Keep Your Laundromat Running Through the Holidays: A Risk Management Checklist

The holiday season can be peak season for laundromats. Winter can drive higher usage, driven by holiday events, guests in town, and the need for extra linens, blankets, and outerwear. In even colder climates, you’re looking at heavy-duty winter gear.

Extra volume is great for business until it pushes your operations, surfaces risks, and tests your systems.

More foot traffic means more chances for a slip-and-fall on a wet floor.

More machines in use means a greater chance of breakdown or fire.

Holiday staffing shortages leave gaps in oversight.

On top of that, winter weather can add its own layer of trouble—ice, snow, freezing pipes, and power outages. For your laundromat, these factors combine into a higher-risk period that demands attention.

So yes: you want the surge, but you don’t want the surge to blow up your business. Consider this a guide to help keep things running smoothly.

1. Insurance & Risk Review

Let’s talk insurance because if your operations run into trouble during the holiday rush, your policy should be ready.

Review your coverage

Make sure your general liability policy covers slip-and-fall incidents, which are especially likely when customers are coming through, dragging in snow and rain.
Ensure you have equipment breakdown coverage: heavy usage means machines are working overtime. Breakdowns and malfunctions cost cash and downtime.
Don’t forget property damage or weather-related events: snow, ice, heavy rain, utility failure—all can shut down or cause damage.
Review business interruption or loss of income coverage. If you have to close temporarily because of weather or utilities (more common in the winter), you need a fallback.

Now, some of these situations are very niche to the laundromat industry, so you might have to piecemeal coverage with generic insurance companies. Laundromat risk isn’t just another retail business. It has unique exposures (wet floors, heavy machines, utility dependencies) and your insurance should reflect that. Through other policies, you may have to settle for generic coverage that doesn’t quite reach every facet of your business or pay for a really expensive plan. Cent Insurance offers tailored coverage for the laundry industry, general liability, and property coverage created with the unique needs of laundromats in mind.

2. Winter Weather Preparations

Winter weather doesn’t just make things cold—it makes things riskier. Preparation is half the battle.

Preventive steps

Inspect and maintain heating/ventilation: Ensure laundry facility stays at safe operational temps; freezing pipes or condensation can damage machines or cause slips.
Check utility backup: What happens if your power goes out mid-cycle? Can you rescue customer loads? Do you have a plan for failure?
Snow & ice removal: If you’re in a climate where snow or ice can occur, keep walkways clear, apply salt, and keep entry mats clean and dry. Wet boots plus a laundromat lobby is a slip hazard.
Flooring & drainage: Check that machines aren’t leaking, that water runs off properly and doesn’t pool near customer paths.
Vent and lint maintenance: Dryer vents clogged by extra loads of winter blankets, etc., are a major fire hazard. Routine cleaning pays off.
Emergency heating/shutdown plan: If the weather knocks out utilities, have a shutdown or safe mode plan. Damage from frozen pipes or uncontrolled machines is avoidable.

Why it matters

A weather-related shutdown during the holiday peak is double bad: you lose revenue when demand is highest, risk customer dissatisfaction, and you may trigger a claim without proper contingency. In short: be proactive.

3. Operational Readiness

The holiday surge challenges your operations like nothing else. Machines are humming, customers expect fast service, and you need systems in place so you don’t stumble.

Staffing & scheduling

Plan for extra foot traffic: Expect more bundles of linens, more blankets, more outerwear. Build in extra staffing early, figure out buddy/overflow coverage.
Account for holidays/ahead-of-time absences: Your regular team may take time off; have a temp or contingency plan so service doesn’t drop.
Train staff on safety: With more customers, more potential for accidents. Make sure staff know protocols for spills, machine malfunctions, and customer disputes.
Provide clear customer instructions, especially if you expect new/overflow customers. Signage, easy machine instructions, and staff support help prevent misuse and reduce risk.

Machine & facility maintenance

High-use machines need inspection: belts, motors, and controls. Malfunction during peak is not acceptable.
Keep a log of maintenance: It helps with insurance credibility and lets you spot patterns (for example, a particular dryer that always overheats).
Check coin/card systems, lighting, ventilation: Smoother operations reduce frustration (and risk) for customers.
Monitor traffic flow: If you anticipate a large volume, consider scheduling downtime for service outside peak hours.

Housekeeping & cleanliness

More customers mean more messes. Make sure aisles are kept clear, surfaces are wiped, and floors are cleaned frequently.
With heavy winter outerwear, snow/mud/ice are tracked in. Clean entry mats, have wet-floor signs, and mop early and often.
Maintain good lighting and visibility. If an accident happens in dim lighting, you may be liable.

4. Customer Experience

Happy customers make for fewer problems. When people are comfortable and clear about your process, you reduce frustration and risk.

Clear communication

Post prominent signage: machine instructions, safety warnings (wet floor, caution hot surfaces), holiday hours.
Announce any special services or holiday schedules in advance: If you’ll be open extended hours, or closed certain days, let customers know.
Offer holiday promotions sensibly: If you advertise “blanket wash special,” be ready for heavier loads, ensure machines and staffing are ready.

Environment & safety

Provide a clean, comfortable waiting area. If customers stay longer (because they’re doing big loads or multiple blankets), make it pleasant. Better environment = less agitation.
Provide wet-floor mats at entrances, ensure customers don’t track in ice/snow/mud, or provide instructions about removing boots.
Offer machine loading assistance or staff help during peak hours: fewer errors mean fewer breakdowns or accidents.

Feedback & monitoring

Track customer flow and bottlenecks: if you see frequent complaints about long wait times or out-of-order machines, adjust quickly.
Encourage customer feedback: holiday rush can stress your usual systems – knowing early about issues means you fix them before they become bigger problems.
During the holidays, human traffic is unpredictable (guests, family visits, etc.). Stay flexible.

5. Emergency Preparedness

Even with the best planning, things happen. Fire. Flood. Pipe burst. Power outage. Machine fire. You must be ready.

Create & communicate your plan

Have a clear evacuation plan posted in visible spots: exits, emergency contacts, and off-hours contacts.
Staff training: run drills with your team on what to do if there’s a fire, machine malfunction, or major water leak.
Database of emergency contacts: local fire department, plumber, electrician, machine technician. Preferably stored both physically and digitally.
Backup power/utility plan: if the power fails, what happens to machines mid-cycle? What happens to customers? Plan for safe shutdown or continuity.
Insurance claim readiness: keep records—photos, videos, service logs. If a catastrophic loss occurs during the holiday surge, you want to be able to demonstrate your preventive steps to your insurer (like Cents Insurance).
Communication protocol for customers: If you must close early or pause services, how will you inform customers? Use signage, website, and social media. Minimizing surprise builds trust and reduces frustrations or liability.

Special holiday considerations

Expect higher loads of bulky items: blankets, holiday linens—these can stress machines or cause overflow issues.
More guests visiting your customers (e.g., family staying over) means a higher risk of unusual loads, misuse of machines, and damaged items. Be ready.
Ice/snow/weather risk increases the possibility of utility interruptions. Ensure your emergency plan covers that ,and your insurance coverage is appropriate.

Risk Management Checklist

Running a laundromat through the holiday season isn’t about winging it—it’s about preparation. The surge is real, the risks are amplified, but if you’re proactive, you’ll run a smarter, smoother operation with fewer headaches and less risk to your bottom line.

To wrap it up: look through this checklist, walk through your facility, review with your team, talk to your insurance representative (especially your partner at Cents Insurance), and lock in your readiness. Your holiday season should be profitable—and safe.

Review general liability, equipment breakdown, property damage/business interruption coverage with Cents Insurance.
Document maintenance logs: machines, dryer vents, floors, heating/utility systems.
Train and schedule staff for holiday volume, including backups and part-time help.
Inspect walkways, entry mats, and flooring for snow/ice/mud tracking; implement mitigation.
Check machines for heavy load readiness (blankets, outerwear) and inspect for wear.
Clean vents, lint screens, and ensure fire prevention measures are in place.
Post signage (machine instructions, safety warnings, holiday hours).
Maintain customer communication plan: hours, promotions, and emergency closures.
Develop an emergency plan: evacuation, contacts, power/utility failure response, and customer communication.
Keep records: photos, logs, service history—ready for claim if needed.

Next step: Reach out to Cents Insurance today and review your policy. Make sure your coverage aligns with the added risks of holiday operations. Set yourself up now for a smooth, safe, prosperous remainder of the year.

Let’s make sure your laundromat doesn’t just survive the holiday rush—it thrives through it.

Keep Your Laundromat Running Through the Holidays: A Risk Management Checklist