Why Music Matters in a Laundromat

Most laundromat owners focus on equipment, paint, lighting and layout. All important. But there’s one lever that quietly changes how customers feel in your store, and it’s often ignored or handled randomly: music.

Music is not background noise. It’s atmosphere control. Whether you play music intentionally or not, your customers are still hearing something, machine hums, carts rattling, random phone calls on speaker and the occasional meltdown at the end of the dryer wall. If you don’t control the audio environment, chaos becomes your DJ!

Music Sets the Emotional Temperature of Your Store

Laundry is rarely an exciting errand. People show up tired, busy, stressed, or distracted. Music influences mood fast, often without customers realizing it. The right playlist can shift the emotional baseline from “let’s get this over with” to “this place feels surprisingly good.”

What Great Music Can Do

• Reduce perceived wait time: time feels shorter when the environment feels pleasant.
• Lower stress: calmer customers create fewer problems.
• Increase comfort and trust: a controlled vibe often feels cleaner and safer.
• Create brand association: customers remember how your store made them feel.

What Bad Music Can Do

• Increase irritation: harsh or chaotic audio makes small problems feel bigger.
• Drive customers out faster: people leave as soon as they can, sometimes before spending more.
• Make a nice store feel cheap: your atmosphere can undercut your upgrades.
• Create friction: customers blame the store even when the “problem” is the vibe.

Music can tame the savage beast. It can also poke it with a stick. Choose wisely.

If You’re Not Playing Music, You’re Still Choosing an Experience

Silence is not neutral. In a laundromat, silence amplifies every unpleasant sound, slamming lids, off-balance spin cycles, squeaky carts and a full-volume FaceTime call from someone who believes headphones are fictional.

Even a simple, well-curated music setup can immediately improve perceived cleanliness, safety, and professionalism. It makes your store feel intentional instead of accidental.

What We’ve Done at Wash Bar

At Wash Bar, we’ve experimented over time. We started with soft rock, familiar, safe and generally inoffensive. It worked. The store felt calmer, more welcoming and less transactional.

But we eventually realized something important: music doesn’t just fill space, it communicates values.

We made a deliberate shift to positive and encouraging Christian music. Not loud. Not preachy. Not “in your face.” Just uplifting, hopeful and peaceful. The impact surprised us. Customers commented on how calm the store felt, even during busy hours. Music became part of the brand experience, not just a playlist. Not a day goes by that our staff doesn’t report hearing our customers singing along while at the folding tables.

Digital Signage + Music, Where Most Laundromats Miss the Opportunity

Here’s the truth: most laundromats underutilize digital signage. TVs are either missing, turned off, or showing random content that does nothing to improve customer experience or revenue.

That’s a big mistake!

Digital signage paired with curated music turns your store into a controlled experience. Think of your screens and speakers as your silent staff. They reinforce your brand, educate customers and reduce rule-breaking without awkward conversations.

Why I Avoid Wall Signs

I personally hate signs on the walls of my stores. Too many “DON’T DO THIS” signs makes a place feel hostile, like the customer is already in trouble just for walking in.

Instead, we use digital signage and short “commercials” inside our playlists to communicate expectations and promote services in a way that feels helpful, not naggy.

What You Can Promote Using Your Screens and Audio

• Wash and fold service (save time today)
• Weekly promos (like Wacky Wednesday specials)
• Rewards and loyalty reminders
• Pickup and delivery education
• Housekeeping rules (without the wall of shame)
• Safety reminders (especially for kids and carts)
  
  

Run Audio Ads Between Songs (Yes, This Works)

You can insert short audio spots between songs, similar to radio. These are typically 10 to 30 seconds and can be rotated automatically throughout the day.

Examples of Audio Spots That Actually Work

• “Want your time back? Ask about our wash and fold service today.”
• “Don’t forget to earn rewards every time you wash, check in at the counter.”
• “Help us keep everyone safe, please keep kids out of laundry carts.”
• “For the best dry, don’t overfill the dryer, smaller loads dry faster.”

This approach educates without confrontation and sells without being pushy. Customers hear the message repeatedly, but because it’s integrated into music, it feels natural.

DON’T OVER THINK THE ADS! I RECORD THEM ON MY IPHONE AND EDIT THEM IN A FREE APP. To change it up, I’ll occasionally ask an attendant to read the script, I’ll add some background music and BOOM! A Grammy nomination waiting to happen.

Where to Source Music the Right Way (Do This Legally)

Quick warning: do not plug in your personal Spotify or Apple Music and call it a day. Most personal streaming plans are not licensed for commercial use.

Instead, use a commercial music provider designed for businesses. Look for systems that include proper licensing and offer tools like:

• Explicit-free filtering
• Genre and mood control
• Scheduling by time of day (calm mornings, higher-energy evenings)
• Ability to insert audio ads and announcements
• Remote control (so you’re not “the DJ” in person)
  
  

The Psychology of Controlling What Customers Hear

Customer experience is not just visual. It’s sensory, what people hear, smell and feel while they’re inside your space.

If you don’t intentionally shape the audio environment, you’re leaving emotional memory to chance.

Your customers probably won’t remember the washer model numbers. They’ll remember whether the store felt calm or chaotic, welcoming or stressful. Music helps mask machine noise, soften tension and create a consistent emotional tone across the day.

My 2 Cents… Music Is a Revenue Lever

Music is one of the lowest-cost, highest-impact upgrades you can make in a laundromat.

• It influences behavior.
• It reduces friction.
• It reinforces brand identity.
• It improves customer retention and memory.

At Wash Bar, controlling what customers hear has been one of the core elements in elevating the customer experience. Not flashy. Not expensive. Just intentional.

Because silence, chaos, or the wrong playlist are all still choices.