I spent three months looking at laundromats for sale around Los Angeles. My phone was full of broker photos, water bills, and notes about lint. I brought a notebook, a coin bag, and a small temp gun for dryers. Sounds extra, I know. But when you’re about to spend real money, you want warm clothes and warm numbers.
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Here’s the thing: I thought buying a laundromat would be simple. It wasn’t. It was kind of messy, kind of fun, and very L.A.
If you want the blow-by-blow version with every spreadsheet and broker misstep, you can dive into my full diary of the search here.
Why a laundromat at all?
Laundry is steady. People need clean clothes, even when the economy acts weird. I also grew up rolling quarters with my mom at the kitchen table. So this felt familiar. And a little bold. You know what? I wanted a small shop I could improve with better machines, better lighting, and a calm vibe.
If you’re looking for a crash course on the dollars-and-cents side of the purchase, this guide to buying a laundromat walks through financing, valuation, and common pitfalls.
Stop #1: The 24-hour sauna in Koreatown
This place sat near Olympic and Vermont. Busy corner. Street parking only. Inside, it was packed at 9 p.m. The air felt thick and hot, like a dryer vent hugged the room.
- Machines: About 34 Speed Queen front loaders, 28 Dexter stack dryers
- Pay: Hybrid — quarters plus a card reader on the bigger washers
- Lease: 8 years left, one 5-year option
- Claimed numbers: $27k gross per month, net around $9k
Good things? Traffic. People lined up with carts. I watched two big machines run back-to-back with no wait. I also liked the card system. The reader did jam once while I stood there, and the tech took a while. That’s normal, but still a note.
Bad things? The AC was dead. Summer would be rough. The gas bill looked high. The landlord wanted a large deposit and a personal guarantee. I get it, but still made me pause. I left sweaty and unsure.
Stop #2: A strip-mall coin laundry in Van Nuys
This one hid behind a donut shop near Victory and Sepulveda. It looked tired but had soul. Old tile. The kind that tells a story if you let it.
- Machines: Many top loaders from the early 2000s, some low-spin front loaders
- Changer: American Changer — one side kept spitting back quarters
- Lease: 6 years left, NNN felt heavy (fees were no joke)
- Claimed numbers: $14k gross per month, net around $4k
I liked the area: apartments with no in-unit laundry, lots of renters, steady daytime traffic. But the water heater read 2003. The dryer vents were caked. I put my temp gun on a stack dryer after 10 minutes — it hit only 121°F. That’s weak. You’ll get damp jeans and grumpy faces.
Could it work? Maybe, with new machines, new vents, and a wash-and-fold counter. But that’s a lot of cash, fast. I passed.
Stop #3: The cute card-only spot in Echo Park
Small and tidy. Plants in the window. A chalkboard wall with little notes like “Don’t forget your socks, loves.” Very L.A., very warm. The greenery even rivaled some of the bouquets I’ve picked up from florists in Palms lately.
- Machines: Mid-age Huebsch fronts, Dexter stacks, all card-only with FasCard
- Extras: Folding counter for wash-and-fold, shelves for pickup orders
- Lease: 10 years left — good
- Claimed numbers: $28k gross per month, $8k net
The owner was hands-on and kind. She showed me water and gas bills to back up sales. I liked that. Weekends had lines, which sounds good unless you’re the one with seven baskets and no seat. The ask felt high — more than four times the yearly net. Cute can cost you. I liked it, but not at that price.
Stop #4: The workhorse in Boyle Heights
This one looked plain from the street near 1st and Soto. Inside, it was humming. Quiet and steady. Folks in work pants. Big loads. No fuss.
Because Boyle Heights is a historically Latino neighborhood, evenings often filled with Latina moms chatting in rapid-fire Spanish while the dryers spun. If you’d like an unfiltered snapshot of the local Latina community in and around Los Angeles, this collection of local Latina profiles offers first-person stories and everyday details that help you visualize exactly who might be loading those washers and dryers.
- Machines: Mixed set — some newer 40 lb washers, older 20 lb units, solid Dexter stacks
- Pay: Quarters with PayRange on a few washers (phone tap to pay)
- Lease: 12 years left with fair bumps — I smiled at that
- Claimed numbers: $23k gross per month, $7k net
The owner kept good records. He did the “water bill test” with me. He showed the gallons, then walked through turns per day. Not perfect, but helpful. Morning rush was strong, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., then a lull.
Problems? The lint trap in back was a mess. The floor drain near the water heater had a slow gurgle. One wall fan rattled like a jar of marbles. Fixable? Yes. But real.
I liked it. Honest store. Honest owner.
Stop #5: The fresh remodel in West Adams
New paint. Bright LEDs. Smelled like soap and fresh rubber. Sat near a busy car wash on Adams. Parking! Thank goodness.
- Machines: Newer Huebsch high-efficiency. The big ones had that nice whoosh in the spin
- Pay: Card-first, with a small coin lane for the old timers
- Lease: 15 years total, with options — great
- Claimed numbers: $31k gross per month, $10k net
They had wash-and-fold, plus delivery runs using a small electric van. Smart. It’s the same convenience-first mindset fueling the surge of private chef gigs in L.A.—bring the service to the customer and they’ll pay a premium. The dryers hit 165°F in under 7 minutes on my temp gun. That’s hot, in a good way. The kicker? A bathroom upgrade for ADA was still pending. The quote said around $25k to $35k, depending on plumbing. Also, the ask price felt like a trophy tax.
I left torn. I loved the set-up. The price made my stomach flip.
What I checked every single time
Here’s my quick list. It’s simple, and it saved me more than once.
- Lease years left, and rent bumps (year 1, 3, 5 — write them down)
- Gas, water, and power bills for 12 months
- Dryer temp after 8–10 minutes
- Vent lint and make-up air (dust = fire risk and poor dry times)
- Changer jams and bill reader age
- Weekend and weekday traffic, mornings and nights
- Parking and carts — a fight over carts is a red flag
- ADA needs (bathroom, entry, handles)
- Local rebates (LADWP had past washer rebates; timing matters)
- Wash-and-fold labor costs and prices per pound
Let me explain one last bit: water tells the truth. Machines can look pretty. Numbers don’t lie. A steady water bill that matches turns per day is a big green light.
So… did I buy one?
Yes. I went with the Boyle Heights shop. It wasn’t the prettiest. But it was real.
First month, I did small fixes:
- Deep clean on vents and the back lint box
- New belts on two old washers
- Replaced that rattly wall fan
- Swapped yellow bulbs for bright LEDs
- Added a low, wide folding table so carts roll under
I also added PayRange to five more washers. People used it right away. Wash-and-fold? I kept it simple: $1.85 per pound, same-day by 6 p.m. if dropped before noon. In week two (rainy week), we did 33 bags. Nothing crazy. But it