Going to the laundromat is never a fun experience. It is a hot and humid place, the token/change machines never work properly, and it smells like other people’s dirty clothes. The main reason we are captives of this awful environment is that our clothing is valuable (est. $200 per load), and we need to “guard” our belongings. To make matters worse, strange men hang around laundromats, and although we have arrived wearing our least attractive outfit(s), there is still that weird guy gazing at us with his perverted stare undressing us in his imagination and fulfilling his sickest fantasies.
My business model would release us from this uncomfortable confinement. My hypothetical facility would have laundry machines that act as both washers and dryers. They already exist, so there is nothing to invent there.
Each washer/dryer would have a credit card machine built into it. You would pay for your laundry by credit card, and when you closed the door, it would permanently lock. The only way to retrieve your load of laundry and unlock the door is by reinserting your credit card. Basically, your credit card would act like a key to access your laundry. Now you can safely leave the facility without being concerned that something will happen to your belongings. The fee system would be hourly, not per load, so if a person is delayed in retrieving their laundry, then their credit card will be continually charged until they pick it up. With that, it might be worth an extra few dollars to abandon your domestic chore(s), especially if you’re out having a good time with your friends or something. If you want to get hi-tech, the facility could accept payments with a smart phone and have a corresponding app that reminds customers when their laundry is ready to be picked up.