“I wasn’t looking to get into the laundry business,” said Eddie Quispe, owner of Wonderwash, a 4,000-square-foot, high-speed laundry in Bernalillo, N.M. Rather, Quispe fell into the business while searching for land to develop apartment complexes. He noticed a laundry for sale flanked on each side by available acreage. He bought the land and the business.
Quispe’s plan? To build 15- and 21-unit apartment complexes — without laundry hookups or central laundries — and to renovate and retool the 23-year-old laundry that stood between them. He hoped to create a convenient, clean and quick laundry experience for tenants.
Renovated and Retooled
The laundry renovation, completed in 2023, encompassed new plumbing, flooring and paint; the addition of new tables, seating, charging stations and laundry carts; new soft-mount Continental Girbau (Continental) Genius Series® and ExpressWash® Washers; a Laundroworks card payment system; and a CurbSide Laundry (CurbSide) wash & fold point of sale (POS) system. The fully attended laundry also offers pickup and delivery, free WIFI and multiple vending machines.
Soft-Mount High-Speed Genius Washers
After researching distributors and products, Quispe aligned with Continental Girbau West (CG West), a laundry solutions provider, in Tempe, Ariz. “My 23-year-old equipment was too high maintenance,” said Quispe. “I was spending too much time getting it repaired and watching my clientele decline.” CG West assisted with design advice, financing options and replacement equipment meant to distinguish Wonderwash from its competition.
At the end of the day, Wonderwash was equipped with Continental Genius Washers, in 23-, 60- and 80-pound capacities and two, 90-pound capacity Continental ExpressWash Washers featuring Express Clean automatic soap injection.
“Only Genius machines had all the features I wanted — a touchscreen, stainless cabinets, corner status lights and a soft-mount design,” said Quispe. “I needed all of these to stand apart from my competitors.”
The new soft-mount washers, which replaced aged-out, lower speed hardmounts, generate up to 450 G-force extract for more moisture removal and reduced dry times. In doing so, they’ve also cut natural gas costs and improved customer rotation rates, according to Quispe. Now, customers are in and out in 60 minutes or less.
Shorter Dry Times, Improved Turnover, Lower Utility Costs
“Our customers are amazed how quickly laundry dries,” said Quispe. “It only takes one 21-minute cycle to dry a wash load. Although our wash is more expensive, customers see it as a savings over our competition.”
This makes for a profitable scenario. Since the new equipment was installed, water and natural gas costs dropped 50 percent. “That’s a huge savings,” said Quispe. “We make our income on the washers, not the dryers. Since the washers do such a great job removing moisture, we can offer a free dry, which customers love.” The laundry’s clientele is growing steadily as a result.
Unique Features Draw Customers
Adding to customer appeal are the washers’ 360° Corner Status Lights and 10-inch touchscreens. The status lights illuminate in different colors based on load status — green: machine available; steady blue: in-cycle; flashing blue: 2 minutes to end; flashing orange: unloading required; red: machine alarm. Genius Washers are the only machines on the market to allow customers to see load status from a distance, according to Quispe. Meanwhile, the 10-inch touchscreen user interface brings flexible programmability and owner control over every variable of the wash process. It displays up to three languages and offers four, six or eight pre-set cycle options, with each one being customizable.
After choosing a wash cycle, customers can also opt for an “Extra Rinse” and “Extra Soil” to further customize the wash process. Each addition adds 30 cents to vend price — boosting revenue. Plus, “Extras” can be created/custom designed by laundry owners in order to appeal to their own unique market.
Large Loads & Automatic Detergent Dispensing
When it comes to handling bulky items and family sized loads, customers turn to the 90-pound capacity ExpressWash Washers. These high-speed, soft-mount machines automatically dispense detergents, brighteners and softeners into the washers vial the ExpressClean system — eliminating the hassle of lugging and loading detergent. At Wonderwash, customer convenience is paramount.
A Laundroworks payment system allows customers to add value to cards and purchase new cards at an in-store kiosk using cash, credit cards or Apple Pay. The system also allows Quispie to track revenue and run reports.
Full-Service Wash & Fold
On the full-service side, Wonderwash provides wash & fold and pickup and delivery for residential and commercial accounts. Each customer’s washing preferences are carefully followed, laundry is folded by item type and packaged for pickup. CurbSide, a cloud-based POS system, tracks and manages the entire wash & fold process and over-the-counter sales; allows customers to schedule orders online; and includes a website engineered to capture new customers. Fully automated, it helps attendants accept wash & fold orders within 30 seconds, allows real-time business reporting, and comes with lifetime updates.
Building Business Now & Into the Future
By intertwining modern technology, unique features and customer convenience, Wonderwash is building loyalty and growing sales. Once Quispe completes the apartment complexes next to the laundry — Phase I by the end of 2024 and Phase II by the end of 2025 — business is expected to boom. Wonderwash, according to Quispe, is well positioned for growth, now and into the future.