The owners of a North Charleston laundromat — considered a welcoming space for the local community — recently guest starred on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” and received a big surprise during the appearance.

Erin and John Carpenter were invited to be guests after a show producer discovered Erin’s social media and saw the work they were doing at Reynold’s Laundry on Reynold’s Avenue.

The producer asked the Carpenter’s to send in a short selfie video talking about their business and themselves. Initially, Erin tried to put the video off because she was nervous about appearing on a national talk show, but the show wanted them there and continued to check-in.

With some encouragement from John, Erin went ahead and made the video. Things happened quickly from there, with the couple and Reynold’s Laundry manager, Steve Palmer, being flown out to New York for the live show within the next two weeks.

The night before Apr. 23, when the couple would appear on the show, producers gave them an outline of what Clarkson might ask, helping the couple prepare.

The next day, Erin and John walked onto the stage and met Clarkson for the first time.

“It was very surreal because I was so nervous. It was just adrenaline, pure adrenaline,” Erin explained. “She hugged me right away. She was so disarming, so kind, so nice. It was very comfortable talking to her. It wasn’t scary.”

The couple didn’t face the national stage alone, however, as Erin’s family flew out to support her by sitting in the live audience.

“They were like the first people I saw; it actually calmed me down, so it was less daunting than I thought,” Erin said.

During the interview, the Carpenter’s told their story of transforming a rundown laundromat and giving it a new life. The facility, renamed Reynold’s Laundry, started as a place where locals could gather to do their laundry at an affordable price.

Reynold’s is known for hosting monthly free laundry days. On these days, they partner with local organization Kindness Army and offer food, music, and, most importantly, free laundry service.

Arm and Hammer caught wind of the free laundry days at Reynold’s and towards the end of the interview Clarkson surprised the couple with a $10,000 donation from the company in addition to a lifetime supply of Arm and Hammer Deep Clean detergent.

“I had no idea at all. They fully surprised us,” Erin said about the donation.

With that donation, Reynold’s can now guarantee a free laundry day to the local community on a monthly basis, but the couple still wants to partner with community organizations whenever possible and use the funds as a backup.

So, how did the owners of a community laundromat end up on The Kelly Clarkson Show?

It all started one day in 2022 when John was browsing BizBuySell and found a laundromat he wanted to check out. He mentioned the find to Erin, and the two went to do their laundry and view the space.

“It was definitely in really rough shape, and I was very out of my element, thinking this is overwhelming; I don’t think we have the capacity to take this on,” Erin recalled. “It just seemed like too much work for us.”

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While the Carpenter’s had a history of renovating homes, a laundromat was an entirely different ballpark.

Erin said she saw the place and felt overwhelmed, but John saw a challenge for the couple to take on. He convinced Erin and the couple bought the space with renovations starting in 2023.

Fixing it up only took a few months and at the end of March, Reynold’s Laundry was open for business.

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The Carpenter’s were new to the area, though, and its longtime residents were hesitant to welcome newcomers at first.

Knowing this, longtime laundromat manager Steve Palmer helped the Carpenter’s build trust after deciding to stay on when the couple took over.

“I think they were scared… people were scared we were turning it into something that wasn’t a laundry mat because it had been around for generations. It had been around for so long, and it’s such a huge need in the neighborhood,” Erin explained.

Steve, who has worked at the laundromat for 14 years, is the face of the business. He greets customers day in and day out and manages daily operations.

“Steve is central to the community; everybody knows him,” she added.

Reynold’s has come a long way since opening with its first free laundry day two years ago. The laundromat has turned into a community space where people can come for special concerts, birthday parties, dinner events, and more.

“We’re genuinely friends with all these people. We get to see them and get updates and give them hugs,” Erin said. “… it’s made our lives so much bigger, made our world so much bigger to have all these relationships. It’s made our life much deeper and richer because of it.”

Those free laundry days have transformed from a day for laundry into a day for fellowship, where people eat, listen to music, crack jokes over the microphone, or simply enjoy each other’s company.

“There are so many people who have been involved with this story to make it what it is, and I think that’s what I want to keep reminding people,” Erin added. “It’s been incredible and surreal… and we’re just so thankful.”