Looking for alternate income stream, Singapore professionals put new spin on self-service laundromats
Once a passive income stream for retirees, laundromats are now emerging as side businesses for working professionals looking to turn them into spaces that offer more than just laundry services.
An event for singles to meet and mingle on Feb 14, 2025, held at laundromat Hangout Laundry in Bedok North. (Photo: Hangout Laundry)
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
When Ms Low Seow Yee received her insurance payout last year, the cancer survivor took a leap of faith and used it to start her first business: A laundromat.
“I’m blessed that I’m even in a position to do this,” the 46-year-old said.
Ms Low discovered her love for building spaces during her 10-year tenure at Timbre, a food-and-beverage (F&B), music and events company.
For a while, she had toyed with the idea of starting her own venture, but it was her stage-one breast cancer diagnosis in 2023 that pushed her to it.
As she returned to her corporate role after cancer treatment, she realised that it was time to live her life on new terms.
Having left Timbre, she now manages the laundromat alongside various side businesses that she did not want to reveal.
“I can probably stay in a corporate role, but I would always wonder what if I did something else? I don’t want to have any regrets when I’m on my deathbed.”
Why a laundromat? For Ms Low, the inspiration came from Celsious, a laundromat in the United States she came across online.
Based in Brooklyn, New York, the stylish set-up incorporates a co-working space with Wi-Fi and coffee, making waits more comfortable and productive. It also has a dedicated folding station, so customers may leave with a neat pile of laundry.
In December last year, Hangout Laundry was born in Bedok North, following Celsious’ formula and adapting it for Singapore’s market.
Earlier in 2024, Ms Low had spent two months surveying laundromat users across the country.
She noticed a recurring complaint: Laundromats in Singapore are hot and stuffy.
Her solution? Air-conditioning 24/7. This and the other amenities soon began attracting customers from neighbourhoods such as Tampines and Kembangan.
They saw a gap in the market here when Mr Anderson moved to Singapore from the US with his two Siberian Huskies and they were struck by the scarcity of pet-friendly laundromats.
Often, the couple ended up dropping off the dogs’ accessories for professional cleaning.
“We were spending between S$60 and S$100 every month on pet laundry. Honestly, that’s a lot of money and we tend to not do it as often,” Ms Chan said.
This spurred the husband and wife to launch the laundromat alongside their day jobs, setting up shop in Aljunied after observing the high population of pets in that area.
At The Daily Tumble, machines labelled “special care” are reserved for pet accessories, a feature that has won the hearts of many “pawrents” living in the eastern part of the island and even some who were willing to drive all the way from the western region.
“We're super happy that the pet owners found it useful, because we really had them in mind when we designed everything,” Ms Chan said.
