Whether you’re opening up a brand new laundromat, looking to add to your existing fleet of coin-operated washers and dryers or a landlord considering a laundry room in your building, a reliable coin-operated laundry service requires dependable, high-quality equipment.
The success of a retail laundry facility is determined by whether your customers or tenants keep coming back - especially if your units are private and you can’t rely on spontaneous foot traffic or word of mouth. It costs money to run these units consistently, so you’ll need a clientele to make a profit.
Your machines must provide a good enough level of service to encourage the user to repeat their experience - duration of cycles, quality of washing and drying and ease of use are all considerations you need to remember.
If that sounds intimidating - don’t worry! We’ve gathered five of the best commercial washers and dryers, exemplifying stacked and separate units to suit your needs. Our handy buyer’s guide outlines everything you should think about before purchasing to make the decision even easier.
Got a niggling query? We’ve scoured the internet to assemble a list of frequently asked questions that should help clarify those last-minute ‘what if’s’ you might be having before you click that buy button. Happy shopping!
Want to start your service ASAP? Here’s our top pick:
Top 5 Best Coin Operated Washer and Dryer
OUR TOP PICK
Summary
If you need to pick a product without wasting time finding comparisons, this sleek washer-dryer combo from Whirlpool maximizes physical space and machine productivity, meaning you’ll have room for multiple units that can wash and dry simultaneously. Coin-drop ready, you’ll start making money as soon as you turn it on.
The robust 3.1 cubic feet washer and sizeable 6.7 cubic feet dryer offer more than enough room for more than the average load, purpose-built for regular usage with heavy-duty, galvanized steel.
A porcelain and enamel top also ensures the machine’s cabinet is suited for the continuous usage expected of a retail laundry facility, built to run all day without wearing out.
Whirlpool’s powerful drive system has undergone rigorous testing to ensure more turns throughout the washer’s lifespan, providing your customers with an impeccable cleaning experience every single time.
With microprocessor controls, you can take advantage of setting your own vend prices and cycle options, allowing for a generation of revenue that suits your running costs whilst also allowing customers to pick a cycle befitting of their own laundry needs and budget.
The best of both worlds!Trained to automatically sense and balance a load, this product is built to start and end cycles on time as well as perform optimized cleaning cycles, to satisfy the needs of more busy customers or tenants and allow you to increase your daily takings to boot.
Pros
Customizable prices and cycles to suit the needs of both the vendor and customers, right down to individual days
Watertight, triple lip seal guarantees no accidents
Pre-installed coin drop and coin box
Optimal drying with advanced venting system
Cons
Maximizes space but much taller than two separate units
EDITORS CHOICE
Summary
A newly refined washer dryer stack from Wascomat prioritizing strength, durability, and performance is perfect for a budding laundry entrepreneur or an experienced retail laundry owner. Commercial-grade construction using professional components assures that the 7 cubic feet bottom control dryer and 3.5 cubic feet top control washer can handle oversized loads with ease, and continue to take them on day after day.
Top-notch SKF bearings are shielded by heavy-duty cast iron housing, capable of withstanding 300 G-Force spins that increase moisture reduction and provide faster dry times to your customers.
Soft-mounted and simple to install with a space-saving design, front access, and extra-large doors for swift loading and unloading, you’ll get this machine in and ready to go in no time, and it will last you over 15,000 cycles (as tested at full load capacity).
The adjustable real-time clock allows you to set your own prices for promotions or ‘happy hour’, allowing full customization to suit any retail needs. Two-cycle upgrade buttons will enhance revenue, whilst ENERGY STAR certification guarantees efficient usage.
Cleaning is as easy as selecting one of four field-adjustable wash programs, whilst triple seals with five lips protect your bearings and prevent leakage - you’ll save up to sixty percent on water compared to a top load washer.
Pros
Extra-large drum has over twenty pounds of capacity
Quality construction with reliable components
Efficient, customizable cycles for maximum profit
Easy to clean, heavy-duty removable lint screen
Cons
Hard to find online reviews, but the Wascomat name assures quality
BEST VALUE
Summary
Speed Queen has taken a washer and a dryer from their quality collection of commercial laundry units and made them available to purchase as cost-effective pair, ideal if you’re embarking on a new business venture and want to minimize expenses.
Constructed from durable stainless steel, the twenty-seven-inch washer reaches 1,200 RPM hitting G Force of 440 to extract as much water as possible from loads, reducing necessary drying time and thus bringing down costs.
Corrosion-resistant with a four-compartment soap dispenser, it is versatile, with patented balancing technology that redistributes unbalanced, heavy loads. This allows for consistent cycle times, minimal vibration and noise reduction, which will also lead to happy customers.
Likewise, the front controlled heavy-duty dryer is designed with as few moving parts as possible, to reduce wear and tear possibilities and minimize potential maintenance issues whilst offering optimal heat, airflow and tumble action for efficient, energy-saving cycles.
Cutting-edge Quantum controls allow you to customize your cycles and prices as you see fit, combining equipment controls and programming to create one easy to use, highly secure store management system you can access from any computer in the world.
Highly profitable whilst providing customers with a quality washing and drying service they’ll return to time and time again, this deal from Speed Queen might sound too good to be true, but their decades of experience say otherwise.
Pros
Touchpad controls for easy interaction
Easy to customize settings to suit all needs
Heavy-duty construction with quality materials
Efficient and profitable for user and vendor alike
Cons
Coin box sold separately
RUNNER UP
Summary
Though sold as separate standalone units this time, the second washer and dryer combo from Whirlpool on our list still provide the whole commercial laundry service package when purchased together.
Capable of handling even the heaviest loads, this 3.3 cubic feet washer boasts an all-metal full wrap console, with reinforced galvanized front and side panels, supported by a powerful PSC motor that handles consecutive usages with ease.
Equally as solid and sturdy, the 7.4 cubic feet dryer is the perfect accompaniment, its commercial-grade HP motor equally capable to continually withstand and efficiently dry extra-large laundry loads every single day.
Design your own cycles with simple, easy to use mechanical controls and coin models that allow for different prices depending on your individual requirements, whilst the user interface, ergonomic knobs, and LED cycle indicator lights will please all manner of customers.
Protected by powdered paint tops, rustproof stainless steel TORX screws for the control panel, and a secure lid system with a safe release in case of tampering, you can rest assured that these Whirlpool units have a long and efficient lifespan.
Including a pre-installed lockable factory coin slide and box, both the washer and dryer are thief-resistant, so you won’t need a constant eye on them all day every day, allowing you as a vendor to focus on the task at hand.
Pros
Both units are backed by two years of limited parts only warranty and a ninety-day labor warranty for additional peace of mind
Hoses shipped with unit for your convenience
Customizable cycles to suit you
Built to withstand heavy use
Cons
Dryer duct and electrical cords sold separately - added on at checkout
RUNNER UP
Summary
Again, this Wascomat washer and dryer set we have selected are sold as individuals, but pair perfectly to provide both services to customers, and if the stacked unit is anything to go by, they’re sure to offer a quality laundry experience too.
Constructed from industry-standard commercial materials with the highest quality components, a 3.5 cubic feet washer and 7 cubic feet dryer offer enough capacity for the largest of family-sized laundry loads and can handle their strain day after day.
Both machines are easily programmable using an inbuilt real-time clock, allowing for adjustable promotional vend pricing that can be customized right down to the day, so you can offer promotions and charge full price whenever you see fit.
The washer boasts a superior tolerance to the over-suds and unbalancing that heavy loads can cause, which are two common retail laundry issues, whilst an axial airflow of 170 CFM ensures the shortest possible drying time, saving you water and money simultaneously.
Installation is quick and easy thanks to a soft mount design, whilst any future servicing will be easily accessed and performed with front access, which also allows the units to have the largest possible doors - customers can switch from washer to dryer in seconds.
Pros
ADA compliant and ENERGY STAR certified
Extra-large 22-pound capacity
Self-cleaning washing cycles
Removable heavy-duty lint catcher
Cons
Two separate units, so you’ll have to stack them on your own
Best Coin Operated Washer and Dryer Buying Guide
Efficiency and Costs
Energy consumption ratings are given in kWh for every unit, measured based on conducting a full load of washing and drying cycles - the lower the score, the less energy you will use overall, lowering your bills to increase profits.
A unit’s spin capability plays a major role in determining how long it will take to launder a load, with those reaching faster speeds and a higher G Force removing moisture from clothes more efficiently and decreasing the time needed for clothes to fully dry. Energy ratings are another factor to consider, ranging between A+++ and C to determine the efficiency of a machine.
The higher the rating, the more economically friendly it is considered, and the less you’ll spend on energy bills in long run.Sensor technology means that some machines are capable of detecting how heavy the laundry is and adjusting the cycle, settings and duration to achieve a more efficient result that satisfies even the trickiest customer.
Steam functionality makes use of less water per cycle, which in turn requires less energy during the machine’s run and can also prove useful in reducing your energy bills overall. Customization and Coins
How do you as the vendor control how long each washing and drying cycle should take, and more importantly, how much it costs? The best machines have quality, easy to use, highly customizable functions that allow you to set your own personalised times and prices.
Some units even allow you to change the price and alter cycles for individual days or specific hours of the day, so you can take advantage of periods that incur plenty of business like weekends, evenings and holidays, and still recuperate your costs to make a profit when business is a little slower.
Is the coin slot easy for a customer to use, and secure enough to deter thieves? We recommend opting for machines that have built-in coin and collection boxes, locked and only accessible by key, for your peace of mind.
Size and Style
The washer and dryer’s size and shape are important, as you want to maximize floor space and ensure customers have plenty of room to load and unload their laundry.
Remember - you will need to allow for four to five milimeters of clearance both behind and either side of your model!
The washer and dryer’s individual drum should be large enough to accomodate heavy loads and capable of withstanding constant use on regular basis, as you’ll hopefully be serving as many customers or tenants as possible.
You want machines that are built from quality materials, utilising the sturdiest metals resistant to corrosion, protecting the more fragile components from the continuous knocks of regularly washing and drying larger loads of laundry.
Don’t forget about ease of installation - check if the retailer offers this service before you buy, so you can prepare in advance to set things up yourself if they don’t. You’ll want to get up and running as quickly as possible, and machines that are simple to instal and get started will have you making money in no time at all.
Noise Level
If you have, say, eight washers and eight dryers running at the same time, things are bound to get noisy. However, each individual unit will have a measurement in decibels that determines just how loud things are going to get, and you should aim for a unit with as low a number as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of washing machine or dryer is best for laundry businesses? An ideal unit for use in commercial and retail laundry businesses will be energy efficient, heavy-duty and capable of withstanding continuous use.
You want to prioritize machines constructed from the sturdiest, industry-standard materials and utilizing the highest quality components to guarantee the longevity of use.If a washer comes dirt cheap, it’s likely to cost you much more money in maintenance and repairs, so we recommend opting for a more expensive, robust model that assures a sustainable income by offering a long lifespan.
How much do laundromats make a month?
The answer to this question depends on the opening hours of the laundromat the efficiency of its machines, and the number of customers using them every day.
According to industry research, however, the average laundromat owner takes in between five and seven thousand dollars of pure profit a month.
How long do coin-operated washer and dryer cycles take?
The length of your cycle changes depending on what kind of wash or dry you are selecting and the size of the load itself. On average, one wash cycle takes between half an hour and forty minutes, whilst a drying cycle can range from anywhere between thirty minutes and an hour.
Heavier loads will absorb more water in the washing process and thus take longer to dry off, so consider splitting your wash and dry into batches for a more efficient cycle if you have a lot of laundry to get through.
How long do commercial washers and dryers last?Created specifically to withstand the constant use and heavier loads of a laundromat service, commercial washer and dryer units have an average lifespan of between ten and fourteen years.
Investing in a quality product and performing regular maintenance on your machines will serve to lengthen their lifespan by preventing issues before they can arise, so thoroughly caring for the washers and dryers you buy is a must.