High-tech clothing cleaners use ozone
Grand opening of Pottstown Express Laundry Center includes ‘free wash day’
POTTSTOWN » Wash day has gone high-tech at a new laundromat in Pottstown — in a variety of ways.
“This laundry center looks completely different than any other laundry center in the area,” said Charles Pasquale, who along with his wife Katherine, owns the Pottstown Express Laundry Center, 204 Shoemaker Road. “We offer brand new high efficiency machines. Our largest machines are taller than a person and can wash 90 pounds of laundry.”
Pasquale said the couple chose Pottstown as the location of their first laundry center because the space had previously been a laundromat and it had room to expand. Pottstown Express Laundry Center opened in August, and on Saturday, Oct. 14, it will host a grand opening for the community, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Customers walking into the Pottstown Express Laundry Center have the option of doing their laundry the old-fashioned way: by putting quarters into the machines. Or they can go mobile — using the Laundry Boss payment app on their smartphone to pay for and start their wash right at the machine. They can also use the in-store Laundry Boss kiosk to pay with cash, a credit card or via the app.
And when it comes to washing their clothes, customers have the option of clean — or they can use a new technology that cleans and sanitizes their laundry in cold water without the need for bleach.
By selecting Super Wash on the center’s machines, customers have the option of using Ozone to get their laundry clean.
Pasquale said each of the laundry center’s washing machines offers the option of Ozone technology, using a system called “San-O3-tyzer,” manufactured by Hamilton Engineering. Ozone (O3) is used as a disinfectant for air and water.
“Ozone is an extreme bacterial fighter — it kills instantaneously,” Pasquale said. “We inject it into water and when it oxidizes — it loosens the fabric so the stains and dirt come out easier. And — the laundry comes out smelling really fresh.”
The “San-O3-tyzer” system is installed at the back of the laundromat — behind glass doors — so customers can see the equipment.
“First we dry the air, then run the air through a machine that has an arc to create the Ozone,” Charles Pasquale explained about the process. “The Ozone is then injected into the water.”
The system cycles on and off throughout the day, as customers start the machines and select the Ozone technology, according to Katherine Pasquale.
In addition to sanitizing the laundry, Charles Pasquale said each time the machine runs with the Ozone option,
the washing machine and plumbing is sanitized, as well.
Pottstown Express Laundry Center is equipped with 85 Girbau high-speed commercial washer and dryers. These state-of-the-art machines provide high capacity washing and extracting. Pasquale said the machines spin at a higher rate than home or other commercial washing machines — resulting in a shorter wash cycle.
“Because of the efficiency of the washing machine, when the laundry has finished it comes out feeling damp — not wet,” he said, adding that it then takes less time to dry. “You can finish your laundry in about 60 minutes,”
“We understand that doing laundry is a chore and we want our customers to spend more time with their family while also protecting the ones they love with the most sanitary, bacteria-killing laundry services available in the world,” said Katherine Pasquale in a press release. “San-O3tyzer or Ozone super wash is known for its bleaching action and ability to kill bacteria, which is even more essential as we transition from summer to fall and enter the flu season.”
Charles Pasquale added that in addition to the selfserve business, he would also like to pursue commercial accounts.
“We want to do hotels and some small medical and dental offices, because we have the capability to get it done economically with better service,” he said. “We have the equipment to do it.”
In addition to the Ozone and payment technology options, Pottstown Express Laundry Center also offers a wash/dry/fold service, where customers can drop their laundry off to be done by center staff. Customers pay by the pound, and are notified when the laundry is finished.
In addition to owners Charles and Katherine Pasquale, the center employs attendants to help customers with their needs and to learn the new technology.
Saturday’s grand opening will include family activities including balloon making, face painting, music and concession stands, as well as raffles.
“But it’s also a ‘free wash day,’ as much as you can carry — we’ll run it through the machines for you,” Charles Pasquale said.
For more information about Pottstown Express Laundry Center visit www. pottstown laundry.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pottstownlaundry .