When it comes to the maintenance of our professional wardrobe, who we entrust with our garments is critical. Choosing the right dry cleaners for suits is as essential as buying quality suits in the first place. A well-chosen dry cleaning service can extend the lifespan of your suit, maintain its pristine appearance, and ensure you always look your best when it matters most.
Dry Cleaners for Suits: More Than Just Cleaning
One might question, why is the selection of dry cleaners for suits so important? Suits are fairly robust items, aren’t they? Dry cleaning is not just about removing stains and dirt, but also about preserving the suit’s form and texture.
You see, one of the most important aspects of dry cleaning which is often overlooked is the pressing. Poor pressing can result in a sharp crease down your lapels which immediately cheapens the look of the suit. Or, if the pressing has caused the interior fabric to show through, or created a button outline. Worst of all is ironing at home which can cause the fabric to shine. A suit that’s been correctly pressed will hold it’s shape while you wear it, not drape off you like a used car salesman. It will also reduce the appearance of bubbling and fraying which spell disaster for any suit.
Extending the Lifespan of Your Suit
Whilst suits do change fashion from time to time, they do not change fashion often. Therefore, suits are investments that can last for years, if properly maintained. Selecting a good dry cleaner can significantly extend the lifespan of your suits. Good dry cleaners understand the fabric and structure of your suits and can ensure that they maintain their form and color over time.
For instance, dry cleaners use solvents that are gentler on the structure of the suit than water and laundry detergent. Dry cleaning helps to preserve the delicate fibers of your suit, keeping them looking as good as new for longer. Indeed, if you’ve ever accidentally washed your suit at home you’ll know that the fabric will go fuzzy and the suit will lose its form completely, among other things.
Dry cleaning will reduce colour fade, both overall and along the seams. Still, imperceptible fading will occur even with dry cleaning, which is why you should always dry clean your blazer as often as your pants; to ensure they fade at the same rate. Because nothing ruins a suit faster than the pants looking a slightly different colour than the blazer! This is why many people purchase their suits with two pants as the pants need cleaning about twice as often as the blazer.
Dry Cleaners for Suits: The Convenience Factor
As time-poor professionals, we often juggle between work commitments and maintaining a polished appearance. A service that offers pickup and delivery, like Laundry Point, comes in very handy in such situations. Our service provides a seamless and convenient way to ensure your suits are always ready and waiting for your next big meeting or event and gives you one less thing to worry about in your hectic schedule. We handle the logistics so you can focus on the more important things in your professional life.
Conclusion
Choosing the right dry cleaners for suits can impact not just how you present yourself, but also the longevity and durability of your professional wardrobe. By selecting a service that understands the importance of careful pressing and has the knowledge to extend the lifespan of your suit, you are ensuring you make the most of your investment.
Moreover, thanks to our pick-up and delivery service, maintaining your professional appearance need not come at the expense of your valuable time. For time-poor professionals, this is undoubtedly a game-changer.
Choosing the right dry cleaners for suits, therefore, is a decision that should not be taken lightly. Do your research, consider your options, and make a choice that will keep you looking your best for years to come.
Clearly, if you get laundry done faster you’ll have more time to do other things. And let’s face it. For most people time is better spent doing almost anything else. Here are our top tips to get your life back.
1. Use a Laundry Service
The easiest way to get laundry done faster? Utilizing a laundry service like Laundry Point of course! We professionally clean and fold your clothes, with a turnaround time of just 24 hours. We even sort the folded laundry into separate piles for each member of the family making it super quick and easy to put it away. With free pickup and delivery all part of the service you can literally have mountains of laundry taken care of in the 30 seconds it takes to book it in on our app. We do ironing, handwashing, dry cleaning, you name it. If it’s in your hamper it can be taken off your hands. And after all, life is too short to spend it trying to get through all this in your downtime. Determined to do it yourself? Don’t worry there’s plenty of tips to come.
2. Sort Laundry Strategically
Don’t wait until you’ve got a big pile of dirty laundry to pick through before you sort. Instead, keep multiple smaller hampers in your walk in robe so you can sort your items as you take them off, or as they become dirty. If you’re a corporate person you could label each one handwashing, dry cleaning, bed linen and laundry. If you’re a big family you might label them lights, darks, bedding and sports (heavily soiled) instead. Have a play with it until you work out what’s right for you. Tall rectangular bins are perfect for this job as they take up less space. Some even have internal buckets so you can just grab the whole thing out when its time to get washing. No more sorting required, just straight into the machine or straight off to the cleaners.
3. Include Booster In With Your Detergent
Don’t let stains slow you down. A good detergent means you don’t have to bother with pre-stain treatment. We recommend including some Napisan Vanish Gold along with your normal detergent. Most stains should come out without any additional work from you.
4. Optimizing Load Sizes
Be mindful of your load sizes. Bigger loads may reduce the number of loads you need to do, but overloading reduces the effectiveness of the wash and may mean you have to reclean. It’s all about striking the right balance to get laundry done faster.
5. Choose a Quick Wash Cycle
Many modern washers offer quick wash cycles which will get laundry done faster. These can effectively clean lightly soiled clothes in less time. Selecting a cold wash should reduce the cycle time even further. If you’re in a rush, this is a great option.
6. Efficient Drying Techniques
Proper drying techniques really help. Use a high spin cycle during the wash to extract more water, thereby reducing drying time. Also, make sure you don’t overload your dryer as air needs to circulate efficiently to reduce drying time further still. You might be surprised to find that two lighter loads will take less time to dry overall than one large load.
7. Fold Immediately
Avoid letting clothes sit in the dryer as the wrinkles will set in as they cool down. Instead, fold them immediately while they’re still warm to save time ironing. If you get this part right, you may find that many items may not need ironing at all.
Conclusion
Getting laundry done faster isn’t as daunting as it seems. By strategically sorting, using booster detergents, optimizing load sizes, and folding straight out of the dryer, you can greatly reduce the time spent on laundry. Try implementing these tips into your routine, and you’ll surely notice a difference.
For those days when time is just not on your side, consider turning to a reliable laundry service. This is an effective and even cost efficient way to offload your laundry chores, making your life a whole lot easier. So next time you wonder, “how to get laundry done faster,” remember this guide. Happy laundering!
Looking for the best dry cleaning near me? Consider leveraging a dry cleaner delivery service. It’s clearly superior to traditional stores in every way. Here’s why:
Accessibility
The further away from the city you live the harder it is to find a good dry cleaner. A delivery service extends the reach of the best dry cleaners in Melbourne so that more people can access them than ever before, regardless of where they live.
The Time-Saver
Traditionally, you’d search for your local dry cleaner, load up your car, and make the trip. The process is repeated all over again when picking up your cleaned clothes. With a delivery service, that time is saved, not to mention the mental load. Your dry cleaning is picked up and delivered without you leaving your home or office, freeing up your valuable time.
The Comfort Factor
With a dry cleaner delivery service there’s no battling traffic, hunting for parking, or waiting in line. It’s about creating a comfortable, hassle-free dry cleaning experience right from your doorstep.
Reliability and Consistency
Laundry Point’s professional dry cleaners offer a delivery service providing reliable and consistent results. They follow a strict schedule, ensuring your clothes are cleaned and delivered on time. A service this reliable and consistent can become part of your routine, providing peace of mind which means you’ll always have your favourite suit ready when you need it most.
Quality Service & Professional Care
Laundry Point prides itself on offering a higher level of care for your garments. In fact, Laundry Point’s Dry Cleaners are even contracted to follow industry best practice. All of Laundry Point’s Launderers are DIA Affiliated Dry Cleaners with at least 10 years experience. Can your local Dry Cleaner provide that kind of assurance?
Saving Money
When considering the costs associated with dry cleaning, we must factor in more than just the price of the dry cleaning itself. There’s also the cost of fuel or public transport to get to and from the dry cleaner, not to mention the value of your time.
By contrast, Laundry Point’s pickup and delivery service is genuinely free, operated at their Launderer’s expense. This arrangement saves you the expense and effort associated with transporting your clothes. Moreover, by freeing up your time, these services let you focus on more important aspects of your life, be it work, family, or leisure. Even so, Laundry Point’s dry cleaning prices are even lower than most local Dry Cleaners, and certainly lower than the high quality ones with which they deserve to be compared.
Conclusion: The Future of Dry Cleaning is Delivery
The reasons to choose a delivery dry cleaning service over traditional shopfronts are compelling. With increased convenience, superior care for your garments, savings in time and money, and a quality guaranteed approach, the choice seems clear. The future of dry cleaning is here, and it’s delivered right to your door.
So next time you’re thinking about searching for ‘dry cleaning near me,’ remember the benefits of a delivery service. Give it a try and experience the convenience, quality, and efficiency that this modern approach to dry cleaning offers.
Whether you’re a busy professional, a parent juggling multiple responsibilities, or simply someone who values their time and the environment, a dry cleaning delivery service could be the perfect solution for you.
Find out more about Laundry Point‘s apps that make using the best free service in Melbourne a breeze.
Many people don’t understand what it is that dry cleaners even do.
For example, did you know that dry cleaning was once a two- or three-year apprenticeship? So few people are getting into the industry today that they can no longer provide the TAFE level course that a true apprenticeship requires. With the best dry cleaners in the industry retiring and no longer getting replaced it really is an aging artform. That is why it is getting harder and harder to find a truly skilled Dry Cleaner.
But why would anyone need to study dry cleaning in the first place? Surely it’s just cleaning clothes, right? There is a whole lot more to it than that.
This article gives you six things to look for in order to find the best dry cleaners in Melbourne.
1 – Affiliated Members of the Dry Cleaning Institute of Australia
The Dry Cleaning Institute of Australia (DIA) is the governing body for this industry here in Australia. Affiliation entitles any customer that uses a DIA member to free garment appraisal should anything go wrong. This is particularly useful if the dry cleaner denies responsibility. The DIA can’t force a dry cleaner to pay out compensation. However, the Small Claims Court would almost certainly agree with the DIA’s findings on the matter. That is why only the best dry cleaners in Melbourne put their hand up to offer their appraisal service free of charge. All of Laundry Point’s dry-cleaning partners are DIA affiliated.
2 – Free Pickup & Delivery
Let’s get real. It’s 2022. Dry cleaning work is very labour intensive so it is understandable that the local store barely stays open past office hours. That’s not ideal for time poor professionals though. This is where Laundry Point comes in. It helps bring the best dry cleaners in Melbourne into the modern age. It even provides them with apps to help them stay organised. So, it’s fair to say that our Dry Cleaner business partners love Laundry Point as much as our customers do.
3 – Pre-Examination of Garments
All garments should be checked for damage or stains prior to cleaning. They also need to be checked for items such as pens left in pockets. These can bleed onto garments if they get put through a dry-cleaning machine.
The fashion industry is always changing. So, the best dry cleaners always check the Care Label attached to every garment as well, no matter how experienced they are. These labels act as a warranty. If garments are processed contrary to those instructions and the garment gets damaged you are no longer covered. Worse, the dry cleaner is now liable but who needs the headache when all you wanted was a clean garment? The good news is that Laundry Point’s dry cleaners are contractually obligated to stay within the Care Label instructions.
4 – Pre Treatment
Now that garments have been checked and significant staining found those stains need to be pre-treated. Failure to pre-treat will result in less stains being removed but some still skip this step. This usually occurs when the dry cleaner is a paid member of staff rather than an owner operator. Staff tend to cut corners as they are not beholden to repeat business, they get paid regardless.
5 – Processing
A dry-cleaning machine is a lot like a washing machine. It even has different cycles such as “delicate” like a washing machine. And, without getting too technical, whites are also treated differently to darks.
In addition, these days there a couple of alternatives that your dry cleaner might use for the actual dry-cleaning process. These are usually traditional Perc drycleaning or so-called organic dry cleaning. It is true that Perc is not as good for the environment. It is also true that it is far superior in removing stains and is safer for many fabrics. The safe use and disposal of this solvent is highly regulated. So, you don’t need to be any more alarmed than you might be when using bleach to clean your bathroom. Sometimes necessary & certainly not the end of the world.
Organic dry cleaning on the other hand is actually not dry cleaning at all. In fact, the DIA insists its members refer to it only as wet cleaning as garments using this technique are essentially washed. It smells a lot better than dry cleaning and is more environmentally friendly so certainly has its uses. We have both kinds of dry cleaners at Laundry Point and can bring them to bear as required.
6 – The Most Important Part – Quality Control
After pressing, the best dry cleaners will have one more step in the process, the all-important Dispatcher role. The Dispatcher may touch up the pressing as required and remove any lint or pilling from the garments. Stubborn stains that still need work are also returned to the dry cleaner for spot cleaning by hand. This is where the Dry Cleaner’s experience really counts.
Dry cleaning apprentices used to study the nature of fabric and stains in order to know what solvent is best used to remove the latter. For example, dairy stains are protein based so require an alkaline based spotting agent to remove them. Red wine stains include tannins, so an acid-based spotting agent is required there. These solvents are commercial grade strength and need to be handled correctly. This is why you won’t find them in the supermarket. Some stains may be impossible for even the very best dry cleaners to remove. Nonetheless, you may be surprised when a stain described as immovable by one dry cleaner is suddenly removed by another, more experienced operator.
7 – Next Level Know How
Lastly, don’t be alarmed if a good dry cleaner asks to go outside the Care Label instructions. If a stain hasn’t come out, then the best ones may have the know how to break the rules and add years to the life of your garment. They should always, always ask your permission first though as there is always some risk involved when breaking rules. Only you will know if a risk is worth taking.
Perhaps now you see that there is a lot more to dry cleaning than meets the eye. Laundry Point was started by a second-generation dry cleaner and his wife and yes, he did the apprenticeship. That’s why they know so much about the dry-cleaning process and how to choose the best dry cleaners. Best of all they’ve gone out and done all the hard work for you to bring them to your door.
To book one of the best Dry Cleaners in Melbourne download the app here. Alternatively please visit our Pricing page for more information.
After sleeping, working, commuting, exercising and maintaining personal hygiene, what’s left? Exhaustion! And if you have a family and kids to care for? Forget about it! To have a life outside of what you need to get done you’re going to need to delegate. So, here are some simple tips to save time in your day.
Have Groceries Delivered
Most grocery stores recorded over 150% increase in their grocery delivery services in the new COVID-19 normal, with some of them reporting a 500% increase. Seems like many of us got used to the time saving convenience of shopping from home. And why not? It makes a lot of sense to avoid the hordes and get the job done without the sensory overload of a packed supermarket. More places deliver now, and it can be used to your advantage to save time. The average person spends 41 minutes at the supermarket per trip. So ask yourself, how much time are you wasting at the supermarket every week?
Hire A Cleaning Service
Speaking of a ridiculous amount of time spent doing not-fun things. Cleaning. The time you spend on cleaning can vary depending upon the size of your house and family, and how fastidious you are. On any given day we sleep, work, cook and clean as a minimum. Then there is renewing the insurance etc, perhaps some time on furthering your education for a new opportunity. Plus it’s hairwashing night. Then little Johnny has a science project due tomorrow that he forgot to tell you about. How much time is left just to catch your breath? Probably none at all. Luckily, cleaning services can help no matter where you live. Best of all, it can get done when you’re not at home as if by magic. We don’t need to tell you that life is way too short to spend it on your knees scrubbing bathrooms if you don’t have to.
Dog Walking Services
During the recent pandemic, dog adoptions increased an extraordinary amount. ASPCA reports that 1 in 5 households worldwide adopted a dog. As we move past COVID and get back to the office though, there has been an increase in anxiety in pets that are used to having their owners at home. One way to combat this is to make sure your dog is taken care of during the day by hiring a dog walking service or utilising doggie daycare. This can ensure they get the proper amount of exercise, as well as ensuring they have plenty of opportunities to use the bathroom in areas away from your carpet.
Laundry Service
Laundry in particular seems to be a never ending chore. Just when you think you’ve got it all done, there is another monster pile needing to be dealt with all over again. Maximize your time by outsourcing this chore to a laundry service. Preferably one that is 7 days, does pick up and delivery, and handles dry cleaning and ironing as well. This way you can get all of your washing done even better than you can yourself and level up your presentation all while saving time. Better still, you’ll no longer need to worry about running around to pick up your suit for that important meeting before the dry cleaners close. Check out our services at laundrypoint.com.au.
Take Some Time For You!
Everyone has the same 24 hours in their day as Beyonce
Lie told by Mollie-Mae, Instagram influencer
Everyone does NOT have the same 24 hours in a day as Beyonce. In fact she has far more time to concentrate on the business of being Beyonce, because she has help. You might not have a team of Personal Assistants, but by being clever and using a few economical and convenient services you can feel like you do. Hopefully these tips to save time in your day can help you free up time for other things in life that really matter and maybe even find a little time for yourself.
Dry cleaning is a process that uses a special chemical solvent to clean clothing and garments without the use of soap and water. Sometimes it is a necessity for fabrics that are entirely too delicate for regular washing methods. Fabrics like muslin, and cotton voile are fragile and prone to tearing, even with hand washing. While suedes and soft leathers can lose color and become incredibly stiff. When dealing with these fabrics you not only need to consider how to clean them but also how to store them. Here are some tips for storing your dry clean only clothes to keep them protected and beautiful and lasting a lifetime.
Folded
When dealing with stretchy garments, such as sweaters, the best way to store them is by folding them. This is because they can become stretched out of shape on hangers under the weight of the garment. After folding, place the garments in a container that can keep out moisture. You want to place the heaviest garment on the bottom, then second heaviest, and so forth. Make sure to leave a little space between the top garment and the lid for breathing room.
Hung Up
Padded, or thick wooden hangers, can be used to store garments that won’t stretch. After hanging, simply place the garments and hangers in breathable cotton garment bags. Cotton will offer enough air flow so the garment can breathe, yet still protect it from dust and environmental dirt.
Vacuum Sealed
Vacuum sealing clothing is an amazing way to save space when storing clothing. With dry clean only it is not recommended that this method be used for really long term storage. However, it is perfect for seasonal storage where you plan to rotate clothing a few times a year. After opening the vacuum sealed bag, please be sure to give your clothing at least 24 hours to re-inflate before wearing. If, after they re-inflate, they are wrinkled you should have them professionally pressed to get them ready to wear.
Regardless of the storage method you choose, make sure it is in a place that is away from UV rays, and has a mild temperature. These elements can cause damage to the clothing. And, while not necessary, make sure to label your bins, garment bags, or vacuum bags, so you can find your items quickly without compromising the delicate fabrics by rummaging through them to find one or two items.
Now that you know our best tips for storing your dry clean only clothes, it is time to find an amazing place to have your clothing cleaned. Laundry Point is a reliable 24 hour laundry and dry cleaning service that offers pick-up and delivery to work around your schedule.
Look in any wardrobe and you will find the most expensive garments in there are probably labelled “dry clean only”. This is why the drycleaning company you choose to clean them matters.
Your sharpest suits and delicate beaded silk dresses cost a lot of money to purchase. Therefore, it is extremely important to find someone you can trust to maintain them. But, with one or more dry cleaners in virtually every suburb how do you know who you can trust? Dry cleaning is a highly specialised trade. It involves solvents, procedures and techniques that can vary greatly depending on the garment.
Thankfully, Laundry Point has taken all the trial and error of finding a good dry cleaner away. We only partner with DIA affiliated dry cleaners with a proven track record and contract them to adhere to our quality standards.
Here we outline our process to show you just how much who you choose to take care of your drycleaning matters.
Why The Care Label Matters
Did you know that the Care Label attached to every garment acts as a warranty? Let’s say that the Care Label attached to your black and white striped tshirt says “wash in cold water. If you do as instructed but the black bleeds onto the white did you know you can take it back to the shop that you purchased it from and demand a refund? However, if you washed it in warm water you have effectively voided the warranty and there is nothing you can do about it.
This works in exactly the same way for dry clean only garments. We have contracted our dry cleaners to follow the care instructions on every garment you put in for dry cleaning unless they have your express permission to do otherwise. Why would you give such permission? Years of experience can provide a seasoned professional with an array of tips & tricks. If our dry cleaners have tried everything within the Care Label Instructions to get a stain out but it still won’t budge, they may offer to try something else. At that point, what have you got lose?
Why Experience Matters
Laundry Point drycleaners have access to a vast amount of industry experience. Laundry Point’s founders are extremely experienced, second generation dry cleaners who work hand in glove with their suppliers. They also provide their suppliers with the combined know how of an extensive dry cleaning community. So you’ve taken your garment elsewhere but they can’t get that stain out? You’ve come to the right place. If we can’t get it out, no one can.
Why Industry Affiliation Matters
All Laundry Point dry cleaners are members of the governing body for the drycleaning industry, the Drycleaning Institute of Australia (DIA). Why should that matter? The DIA literally wrote the book on industry best practices which the courts use to establish fault and compensation. Our suppliers are contractually obligated to adhere to these best practices.
So relax. Your investment in your wardrobe is more protected than with any other dry cleaning service. We literally guarantee it.
Click here to find out more about our Dry Cleaning services, including pricing.
Deciding between a dry cleaning or laundry service can be confusing. There are a lot of variables to consider to ensure the longevity of your clothes. Let’s break it down. First, what’s the difference?
Dry Cleaning
A dry cleaning machine is like a large, front loading washing machine but instead of using water it uses solvents. It even has short and gentle cycles, like a washing machine does. But why would you want to clean your clothes using solvents instead of just using water? The answer is quite complex which is why dry cleaners train for three years to fully understand materials and solvents and the best way to handle them. For instance;
Some stains, like oil, blood, ink and so on are very difficult if not impossible to remove with water. The solvents that dry cleaners use are also much stronger than you can obtain domestically. We have seen clothes ruined by well meaning people and their home remedies. Don’t be one of them! The best thing is to use paper towel to gently dab off any excess liquid (don’t rub). Then get the item dry cleaned as soon as possible as stains can “set” if you leave them too long. .
Some materials like wool and silk may be washable but we always recommend to dry clean them regardless. For example, a wool jumper can stretch or shrink in the wash. It can even stretch and shrink at different rates if it is a wool blend! Silk on the other hand is notorious for dyes running. Dry cleaning solvents are far less likely to cause colour run, and even if they do run, a good dry cleaner can clean it multiple times until the “loose dye” is removed. Try that at home and your best dress is ruined. .
A suit jacket contains fusing glued between the front panels to make it stiff so it doesn’t flop at the front like a cardigan. Washing suit jackets causes bubbles to appear as the material starts to separate from the fusing which will mean a trip back to the shops for a whole new suit so don’t do it!
Laundry
So now you know that some clothes should be dry cleaned only. But what should be washed?
There are many clothes that can’t withstand drycleaning solvent. It has a tendency to weaken the threads of lycra gym wear causing a fuzzy appearance, for example, so don’t cook with oil after you’ve been to the gym! .
Nothing beats washing for freshness, so if it’s smell you want to get rid of, washing wins hands down. .
Unless you’ve got ink stains or similar your business shirts come out fresher and press up crisper with washing.
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Customer Care Labels
Here in Australia the ACCC rule that all garments must come with a Care Label attached, even if they are purchase online from an international distributor. By law, the clothing manufacturers should test each garment by cleaning it a number of ways prior to releasing it to market to establish the correct instructions.
So, if you’re wondering whether to use a dry cleaning or laundry service, start by checking the Care Label. If damage such as shrinkage or colour run occurs despite following those instructions take your garment back to the place of purchase, you have a right to refund.
If either method is OK, then the best thing to remember is that the results from dry cleaning are more predictable than from washing. So, if you really love something or it cost a lot to purchase, best to play it safe and get it dry cleaned. For your everyday items though, washing is king.
Here is a handy chart to help you deciper those care label symbols, once and for all
Breaking down each symbol on a care label
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The Perfect System
Here at Laundry Point we don’t charge your credit card until we successfully deliver, so our experienced operators will keep an eye out for you and let you know prior to processing if they spot something they think is wrong. So, if you’re tired of thinking about it, download our app. That way, you’ll never have to think about it, ever again. That’s truly the perfect system for dealing with dry cleaning or laundry.
Are you considering starting your own Day Spa? Or, do you already own one and want to know how you can make your Day Spa business more successful? It never hurts to gather information from a variety of sources. Here we’ll start with some of the basics and move right through to suggestions that you may not find anywhere else.
Day Spa Marketing 101
Day Spas sell more than just massages and skin treatments. A Day Spa exists to change the way its clients feel. They sell a moment of respite. Of calm. Of self-love and self-care. A sense of worthiness. And it all starts with creating an atmosphere where everything seems perfect, so the client doesn’t have a worry in the world or a negative thought in their head.
There are many ways that successful Day Spas create this atmosphere. It all starts with engaging the four other senses in anticipation of the fifth; touch.
All Day Spas play relaxing music of course and include the sound of running water perhaps with a small water feature. Delicious aromas already permeate from the various massage oils, infusers and other products used in the course of your work. However, some thought may be given to allowing clients to select from a small range of scented oils either for their massage or via an infuser. Serving a refreshing blossom tea will engage the tastebuds (we like the low caffeine teas specially formulated for Day Spas by Tea Blossoms).
Visually, the look of the Day Spa is naturally very important when setting a price that clients will be prepared to pay for your service. After all, you can’t charge a high-end price while looking like a two-bit joint. The colour palette sets the tone and needs to be calming, not dramatic. This is why many Spas don’t necessarily follow the latest design trends. Instead, nature can be a good source of inspiration.
But what if you’re doing all these things but you’re still not making money?
Troubleshooting
You may well have spent a small fortune on the design of your Spa to set a luxurious tone but that doesn’t mean it is kept that way throughout the day.
Whilst it is important to ensure that staff are productive at all times, it is equally important that they are in the right frame of mind. They need to be emanating a deep sense of calm which just cannot be faked if they’re stressed out. We suggest that staff downtime is used to carefully wipe down surfaces to keep them free from dust and germs. This is a quiet activity that is best done slowly and methodically.
Processing towels on the other hand can be quite stressful due to the sense of urgency as towels run out. Piles of dirty towels create a terrible mess, take up a lot of space and generate a sense of overwhelm. Lint from dryers covers everything. The sound of a washing machine or dryer running can be pervasive, even at low levels. Laundry Point can help you process your towels whether you are a big or small operation, even hand rolling at no extra cost so that you can use your towels as display and put floorspace to better use.
Making more money out of the same floorspace
Floorspace in a Day Spa needs to be utilised with maximum efficiency. So, an important balance needs to be found. On the one hand, an absolute maximum of square inches should be generating money as either a consultation room or retail space for selling products. On the other hand, it is important not to look cluttered and a calm waiting room needs to be provided for before and after a session. So how best to divvy up this all-important space?
The best place to start is by firstly understanding how many square meters of floorspace your Spa has. Your landlord should be able to provide this if you’re unsure. Next, work out exactly how much you pay per square meter per month in rent. Don’t forget to include your outgoings such as Council and Water Rates in this. So,
(Rent + Outgoings) / Total Floorspace in Square Meters = Cost Per Square Meter
Now take a look at your utility rooms. These could include your storage rooms, lunch room, staff only toilets and laundry area. How big are these areas? Not sure? If all else fails, grab a measuring tape and measure each room individually. The length of each room X the width of each room = number of square meters per room. How much are these areas costing you per month in total using our previous cost per square meter price? Write the number down.
Next, consider ways you could put this wasted space to better use.
Can you reduce the amount of storage space you need by displaying rolled towels instead? We think stacking these Ikea wine racks to house towels instead of wine is a beautiful and incredibly cost-effective way to bring towels out of your storage room and put them on display. The best thing is, shelves like this don’t get dusty as they are in use. You can also leave the back off and make a wall out of these racks to cleverly divide spaces that don’t need to be soundproofed or completely hidden. For example, can you create a break between a reception area and the hallway to the consultancy rooms?
IKEA “Vadholma” Wine Shelf
While you’re dealing with towels, consider your laundry room. It takes up a lot of space (not to mention involves running costs as well). In fact, the room is often large enough to transform into an additional consultation room without moving walls around if you stop processing towels on site.
What other space saving ideas can you think of?
Now it’s time to get the calculator out again. How many additional consultation rooms could you create if you rehashed your utility space? How much additional revenue would your business earn from these new consultation rooms? Now take away the increased cost of outsourcing your laundry service. How much better off would you be?
New Business
You’ve got more rooms but you need to bring in more business to fill them.
Surely it goes without saying in this day and age that you need to invest in a nice website so that you are projecting the right image when a prospective customer is looking for a Day Spa online! Consider other features such as being able to book online instead of over the phone. Simply invest as much as you can afford because all online activity links back to your website and you need to make the right impression to bring in new customers.
Many small business owners feel overwhelmed by online advertising and so pay other people to do it for them. But it is expensive for small businesses to outsource this task. We believe this is often a waste of money as such companies can do things that get hits on your website but don’t actually result in sales in order to justify their existence. Just $10 a day (or up to $100 a week) should be more than enough to invest in a Google AdWords campaign, especially if you don’t have to pay the fees of a company to do it for you. Here are just a few tricks to help you get the most out of your budget:
Be specific. Focus on Phrase Match or Exact Match of high-ranking keywords and include the city. For example, try “day spa Melbourne” instead of a broad match of just day spa.
Be realistic. Set your location to postcodes around your Spa so you’re not wasting budget on people who won’t travel from the other side of town. The trick here is to cast the net wide enough but not too wide. About 10-20 postcodes should do.
Be creative. AdWords have a tool that allows you to put in 20 different headlines and 5 different descriptions, then it will test different combinations to see which works best and run just those. You can learn a lot about your customers by seeing what it comes up with.
Be patient. Spend just 10 minutes each week looking at the “Search Terms” that people used to find your store and tweaking your keywords accordingly. Did Google serve ads to people who were looking for a “pool spa”. If they were wrong as in this instance use the negative keyword tool to ensure that any time the word “pool” is included in the search an ad is not shown so your budget isn’t wasted. In this way, the longer you have been advertising for the more and more cost effective your advertising becomes.
Social media such as Facebook and Instagram are invaluable free tools you can use to promote your business. You can feature a product such as a moisturiser, a treatment such as a particular type of facial, a staff member who specialises in a particular area and so on. You just need a picture and a short blurb on who or what it is. Even spending a couple of hours to create one post each week will make all the difference. Also, have your clients “check in” on Facebook and review your service for $10 off their next session and so on.
Lastly, give your suppliers a call and ask them to link to your webpage from theirs to help the Google crawlers find you so that you start to rank highly in organic listings. Are there any other websites you can think of that will link to you? It never hurts to ask!
So, there you have just a few tips that you can cheaply implement to make your day spa business successful. So, what are you waiting for? There is no better time to make more money that right now. Contact Laundry Point today to find out how they can help you turn your towel problem into more profit in your pocket.
What’s the worst thing about packing up your holiday house to head back to the city after a blissful, relaxing weekend? Leaving the best weather of the whole weekend behind to make sure you have time to get your chores done before getting back to work and school on Monday.
And what’s the biggest of those chores? All the holiday house laundry, of course.
Squeezing all your bed linen and towels (and often your wet and sandy beach gear)back into the car for the trip home is counter-intuitive. You’re feeling chilled and restored after your break, and all you can think about is tackling the boot-full of washing and ironing once you get home.
Laundry Point has the problem solved.
Before you leave your holiday home, simply jump on the Laundry Point app and post an order for whatever washing and ironing you have.
With as little as two hours’ notice, one of our trained launderers can collect it from you before you set off.
They’ll sort, wash, dry, fold and iron as per your instructions and deliver your fresh, clean linen back to your holiday home when you arrive back for your next weekend getaway, whenever you want.
No need to drag rolled up sheets and sandy beach towels back to reality ever again. In less than 30 seconds, you can place your Laundry Point order and know your washing and/or ironing will be sorted and ready when you return.
And, why limit it to just the linen? You can have your “weekend wardrobe” of clothes all clean, ready and waiting for you, too. So now you don’t have to pack the car at all; you can just jump in and go. That’s freedom.
Save on packing. Save on car space. Save on time.
Extend your Sunday and spend an extra couple of hours at the beach.
Laundry, Done.
Laundry Point is coming to your area.
From wherever you weekender or holiday home are located, Laundry Point is ready to help you free yourself from your laundry.
We’re rolling out our services to new areas across Australia every week. If we’re not in your area already but you want to use the service please get in touch and we’ll start the process of recruiting a suitable launderer for you.
1300 911 573
