and abroad, and we also supply hotels, communities, camps, and are enjoying a great success with navies and riding schools. We are proud to have created the first coffee laundry shop in Italy, that is enjoying a great success. In our laundries, besides the washing machines and the dryers already adapted to all requirements, we provide specifically designed programs, for various activities such as the beauty centres, football clubs, etc., and we study together with the customer, depending on the location area, the best strategy for adapting the programs to the present business activities”.
Alessandro Martemucci, the Marketing Manager of Heart Italiana, shows us an expanding market segment in the self-service sector, that responds to the increasingly demand for animals’ well-being. “Last year brought a series of innovations at Heart Italiana in the field of the self-service laundries. Heart Italiana, present in the professional cleaning sector for over 30 years, has developed a new range of products called “Pet Line”, specifically designed for the self-service laundries, and created in collaboration with veterinary doctors, for meeting the animals cleaning and clothing care needs, with a particular attention to their well-being.
OXIPET, CLEANPET and SOFTYPET are all hypoallergenic products and they contain only selected noble raw materials, with low environmental impact and completely compatible with the animal’s physiological characteristics. A new market niche, the pet hygiene is attracting a lot of interest from the industry players and has a turnover of around 30 million euros. OXIPET is an organic sanitising additive with active oxygen, specifically designed for washing all the textiles that come into contact with our four-legged friends. Its formula does not contain any contra-indicated substances for the pets, such as perfumes, preservatives and dyes that can trigger them any allergic reactions. Its active ingredient is particularly efficient in neutralising and eliminating the unpleasant odours, typical of pets’ daily lives, by sanitising their fabrics. With its exclusive formulation, it is efficient even at low temperatures: removes stains, sanitises, removes the organic dirt (ground, slime, organic residues, vomit), caring the colours and the fabrics. Very easy to rinse, does not leave any residues.
CLEANPET is the perfect detergent in the prewash phase, it is very efficient for washing at low temperatures, is hypoallergenic, removes dirt and eliminates unpleasant odours from all fabrics and animal clothing. Finally, for softer and lighter fabrics, we recommend to add SOFTYPET in the final washing phase. A hypoallergenic and fragrance-free fabric softener, with a formula that gives fabrics an extraordinary softness effect. The garments remain softer for a longer time and does not cause allergic reactions to the pets”.
Going beyond the Italian borders and concluding the extended reportage, we meet Andrea Barnick, the Marketing Manager of wh Münzprüfer, a company based in Berlin that is manufacturing payment devices for laundrettes. wh Münzprüfer’s EMP 500 /CLB payment device, specially conceived for the coin-operated laundries, is now also available for Nexi payment. This 3-in-1 payment solution offers the possibility for the payment with coins, NFC key, or through the mobile phone and it is suitable for all coin-operated laundry machines equipped with parallel or serial interface.
The easy-to-use “cashless laundry” app for mobile payments, supports PayPal; Nexi and credit card payment, which ensures a direct flow of funds from the customer to the operator. This makes the worldwide use easily possible. Wireless Internet access in the coin-up laundry shop or basement is not required. Add-ons such as loyalty programs, vouchers, laser labelled front plates and accessories for OEM, or operators complete this device. The EMP 500 v7 /CLB coin selector has been developed to offer more flexibility and to make laundrettes more convenient for the users and operators. It can be easily achieved an increasingly number of payments, without bringing any mechanical or electronical modifications to the machine”. •
By Marzio Nava
Detergo Magazine – Number 2, February 2022
