Seeking to serve pet owners and entrepreneurs in the field, Danise Flesh, 61, created the Animal Laundry, self-service laundry specializing in animal clothing and parts, on Avenida Cristóvão Colombo, nº 1085, in the Floresta neighborhood, inside the Cristóvão Clinical Center. Since 2022 studying the market, Denise opened Animal Laundry in May, with two industrial washing machines and two dryers. Each service costs BRL 16.95, following the self-service model, that is, it is the customer who washes the items.
the business history
Seeing this need and a possible market, the entrepreneur began to study the niche better. “When I went to patent the name, that’s what scared me. We didn’t find anything like that”, tells about the few service options in the world. The entrepreneur claims that she also felt the lack of this service. Because she always had animals at home, she faced the problem of having to use her own washing machine and having to thoroughly clean it after use, in addition to the fact that, many times, this practice can cause damage to the machines.
Denisa says that the process of choosing the location for the Animal Laundry was challenging until she found the Cristóvão Clinical Center, which embraced the idea. “Because it’s a very innovative thing, it would take a long time to get an audience on its own. Now, inside a pet, I can captivate customers faster, offering benefits for both parties”, she explains. As it is a market with few service options, the entrepreneur reports that she had to consult veterinarians, dermatologists and general practitioners to look for the best products to be used in washingthus opting for a hospital and anti-allergy line, so as not to create problems for pets.
How it works?
The self-service service works in a practical and intuitive way, with very clear instructions for the clientele. With 30 minutes of washing and 45 minutes for drying, the space also has a table for customers to use while they wait for the service to finish. Beside the totem where the customer chooses the desired service and payment method, there is a basket and everything that fits in it is priced at R$ 16.95 per share – washing or drying -, including cloths, towels, clothes, toys and beds (being of a light fabric, which causes damage to the machine).
The future of Animal Laundry
The entrepreneur says that, as it is a niche that is still somewhat unknown, she will analyze the business in the coming months, but, with the success of the idea, the goal is to expand and franchise Animal Laundry. The space is open from Monday to Saturday, from 8 am to 8 pm.