Soap

[NathanNewbie]

Firstly, let me say what a wonderful board this is. I've spent quite a little time going over all the posts, and by far... this is the most informative gathering of information I've been able to find. It also helps, that everyone here seems to have a sense of humor.

My question is simple. I'm trying to Penny Pinch. I just acquired my first laundry, and have been trying to increase profits. One of my main area's of concern is WDF.

Previously, the owners were charging .65 per pound, and including soap, bleach and softener. GREAT DEAL! I'd love it if I were a consumer, but as a owner, I find it hard to beleive that costs can even be covered at those prices. Especially, when you're using Tide, Clorox 2, and Downey.

My first order of busisness (besides increasing prices on all my NEW machines), has been to raise W/D/F prices to $1.00 per/lb. We also offer homestyle ironing, at 1.25 per piece, and I beleive that I'll let that price stick for the time being.

My question is this. Has anyone had any luck, getting away from the "Name Brands" to use in W/D/F. It kills my soul to go to Sams and pay $20 for a box of Tide. I've already switched from Downy to Bounce, and plan to start charging $.50 per load for Clorox 2.

Do the customers really need the name, or will they be just as happy with a cheaper brand.

Right now, Purex is looking awfully good :)

I would appreciate hearing what others use, and any other suggestions on how I can "penny pinch".

-NathanNewbie

[anonymous]

I have WDF set at $.85/lb. for regular laundry, with a 10lb. minimum. Large bedding such as comforters, sleeping bags, rugs, and pillows are per piece price.

Currently, I'm using Costco's in-house brand of detergent, just to see how it works. It works fine, and is oodles cheaper! The customers haven't even noticed I've switched from Tide because they never see the original container, just the little Tupperware container that we use out where the customers are. I always use liquid Downy, because the fragrance will be what the customer smells when they open the bag. Also, Downy "kills" the soap suds in the last rinse, just in case my laundry gals get a little heavy-handed with the detergent.

I use about 1/3 of a standard scoop that comes in the detergent box for a regular load in my double-loaders. Sometimes I use Clorox II, but not often. We pre-spot, and that does a better job than all-fabric bleach. Sometimes we use a weak clorine bleach solution in the whites. Depends on the customer.


Also, I've always used the front-load washers because they do a superior job. We only do about 3,000 lbs per month, a little more around Christmas time. Also, we don't do any ironing, because there's no room for an ironing board! I use my iron to heat old floor tiles prior to removal / replacement. Being a modern woman, I think it's a fitting use for such an appliance! ;)

This any help?

[Kitty]

I would say your hardest thing now would be going from a 65cent wdf charge to a 1oo charge. Not that it does not warrant such a raise but that you do the raise in one shot..........but..Your question was? Do customers care about the soap product? Not unless they are allergic. Only the customers with an allergy did they ever ask about the product. We too, used to use Tide from SAms. WE changed to a commercial product that has worked well for us and saved the wdf money.

[Rondo]

We use Gain and if you shop around you can get it for 10 cents a load, now we just installed 10 Ma21s(Maytag Neptunes 3rd generation) at one store and we use them on everything that we can and now our soap usage is way down. The common problem with these machines is everybody puts way too much soap in them. They only require 1\4 of a nomal use so we marked every machine with a label maker. Still some people don't read very good or just ignor our lables but they have lowered our soap and bleach usage.

We do not use fabric softner(liquid) only dryersheets we just double up on the sheets. The liquid is just a hassel to buy and it cut the overhead using the dryer sheets only.

[Howard]

I have no clue regarding wdf soap. Just wanted to post to tell you that you pciked a great "handle". Good sense of humor. It will serve you well when the Wascomat drains plug up late at night.

[Andy]

We charge $1.00 per pound no min. We use the $9.98 five gallon buckets of soap from Sam's Club. I buy liquid clorox form Walmart in gallon jugs for drop-off only. We also buy the big box of Bounce from Sam's rather than using the more expensive coin-vend boxes on drop-off.

As a side note I have a nice drop-off scale for sale. It is exactly like the model advertised in the Howard Enterprises ad in the coin-op and other laundry journals.

[buddy]

I buy 34 LB Bucket of powdered detergent from Costco for $19.99.
I buy Shoprite or Pathmart brand Fabric Softner which is $1.99 per gallon. I buy Bleach from my local supplier for $8.00 per case which contains 6 1-gallon bottles.

We chanrge .65 / LB for WDF with 10LB minimum. My Competitors charge 75 cents/LB but I get three times the WDF volume than my competitors. I net about $450-$500 /Week in WDF.

[Ken]

I use Sam's culb soap,they work ok.
Do not use "Arm and Hammer",they turn into rock when you use cold water.They always stuck in the Wasco box #1.

[Anonymous]

my story
Same city 10 miles apart
mat #1 has used El Cheapo brand soap for 10 yrs
mat #2 uses El Primo brand soap for last 9 years
Mat #1 does more WDF business and always has.
Moral - save some Jack, by El cheapo
don't ask why #2 still uses El Primo - i don't want to be forced to defend a bad idea

Re humor. You get all kinds on this board. Naive whippersnappers to Crotchety old retiree's like Howard :0 Many different opinions, most worth listening to. You gotta respect folks like Howard , Pete, Koybee, Kitty, they give more than they receive and make this board what it is.

[NathanNewbie]

Today I went out and actually "tried" to find a good deal on soap. Since we don't have a Costco anywhere near (only a Sams) that option pretty much went out the door.

As far as the buckets of soap from Sams Club, I've tried that at home before. I got this bright idea that I would alter my wifes list when I went shopping, and brought her home a bucket. I beleive she compared it to something like lye soap, and asked me if would like her to start going to the creek and beating the clothes on rocks. Needless to say, I bought what she requested from then on.

To make a long story short, I ended up buying a dozen (120 load) boxes of Gain. (Yea, we actually do that much drop off, but then again... Consider what kind of deal people were getting at $.65 per pound). Sams Club also had a good deal on the large boxes of Bounce, so I made off with that as well.

Bubbles, you mention a "weak" Clorox solution. Exactly what do you mean by that. We get ALOT of requests NOT to use Clorox in the customers clothes, because of yellowing. I offer Clorox 2 for every load, but I charge an extra $.50 per load for that. The other laundry in my area is getting $1.25 p/pound, and charges for both bleach and softener. I pitch that atleast I give softener for free :), and am still a quarter cheaper.

Those of you who have posted on using the Neptunes for WDF are exactly right. Depending on soil level you save atleast 1/2 the detergent as you do with the other machines. I have 28 Neptunes (3rd generation) and wouldn't part with the for the world.

Now... off to help tackle a pile of ironing. The girls tend to get discouraged when the piles are taller than they are.

-Nathan, the newbie