Buzzing with Great Ideas

Retailer Spotlight - Clean Bee Laundry

Jennifer Temple started a diaper service 12 years ago to debunk the misconception that cloth diapers were messy and a hassle.

“Poop is poop whether you throw it in the trash or in the dryer,” Temple says. After realizing this with her first child, Temple set up the diaper service in her own home using commercial equipment.

Business boomed and Temple outgrew the space. Within five years she had purchased an old, run-down laundromat in Camden, Maine. With outdated pink and green walls and abrasive “do not” signs hung just about everywhere, Temple set out to soften the space, invite the community in and help the environment along the way.

Clean Bee Laundry customers have responded with repeat business in what has become a social hub in this coastal New England town. Besides the self serve, business now includes dry cleaning, rug cleaning, alterations and wash and fold services.

The bright space also serves as a retail store. Temple says she’s excited to offer environmentally conscious residents green products such as laundry soap and reusable dry cleaning bags. She especially gushes about LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls, which are also made in Maine.

“We tried LooHoos ourselves and found they cut drying time by 25 percent, which is huge considering utilities is one of our biggest expenses next to payroll,” says Temple, LooHoo’s very first wholesale customer. “We started to sell them on consignment and sold out so quickly that we started buying wholesale.”

Today Clean Bee Laundry carries both three-packs and individual dryer balls. Temple says customers are often intrigued by the solid wool balls. She and her worker bees are excited to offer testimony, which often results in sales and eventually gift purchases for friends and family.

Temple says LooHoos have been a gratifying way to make a difference in the community.

“People want to do the right thing for the environment and buy locally,” Temple says. “We’re proud of our state; we’re creating our businesses so we can continue to live in such a wonderful area.”
           

We invite you to check out Clean Bee Laundry at www.CleanBeeLaundry.com.
How Clean Bee Laundry Stays Green
• Uses ozone-washing machines
• Recycles hangers
• Uses energy-efficient lighting
• Reuses old laundry bags and cloth diapers as cleaning cloths
• Uses packaging made with recycled materials
• Offers reusable laundry bags