Owner: Dixon’s ‘most modern laundromat’ to open in August

DIXON — Klean Laundry is going to be the “most modern laundromat” in the area, owner Steve Kitzman says.

Expected to open in August, the laundry will feature contactless payments, self-cleaning ozone machines and a delivery service through DoorDash.

Located in Lowell Park Plaza, at 1364 N. Galena Ave,, Klean Laundry is planned to be open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with an on-duty attendant, according to Kitzman.

Kitzman, of SCK Enterprises LLC, and who is also the owner of Kitzman’s Lumber in Dixon, said that it wasn’t necessarily his “dream” to open a laundromat, but he saw a need for one in Dixon which is why he decided to open one.

Currently, there are two laundromats in the community, Holiday Coin Wash and Quick Wash Coin Laundry. Both of them are “far from new,” Tim Shipman, city building official, said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Shipman described Klean Laundry as a nice and refreshing addition to the area. It’s going to be “sort of state-of-the-art” rather than a coin-operated laundromat that is open 24 hours, he said.

The laundromat will have a “coinless automatic vending system,” Kitzman said.

Customers will be able to pay using contactless payments, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, as well as any type of credit or debit card. For those who prefer to pay cash, the laundromat will have a kiosk that accepts cash and will load that dollar amount onto a “laundry loyalty card” that can be used as payment on the machines, according to Kitzman.

Kitzman is working with Speed Queen, a laundry machine manufacturer, to supply the washers and dryers for the laundromat. There will be 16 commercial grade dryers, three “super 80″ washing machines – meaning they are large enough to wash up to 80 pounds of dry laundry – five 40-pound washing machines, five 20-pound washing machines, and six top-load washing machines, according to Kitzman.

All of the washing machines are going to be ozone machines that sanitize the laundry as well as the machine itself during the wash cycle, Kitzman said.

Ozone laundry systems combine oxygen and electricity, which create ozone that is dissolved in the washing water. When the ozone water comes into contact with bacteria in the laundry and the machine itself, it kills them by acting as a sanitizer, according to the Speed Queen company website.

Once the laundromat is up and running, Kitzman plans to offer a laundry delivery service through DoorDash as well as a wash and fold service.

General contractor Tris Brumbly of Always Mechanical LLC, a Dixon construction company, began work on the building in April. The company started by completing the engineering for the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and duct work that needed to be completed, as the location had originally been a vacant retail space, Eric Pratt, president of Always Mechanical LLC, said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Currently, Brumbly is working to get approval from Nicor Gas. Pratt said the opening could be delayed due to the lengthy approval process that the contractors are required to go through with Nicor.

The remodel is estimated to cost $150,000, according to the building permit.

Kitzman said he is excited for Klean Laundry to open and, hopefully, provide a much-needed service to the people of Dixon.

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