What does my laundromat actually smell like and what is that smell doing to my business?

For me, that question started with a podcast episode and turned into one of the most profitable pivots I have ever made as a laundromat owner.

The Podcast That Flipped A Switch For Me

In July 2024 I listened to Simon Sinek’s podcast episode “The Smell of Memory” with scent designer Dawn Goldworm on his A Bit of Optimism show. In that conversation, Simon and Dawn unpacked how our sense of smell is more deeply tied to emotion and memory than any other sense, yet it is almost completely ignored in most businesses.

Dawn has designed signature fragrances for major brands in hospitality, fashion and automotive, helping them create emotional loyalty through scent. Listening to that episode as a laundromat owner, I had a very uncomfortable realization:

I had spent years obsessing over how my stores looked, but almost zero time thinking about how they smelled.

That episode was an “ah ha” moment. I decided right then that scent would not be a background detail in my laundromats. It would become a strategy.

Starting With The Most Obvious Place: The Soap

Most people hear “laundry smell” and think of Tide, Gain, or “something kind of floral from the grocery store aisle.” So that is where I started. I went on a six month deep dive into every place scent touched our operation, beginning with the soap we use in our wash and fold business.

I tested dozens and dozens of fragrances. Some were too sharp. Some were too sweet. Some smelled like I had knocked over my grandmothers perfume counter. Eventually I landed on a custom fragrance that I honestly believe is one of the most heavenly scents in the laundry industry.

Then I did something that most owners would never do. I committed.

I purchased more than 200 gallons of that custom soap and rolled it out across our stores.

The goal was simple. I wanted a signature laundry scent that customers would emotionally connect with our brand. What I did not fully expect was what happened next.

How Scent Quietly Boosted Our Comforter Business

We wash and fold hundreds of comforters every month. Before the scent change, our average comforter customer brought theirs in every 30 to 45 days. That rhythm felt normal and predictable.

Within about two months of switching to our custom scented soap, something interesting started happening. The average comforter customer began returning every 19 to 25 days instead.

I did not notice the pattern at first. A customer had to hit me over the head with it. One day a woman who I did not know, stopped me in one of my stores and started gushing about how much she loved the new smell of her comforter. She told me that the highlight of her day was crawling into bed at night, after a stressful day and pulling the comforter up close to her face, and taking a big breath in.

Then she said the line that made the lightbulb explode over my head:

“I bring it back as soon as the smell starts to fade.”

*She didn't know it, but that is exactly why I chose this fragrance months before. The smell has a calming effect, while being fresh and comfortable.

Her comment sent me straight to our store metrics. I went back and looked at the previous months of comforter sales before the switch, then tracked the months after. The trend was very clear. Customers were coming back more frequently and the only meaningful change in that service line was the scent of the soap.

This was not a coupon. It was not a sale. It was not a big marketing push. It was scent doing exactly what Simon and Dawn talked about in that podcast. Smell created a positive emotional memory and that memory pulled the customer back in sooner.

Beyond The Washer: Scent As Part Of The Store Atmosphere

Once I saw what was happening inside the wash, I went after the in store experience next. I knew I could not realistically get every self serve customer to abandon their favorite big brand detergent, but I could control how our stores smelled the second someone walked through the door.

The idea really clicked for me on a trip to a dry cleaners conference when we stayed at a Hyatt Regency hotel in Wichita, KS. It was a cold day and I remember walking into the lobby and feeling instantly warmer. Yes, the temperature was nice inside, but it also smelled warm. Cozy. Inviting.

This scent was what I had been looking for. I later learned that Hyatt uses a branded lobby fragrance. They are not just selling a room. They are selling a feeling, and scent is doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

So I brought that concept home.

I tested many different fragrances with diffusers in our stores, treating the air itself as part of the customer experience. After a lot of trial and error, I ended up settling on a scent that is very close to the Four Seasons lobby fragrance and started running it in all our locations.

Now we have a one two punch:

• A custom laundry soap scent for wash and fold items.
• A consistent in store ambient scent diffused through the space.

Interestingly, those two scents are very similar in character. That is not an accident. Between you and me, I am working on reconfiguring everything into a single proprietary “Wash Bar scent” that will live both in our soap and in our diffusers.

What Happened To Revenue And Customer Feedback

I am careful about claiming that any single change is the only reason for revenue growth, because business is never that simple. That said, I can tell you two things with conviction:

1. We are seeing strong double digit year over year growth in our laundromat business.
2. Scent is the single most commented on part of the customer experience in our stores.

Our attendants report that almost every day someone says something like:

• “It smells so clean in here.”
• “Your store just smells fresh and inviting.”
• “Whatever you are using, keep using it.”
• "Where can I buy this? I want my house to smell like this."

That is on top of bright lights, digital signage, friendly staff, new machines and eye pleasing paint colors. All of those matter, but the most frequently mentioned feature is the one you cannot see: the scent.

From what I have seen in our numbers and heard with my own ears, I believe scent is a major driver behind the growth we are experiencing, especially in wash and fold and comforter volume.

Why Scent Works So Well In A Laundromat

Scent hits the brain in a different way than sight or sound. Customers might forget what your sign said, but they will remember how your store made them feel. That feeling is what drives repeat behavior and loyalty.

In practical terms for a laundromat, scent can:

• Make the store feel cleaner and more cared for, even before a customer looks around.
• Turn a chore into a small luxury, especially for busy professionals.
• Create a consistent “signature smell” that customers begin to associate with comfort and home.
• Quietly encourage customers to bring items back more often, especially high ticket pieces like comforters.

The real magic is this:

Scent creates emotional memory, emotional memory creates attachment and attachment drives repeat visits without constant discounting.

How To Start Building A Scent Strategy For Your Laundromat

You do not need to start with 200 gallons of custom soap. Begin simple and intentional. Here is a practical roadmap you can follow.

1. Audit Your Current Smell

• Walk into your store from the outside and notice the first smell that hits you.
• Ask a few trusted customers or friends for honest feedback about how your store smells.
• Identify problem areas, such as damp corners, trash, restrooms, or old fabric softener residue.

2. Decide On The Feeling You Want To Create

Do you want your laundromat to feel warm and cozy, bright and energizing, or calm and spa like? Choose the feeling first, then choose a scent that supports it. You are not just picking a smell. You are picking an emotion.

3. Upgrade Your Soap Strategy

• If you run wash and fold, explore a signature scent detergent or additive that customers can recognize instantly.
• Test several options before you commit. Take notes on what customers comment on without you prompting them.
• Think long term. A consistent scent over time is more powerful than changing it every month.

4. Add An Ambient Scent In The Store

• Use professional grade diffusers, not cheap plug ins that smell artificial or overpowering.
• Match or complement the scent profile in your wash and fold soap so the experience is cohesive.
• Start with a lower intensity and gradually adjust until customers notice it in a positive way.

5. Watch Your Numbers And Listen To Your Customers

• Track key services like comforter washes, wash and fold volume, and repeat frequency before and after you roll out scent changes.
• Ask customers what they like about your store and see how often scent comes up.
• Document changes in average visit frequency for high margin items.
  
  

Smell Is Not Fragrance, It Is Strategy

Most laundromats will keep fighting over prices, machines, and “open 24 hours” signs. A few will wake up to the fact that our industry is built on one of the most emotional human experiences there is: the feeling of home. Scent is a direct line to that feeling.

When I look back over the past few years, very few single decisions have moved the needle on my business as much as the lessons I pulled from that one podcast episode and the six months I spent going all in on scent.

If you are serious about building a laundromat that customers love, remember this:

Clean clothes are expected. A memorable scent is what sets you apart.

Start simple, be intentional and give scent a seat at the strategy table. Your customers noses and your revenue, will notice.