US woman, 38, quits nursing job to run laundromat, earns S$51,287 per month

A woman in the United States (U.S.) swapped her nursing scrubs for a business owner's hat to run her laundromat full-time, after years in the hospital.

For Cami, 38, her Arizona-based laundromat generated a whopping US$475,000 (S$615,448) in 2024.

Documenting the day-to-day workings of her laundromat on social media, she left nursing after her laundry pickup-and-delivery service "made more money" than her nursing job.

According to CNBC, Cami also had to sell her house to fully purchase the laundromat in April 2020.

Left hospital nursing job

Cami had worked in a large hospital's bone marrow transplant unit as a nurse for 13 years, reported CNBC.

In one TikTok video shared on Sep. 21, she said that she "loved working as a nurse" but also noted that "bedside nursing can be really hard".

She had wanted to do something new but did not want to return to school.

"So that's when I started to look for businesses that I could buy," she said.

Cami said that at first she was looking at storage units and mobile home parks, but ended up being "the most interested" in the laundromat.

"When I walked into my laundromat for the first time, I could immediately see all the value that I could bring to it," she said.

@laundromatgirl Find the ✨Link✨ in my bio to book a free phone call! #business #money #laundromat #smallbusiness #rn ♬ original sound - Laundromat Girl

Cami told CNBC that her friend had connected her with his uncle, who owned two laundromats, and helped review the numbers and gave her advice.

In another TikTok video on Nov. 13, she said that she bought her laundromat in 2020.

She started a pickup and delivery service in 2021, all while working as a nurse.

According to her, the business "made more money than nursing" in 2022.

Cami then left her nursing job in 2023.

@laundromatgirl Find the ✨Link✨ in my bio and learn more about owning a laundromat! #business #money #laundromat #smallbusiness #rn ♬ Unwritten x Midnight City by Altégo - ALTÉGO

In another video, Cami said that the "large reason" she was "able to leave healthcare altogether" was because of her pickup and delivery service, which largely serves commercial customers.

The business first started as a self-serve laundromat.

"And so even though I have no degree in business or finance, I've been able to grow a very profitable business," she said.

@laundromatgirl Find the ✨Link✨ in my bio and learn more about owning a laundromat! #business #money #laundromat #smallbusiness #rn ♬ original sound - laila masumi

Sold house to buy laundromat

Cami had sold her house in April 2020 for US$310,000 (S$401,660) to purchase the laundromat, and moved into a rental.

According to CNBC, she made a US$200,000 (S$259,136) downpayment in October 2020 for the US$300,000 (S$388,704) laundromat, and seller-financed the remaining US$100,000 (S$129,568).

"But I was able to finally pay it off about a year and a half after buying the laundromat," Cami said in one TikTok video posted on Nov. 25.

She had also invested in improvements such as new lighting, flooring and paint, and also currently repaying loans for washing machines and vehicles for pickup and delivery, totalling about US$4,900 (S$6,348) per month.

Enjoys work-life balance, works only up to 10 hours per week

As the laundromat flourished, Cami hired a team of six employees so she could focus on growing the business instead of working in it every day.

She said: "Now, I'm only working maybe five or six hours a week. But I'm hesitant to tell people that because it wasn't always like this. Three, four, five years ago, I was working a lot more hours trying to grow the business."

Cami also spends around 10 hours per week creating social media content about her laundromat and her experience as a business owner.

While she misses the camaraderie of her hospital days, she values the freedom and work-life balance her business provides.

"This is the first time I'm able to be home for all the holidays, have every weekend off. I never have to ask a boss for time off or worry about missing a trip. My freedom of time has completely changed," Cami added.

In 2024, the laundromat also generated close to US$30,000 (S$38,870) in rental income from a neighbouring salon, according to documents seen by CNBC.

Additionally, she earned about US$22,000 (S$28,504) from six months of social media posting in 2024, and expects a significant jump to roughly US$200,000 (S$259,136) in 2025.

Top photos via @laundromatgirlofficial/Instagram