This pickup-and-delivery laundry service is bringing convenience, community, and a touch of nostalgia to busy families and professionals.
PHOTOS BY LEAH THOMPSON/SCANDIA STUDIO
By QUINN PROPST
Ward Media Staff Reporter
Your laundry’s worst nightmare has arrived on Bainbridge Island. Lotta’s Laundry, a laundry pickup and delivery service on the island, may be your laundry’s worst nightmare but she’s also your weekend’s best friend.
As busy professionals and parents, Lotta’s founders Liz and Beau Perra know what it’s like to feel buried by the endless cycle of laundry. In 2024, they launched Lotta’s to give families and professionals a convenient, time-saving solution—so they can spend less time on laundry and more time on what matters most.
Their pickup-and-delivery-only service is simple and seamless: customers schedule their pickup and delivery times, then leave their laundry at a designated spot. Lotta’s does the rest.
The Perras continue to be amazed at how fast the company is growing. From July to February the couple has washed more than 15,000 lbs. of laundry. In February alone, they folded over 3,000 lbs. Each month they are seeing a growth rate of about 30-40%, Beau said.
As entrepreneurs and graphic designers, Liz and Beau have a keen eye for spotting business opportunities.
“As entrepreneurs, we’ve been entrepreneurs for seven years, so we’re always looking at different industries and businesses that are up and coming, that have a lot of potential with the economy,” Liz said. “Laundry has just always been one of those things that stuck around. So with all of our business ideas, it was one that felt like a really good one to bring to Bainbridge and with our kids and with our family.”
Bainbridge Island does not have a laundry mat, and while the couple thought about opening one, they decided that what they really wanted was a business that was rooted in the community that they could be a part of.
“This is our fifth business that we’ve opened,” Beau said. “Some that have done really well. Some that have crashed or fell into space and through all that we’ve learned a lot that has accumulated to this business specifically.”
Before starting Lotta’s the Perras worked predominantly in social media management and online business coaching.
“We still do a little bit of that,” he said. “We help businesses and people build their business online, build their personal brand, tell their story. At the heart of all the content is storytelling. So we’re bringing people along this journey, and I think that that’s a new wave.”
Starting Lotta’s on an island, however, came with some unexpected challenges, particularly in finding the right space with proper water and electrical access. The couple is currently considering a location that needs some TLC to become Lotta’s new home.
As a bootstrapped business, Liz and Beau have been strategic about growth, avoiding unnecessary expenses and loans. Instead of taking a traditional approach, they’ve relied on creative problem-solving and community relationships to find solutions.
“We took a totally different approach of spending as we go, and not over extending, taking it kind of step by step,” Beau said. “One of our friends had the analogy of an illuminated staircase, you take a step and when the next staircase lights up then we’re like, okay, figure out what’s on that staircase, and if we’re gonna take another step.
“I think a big tendency with business owners is to build this big thing first,” Liz said. “Once you throw $20- $30,000 into a business, which is pretty low end for what some restaurant costs, or some other businesses costs, it’s this immediate pressure.”
“You have this immediate pressure of, like, the second your doors open, you need to make those sales, you need to make that money back and to profit and pay yourself,” she said.
So with Lotta’s, the couple has taken a different approach and promised each other to “bootstrap” a laundry business. They were able to take initial profits and invest in a commercial washer and dryer.
From the beginning, Liz and Beau wanted Lotta’s to be more than just a laundry service—they wanted it to be part of the community.
Through their Instagram account the couple are bringing their customers and fans along on the journey while they “bootstrap” together a laundry service business on the island.
They also put a lot of thought into Lotta’s identity.
As designers, Beau and Liz thought a lot about Lotta and her story while they were creating their business and brand. Lotta’s is like your grandmother or mom who did your laundry the right way but with eco-friendly detergent, energy efficient machines and reusable bags.
Liz and Beau envisioned Lotta’s as a trusted, old-school staple in the community, much like the neighborhood plumber or milkman who always showed up, did the job right, and knew everyone by name.
They wanted Lotta’s to have a mom-and-pop feel, with their uniforms inspired by the 1960s milkman uniform.
The punchy pink of their brand is a nod to the classic laundry mishap of the red sock in the whites. But also an homage to what Lotta embodies – a no-nonsense, witty, and loveable grandma who tells it like it is.
The couple’s playful, cheeky approach carries over into their social media, where they engage customers with humor and personality—while still delivering reliable service.
But at its core, Lotta’s is about meeting a fundamental need: clean clothes and linens.
Surprisingly, the couple has come to find laundry fun, which people think sounds crazy, Liz said.
“People are like, how is laundry fun? It’s a chore that most people find annoying and time consuming, and it is,” she said. “But like Beau is saying there’s this weird, like the relief that we’re giving people, it makes me love the job.”
“The way that people are just like, ‘Oh god, thank you so much,’ like the sigh that they breathe,” Liz said. “It sounds so cheesy, so cliche, but that’s okay, truly. I mean, it’s that tiny satisfaction that you don’t always get in every business.”
Liz and Beau prioritize the customer experience, adding thoughtful touches that make a difference. They include handwritten notes, have a seamless system for customer feedback, and even hand out treats for dogs—ensuring every member of the family feels welcome.
“At the end of the day, laundry is a very intimate thing,” Beau said. “So, how do we break down the walls of understanding, like, you can give us all your laundry, even your dirty underwear.
They want people to find that trust in Lotta’s, to trust them with all of their laundry.
Both passionate about building businesses and helping people.
Lotta’s has been able to support customers during unexpected life events, such as injuries, home renovations, or surgery recovery. While some clients use their services regularly, others rely on them during times of need, which makes the Parras happy to step in and help.
Lotta’s also has a donation program where customers can send in their donation items with their laundry order and Lotta’s will donate the items to Helpline House or other locally owned thrift stores.
Liz credits Lotta’s fast success to strong community support. She and Beau have made it a priority to integrate into the community, joining the chamber and organizing initiatives like their chalk campaign in local parks. Seeing families engage and share their experiences has reinforced their commitment to a “community-first” business approach.
“We feel so lucky for the support we’ve received so early on,” Liz said.
As Lotta’s continues to grow, one thing remains clear: it’s not just about laundry—it’s about building connections, making life easier for customers, and having a little fun along the way.
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