Fresh Press: SmartWash Laundry
When childhood friends from East Grand Forks, MN, James McDonald, and Casey Brovold, teamed up to clean up, SmartWash Laundry was born. Inside North Fargo’s newest laundromat, James injected his entrepreneurial design flair while Casey folded in 12 years of expertise in laundromat systems and technology. Together, their fresh take on the tedious task of laundry is turning everyday work into a well-pressed art form.
BY Tracy Nicholson
PHOTOS BY Dan Francis Photography
PAY YOUR WAY
Skip the hunt for quarters in your couch cushions because this laundry hot spot is designed to simplify life with its savvy app, text alerts, drop-off service, pick-up, and kiosk system. Sure, you can still use up your surplus of quarters or hit up the ATM, but that’s about the only thing that resembles the more typical cramped and chaotic laundromats most of us have frequented. Here, you can pay your way on the mobile app, load it up like a credit card, swipe it, start the machine, and run some errands. When there are two minutes remaining, the app sends a text alert. If you prefer to police your piles, you’ll find fast Wi-Fi, an array of plants by Prairie Petals, a cozy TV lounge, beverage and snack vending, and a Kid Zone — all designed in a modern and minimalistic aesthetic by James and Casey.
WELL-EQUIPPED
SmartWash isn’t just well-maintained and designed, it’s also well-equipped with six security cameras for 24/7 monitoring and new Continental Girbau machines, all featuring 10” LED screens. “These machines spin four times as fast as the old ones, which equates to getting people in and out in less than an hour,” said McDonald. “We can set these to the exact degree, with eight different cycle options versus just the typical hot, warm, and cold. People also love the reverse dryers, which help avoid laundry rolling up into a ball. They’re inverter driven, which is so much more efficient,” added Brovold.
Doing laundry is Casey’s full-time job. SmartWash in Fargo is his second laundromat venture, after opening The Bubble Laundry Co. in Grand Forks in 2010. Casey also spends his days as a distributor of high-performance commercial washers and dryers, where he outfits an array of regional businesses with the latest in laundry technology.
Madi Klein & Aubrey Hess, SmartWash
Employees + NDSU Students
BRIGHT WHITES + BULK SAVINGS
The duo are firm believers in clean machines and an ultra-sanitary working environment, which delivers cleaner clothes. “We specifically had high-temp boilers installed, so we get 180 degrees, which gets whites so much cleaner,” explained Brovold. To ensure sanitation, their team also pours 180-degree water down every machine twice a day, making sure the dispensers and drums remain spotless. “I think the quality of the wash we offer is so much better than what you’d see in a typical laundromat, or even at home,” added Brovold. “We also have really big folding tables so you can fold a king-size comforter, and it will never touch the ground.”
CUSTOMIZE YOUR CLEAN
For the wash, dry, and fold services, business is already booming with walk-in drop-offs during all working hours, Monday through Sunday 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. Using a streamlined Wash-Dry-Fold software, SmartWash keeps these drop-offs, deliveries, and pick-ups ultra-organized, allowing customers to add specific notes for preferred chemicals, bleach, or soaps. In the back processing station, SmartWash’s high-extract, self-injecting machines run a pH-balanced wash process with customized combinations of bleach, conditioner, and soaps, including hypoallergenic options — all perfectly measured so customers can get the exact same custom wash every time. Right now, a drop-off of 75 pounds of laundry is roughly a fourhour turnaround. “When we’re done processing the drop-off, our system automatically sends a text message for pick-up,” added Brovold.
SMART SPORTS
According to James, SmartWash is one of the only laundromats in Fargo that offers a specialized Sports Wash, a great solution for hockey, football, and workout attire. “We have certain washes, two machines up front and the ones in the back that have injected soap specifically for this type of wash,” explained McDonald. Casey and James both grew up playing hockey, so they understand first-hand why this service is essential. “There’s been a big change in this industry,” said Brovold. “Laundromats used to be for people who didn’t have a washer and dryer at home, but now I would say over half the people who come in have a washer and dryer, but they just want to save their Sundays and get it all done in an hour. The way we designed SmartWash, it’s all about saving people’s time and money.”
DESIGN DETAILS
Design: James McDonald
Architect: Elissa Novotny, AIA, Dovetail Development
Contractor: Mel Clark
Plants: Prairie Petals
Washers/Dryers: Continental Girbau, The Laundry Solution
Electrical: Elevate Electric
HVAC: Precision Plumbing
Plumbing: Superior Plumbing
Epoxy Flooring: Epic Concrete Coatings
Paint: WhiteOut Painting
For more information, contact:
SmartWash Laundry
(NorthPort Shopping Center)
2614A Broadway North, Fargo
smartwashfargo.com
Follow on Insta: smartwashfargo
Hours:
Monday – Sunday
7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Check out Casey’s Laundromat in Grand Forks:
The Bubble Laundry Co.
1401 12th Ave. S., Grand Forks
bubblelaundryco.com