 By 1931 , more than 80 percent of the services offered by industrial laundries were sold to individual families . However , as the Great Depression continued , many people could no longer afford the services , and business declined . The decline continued after World War II , when electric washers and dryers meant for home use became affordable to a large fraction of the populace . As individual customers disappeared , factory laundries turned to specialized services such as washing of diapers or linens . In 1950 , the American Linen Supply Company bought the Yale Laundry Company . In 1959 , Perfect Fit Manufacturing began to use the building to make auto seat covers , tire covers , and other automotive fabrics . Perfect Fit remained in the building through 2006 . 
