By Carol Ann Conover<\/p>\n
White Glove Service, the Queensbury-based cleaning company known locally for its \u201cGrime Fighters,\u201d has opened a stand-alone laundry service, and owner Kris Brunelle said seniors have quickly become some of its most loyal customers.<\/p>\n
White Glove Laundry Service opened at the end of June at 309 Bay Road, though Brunelle has owned the building since last October and spent months designing the space before opening to the public. The business operates as a wash-and-fold service only \u2014 there are no public washers or dryers available on-site \u2014 and offers drop-off, pickup and delivery options.<\/p>\n
\u201cI realized that as a cleaning company, I needed a laundry service,\u201d Brunelle said, adding that he once spent more than $2,000 a year running loads at a laundromat, sometimes three times a week, before deciding to open his own facility.<\/p>\n
The laundry business is one of three DBAs now operating under the White Glove Service name, alongside White Glove Janitorial Service and White Glove Residential Service. Brunelle said he originally expected the laundry operation to serve primarily Airbnb hosts and cleaners who needed to turn over properties quickly. Instead, seniors have emerged as a significant share of the client base.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our clients are the senior citizens, and they really just don\u2019t want to be a burden,\u201d Brunelle said. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that they have the capacity to do, and they also don\u2019t want to bug their children to do laundry all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/b>Warren County\u2019s population skews notably older than state and national averages. About 25.9% of the county\u2019s residents are 65 or older, compared with 18.9% statewide and 18% nationally, according to 2024 estimates from USAFacts, drawing on U.S. Census Bureau data. County planning officials have said Warren is now the fourth-oldest county in New York by median age.<\/p>\n Brunelle said stairs and mobility limitations often factor into seniors\u2019 decision to use the service, particularly for those living in apartments without in-unit laundry facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than one in four adults 65 and older falls each year, and mobility aids such as walkers can make carrying loaded laundry baskets especially difficult.<\/p>\n \u201cGoing up and down stairs is certainly a challenge for those who are living in apartments that may not have laundry service or may not have laundry facilities in house in their units,\u201d Brunelle said. \u201cI think also it\u2019s kind of a nice thing for them to get out a little bit, you know, just something to do, an errand to run to, to fill up their time.\u201d<\/p>\n Some senior customers also use White Glove\u2019s residential cleaning service, Brunelle said, which allows staff to pick up and drop off laundry during regular cleaning visits for those clients. Others rely solely on the laundry service, dropping off items at the Bay Road facility or scheduling a pickup. The business can handle bulk items such as comforters in addition to standard loads, Brunelle said.<\/p>\n Brunelle, a five-year U.S. Navy veteran, said he has also been surprised by the number of senior clients using the residential cleaning service for reasons beyond the cleaning itself.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a companionship,\u201d Brunelle said. \u201cIt\u2019s a weekly or every other week checking in with somebody who will chat and listen while they clean.\u201d<\/p>\n The laundry facility includes a folding area, several washers and dryers, and a break room for staff. Brunelle said he plans to stock a small library there for employees to enjoy during downtime between loads.<\/p>\n White Glove Service currently employs 13 people and is accepting job applications on a limited basis, Brunelle said. The company also remains active in the community, sponsoring local events including a hot dog eating contest at Saints Mary and Alphonsus and a golf tournament benefiting the Tri-County United Way. Brunelle serves as fundraising chair for Cub Scout Pack 6016 and volunteers with Kiwanis. He and his family are also foster parents for respite care.<\/p>\n Those interested in the laundry service or White Glove\u2019s cleaning offerings can find more information at 518wgjs.com, where customers can fill out a form describing their needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Carol Ann Conover White Glove Service, the Queensbury-based cleaning company known locally for its \u201cGrime Fighters,\u201d has opened a stand-alone laundry service, and owner Kris Brunelle said seniors have quickly become some of its most loyal customers. White Glove Laundry Service opened at the end of June at 309 Bay Road, though Brunelle has […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\n