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A Fountain Hill laundromat owner says he recently upgraded the facility by installing new machines and other amenities because residents of the community deserve the best experience he can provide when it comes to washing their clothes.

Kyle Behmlander took over the Broadway Car Wash and Laundromat from his father in 2020. The elder Behmlander purchased the property when it was a used car lot back in 2003, and returned it to its former use as a car wash. A decade later, he converted the automatic car wash that was part of the building into the laundromat.

“Everything was on a shoestring budget,” recalled Kyle Behmlander, who also owns Saucon Valley Laundromat in Lower Saucon Township, Star of Bethlehem Car Wash and Laundry in Bethlehem and the recently-opened Quakertown Laundromat in downtown Quakertown. “There was a need for a nice, clean laundromat in Fountain Hill.”

Extra large washing machines are available for customers who need them.

Behmlander said the Maytag machines he recently replaced with state-of-the-art Speed Queen washers and dryers were over 20 years old and starting to show their age. The new machines are larger and can be used with the Speed Queen app–which is available for free download–or with cash. Customers who use the app also have the opportunity to earn reward points whenever they wash clothes. When downloading it for the first time, Fountain Hill customers should enter the code BRDWY.

An added convenience for Fountain Hill customers is the popular self-service car wash to which it is attached. Behmlander noted that many customers multi-task by washing their cars while their clothes are soaking in suds or tumbling in the dryer.

Although some customers rely on the laundromat for doing their weekly wash, others come in regularly to wash bulky items like pet bedding or comforters, which can be challenging to get clean in standard size washing machines.

Fountain Hill Laundromat — Shiny new washing machines and dryers are being enjoyed by customers at the Broadway Laundromat in Fountain Hill.

Behmlander said the recent laundromat makeover took about two weeks, although it was only closed for a day-and-a-half.

“The residents love it,” he said, adding that most live in the neighborhood. “Out of all my laundromats, this (one has) my most loyal base.”

“Kyle is so responsive to his customers,” said Behmlander’s friend and business mentor, Alan Bitner, who also assists him with running the laundromat.

A longtime Fountain Hill resident, Bitner can be there in five minutes if there is a problem, Behmlander explained.

“I enjoy being part of the business,” said Bitner, who first met his friend as a laundromat customer about a dozen years ago. “He’s just a good man.”

Behmlander called his friend a “lifesaver” who has talked him through many situations.

The Broadway Laundromat is located at 1031 Broadway, Fountain Hill, and is open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday are discount days, when customers can enjoy $1 off washers (only at the Fountain Hill location).

Behmlander said that in addition to the laundromat renovation, he plans to install new signage at the business in the future.