Did you know that the average American wastes four days a year doing laundry? That’s four days of your life that you’ll never get back again. Every year. So give it to Cleanly (the laundry, that is).
Cleanly is a mobile app for on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning delivery that lets people place an order anywhere they are, schedule a convenient time that works for them, and have payment and tip covered automatically. Co-founder Tom Harari tell us more about the service – and what sets Cleanly apart (doesn’t it always come out in the wash?).
Tell us about the service.
Cleanly is a mobile application for on-demand laundry and dry-cleaning delivery that helps busy professionals save over eight hours a month spent doing laundry. In three clicks, customers can get their laundry scheduled for pick up so they can go back to doing what they love.
How is it different?
While there are other similar services, Cleanly prides itself on an incredibly straightforward user experience to get customers in and out of the application as quick as possible. Additionally, we employ local delivery couriers to provide quick turn-around on pickup and delivery.
What market are you attacking and how big is it?
The laundry and dry-cleaning industry is a $10+ billion industry in the US and set to grow over the next few years. Our initial target market is NYC but the goal is to get to all major cities, both nationally and internationally.
What is the business model?
Cleanly negotiates discount rates with local laundromats that meet our rigorous quality guidelines, and adds a small markup. Pricing is based on zip code so that customers will never pay more than what they are accustomed to in their neighborhood.
What are the milestones that you plan to achieve within 6 months?
Our goal is to get to most neighborhoods in Manhattan as well as a sizable coverage area in Brooklyn in the next 6 months.
If you could be put in touch with one investor in the New York community, who would it be and why?
Gary Vaynerchuck. His reach and voice on all things tech make him an attractive investor and we love his energy and passion for going above and beyond for customers: it matches our mindset in how we think about customer loyalty.
Please share some insights that you have picked up thus far about the New York laundry market. Any unusual requests?
The New York laundry and dry-cleaning market is an interesting space. There are so many options and yet people still feel frustrated and consider it an annoying “chore.” That’s what we’re hoping to solve.
Where is the best craft beer in New York?
Bierkraft in Park Slope. If you haven’t been, we highly recommend stopping by their beer garden on a nice spring day and trying one of the many awesome beers they have on tap.
Why did you choose to launch in New York?
Our founding team lives and breathes New York. We all felt first-hand how frustrating the laundry/dry-cleaning situation can be and we set out to create a product that solves our needs. It turns out that we were on to something, as many other busy New Yorkers have told us how much Cleanly helps them get their time back. In the city that never sleeps, having someone come to your door to deliver your laundry washed, folded, and wrapped up makes life a little easier.
