The Eco Laundry Room at Danforth and Main is not your typical grungy Toronto laundromat.  Not only has owner Paul Bichler gone to lengths to make it as environmentally friendly as possible, he's also made it extremely people friendly. With a children's play area, a coffee & sandwich kiosk, free Wi-Fi, and a David Suzuki inspired book exchange, people can actually enjoy the tedium that is laundry, all while resting easy as they are being kinder to the planet.

After a career as a financial consultant that took him all over the world -- in particular, teaching the ins and outs of doing business in North America to executives in companies like Hyundai, LG and Samsung -- Bichler wanted to try his hand at greening an established business. He began looking into laundry and in 2007, together with his childhood friend, Brant Kelso and his wife Natasha Bick-Kelso, opened up the first Eco Laundry Room in Peterborough.

It was an immediate success and has won various accolades including: The Peterborough Examiner's 2009 & 2010 Reader's Choice Poll for Favourite Laundry, and the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce 2008 Business Excellence Award for Commercial Restoration and Runner-up in Environmental Practices. Both are important milestones; one means people love the place, the other is a nod to a viable (and franchise-able) business model.

Bichler took a brief hiatus from the laundry venture to return to his Sault Ste. Marie roots and run as a Liberal candidate in the 2008 federal election. Although he didn't win, the experience had an impact on his plans for Eco Laundry. "I learned a lot during the election, especially going door to door and listening to peoples' concerns," says Bichler. "It taught me that too often governments drag their feet and that real change comes from entrepreneurs and the private sector. Change seems to be a word spoken by many and understood by few. This experience really pushed me to continue expanding this laundry concept."

Thus, the Toronto Eco Laundry Room was born. What makes it "green" are the double and quadruple front-load energy star washers, imported from Spain, that run on solar heating and use less water than traditional laundromat washers. They also require less soap and can clean and spin a double load of clothes in 25 minutes. The German-made dryers use intermittent heat and can finish clothes in 30 minutes, bringing the whole process down to under an hour. That's a significant saving of time and effort.

"Most people who go to a laundromat don't have facilities at home so they're watching their pennies, but I've found people who do own washers and driers come too. It's a time issue, a family with two kids has little time to do laundry, and it's faster to come here. People can multitask here."

People may spend less time in the Eco Laundry Room than at the competition but that doesn't mean their time should be spent on the usual uncomfortable chair, chomping at the bit for clothes to dry. "We call it a laundry room so that clients can feel at home and comfortable," says Bichler. As well, it's not just the machines and the solar heating and the custom-made eco friendly soap that makes the Eco Laundry Room easy on the environment.  The floor, folding tables and chairs are all made from recycled materials and the power is supplied by Bullfrog Power. The coffee bar -- which was a suggestion from the CBC's Dragon's Den panel to enhance customer experience -- uses local, fair trade organic coffee and local baked goods and produce.  Bichler, who lives upstairs and property manages the building, also bakes some of the treats himself. The play area has kid-friendly blankets and low tables, games and books. There's a large screen television and free internet access. The washroom, a rarity at laundromats, is large enough to accommodate a wheelchair, has a baby change table and a low flow toilet and sink.

Bichler also provides a wash and fold service and has found a way to wash and dry hockey equipment without wrecking the materials, a boon to hockey moms everywhere.  That's one service alone that could bring people in from outside of the east-end neighbourhood. The large space makes it ideal for events, and the Eco Laundry Room has hosted comedy and music nights, accommodating more than 30 guests.

The space has been operational for a little over a year, and now that it's profitable Bichler is eyeing a more central location, one that's more student friendly, such as near Ryerson. He says, "We had to prove that it's sustainable in an area like this to show the naysayers who might think it only works around students."

It's not a given that laundromats are supervised but Bichler spends from 9 am to 6 pm on the premises (the operating hours are 6 am to 10 pm). Before and after his hours, he's available by cell phone and he will drop anything he's doing to look after a customer. "Customer service matters," he says. "If someone has a negative experience they'll tell ten more people than if it's a positive experience." Since there's a learning curve involved with the way the machines work and the amount of soap they need, Bichler takes the opportunity to spend individual time educating his customers on how and why his laundry business is different and beneficial.

That comes naturally to a guy who also takes time out of his work and life to mentor young green-business upstarts. "With the advent of Ontario's Green Energy Act innovators will pave the way for those coming up. It's a learning curve but ultimately it's important for small businesses and private homes to feel empowered to make changes."

Carla Lucchetta is a Toronto-based writer, TV producer and essayist for TVO The Agenda with Steve Paikin. She keeps a blog at www.herkind.com.