If you have laundry on your premises, you’ll want to take advantage of any opportunity for cost savings. One way to save money is to increase the efficiency of your laundry system. Using more efficient practices is a team effort for both your staff and guests. An efficient laundry room experience can benefit the environment while also enhancing the user experience.
Continue reading to learn more about making your on-premise laundry more efficient.
Making the following changes to your laundry equipment and practices will allow you to increase your efficiency and productivity.
Increasing the efficiency of your business’s laundry facility begins with laundry equipment. The best way to reach peak efficiency is to have the latest high-quality and eco-friendly washer and dryer available.
Higher-quality machines use less electricity and water, which saves money and speeds up the laundry process. Some advanced models even allow you to have control over the amount of water they use, and they can detect and notify you if there are leaks before you notice. These features can save you water, money and time.
If your equipment is out of date or a little old, it is important to have technicians on hand who are ready to help should something go wrong. Local technicians are able to get to know you and your needs, which makes their service calls more efficient and easier for you and your staff.
All businesses must have several people trained in how to run the laundry room efficiently, especially businesses that are open 24/7. Having a staff that knows how to run the laundry equipment properly will increase efficiency as they will take less time working through loads and there will be less risk of equipment misuse.
Your staff should be trained continuously to keep your business running at peak efficiency. Conduct meetings with individuals and groups to take and implement feedback. You should also schedule regular training sessions to refresh your staff on pertinent information and introduce training on any new models or practices.
Performing preventative maintenance on your commercial laundry equipment will keep your laundry facility efficient. When laundry equipment gets regular maintenance, you can limit downtime from broken machines and catch issues before they become a problem.
Preventative maintenance includes everything from wiping down the outside of the machines to more deep cleaning. In-depth maintenance includes:
To prevent the accumulation of mold and mildew, be sure to keep washer doors open between loads so the basins can air dry. You might also institute a weekly cleaning schedule to prevent detergent buildup by running a load with a dedicated washing machine cleaner or a mixture of hot water, vinegar and baking soda.
This tip also keeps your repair costs low and your customers happy. Preventative maintenance will also lower utility costs because it ensures your machines are at the top of their game and don’t need to work as hard. Plus, it will likely increase the life span of your laundry machines.
Though you may feel like commercial laundry equipment should be able to handle any sort of load, continually overloading machines will likely cause problems for your systems down the road. Ensure machine users do not overload washing machines by providing appropriate signage and training your staff on proper loading techniques.
Certain types of clothes and bedding should also receive different treatment — large comforters, quilts and blankets should go in separate washers and dryers to prevent overworking the machines. While it may seem like doing small loads will decrease efficiency, dividing laundry will keep machines working for longer, making it a more efficient long-term solution.
Hot water is not always necessary to get your loads clean. Choosing the right detergent for the type of materials you are washing, along with the appropriate wash cycle, is more important than the water temperature. Using cold water for your wash cycles reduces your heating costs and preserves energy.
Consistently using cold water in your laundry room can make a big difference in your electricity costs. As a bonus, cold water may also reduce fading and shrinking and help clothes last longer.
While over-measuring laundry detergent or softener may not have a huge impact on each load, it can cause issues over time. Using more detergent than is necessary can actually have a negative impact on clothes — when a cycle produces too many suds, the clothes don’t rub against each other, which helps eliminate the dirt and grime.
Additionally, overusing detergent can cause messes in the dispensers and build up on the basin, leading to more frequent deep cleaning. Be sure to provide options to properly measure detergent and offer guidance on how much to add to each machine.
Even your choice of lighting could make a huge difference in your efficiency. You could use renewable energy resources to light the space. Switching to energy-efficient bulbs or using motion-activated lights can decrease energy costs.
Since laundry machines use significant power, conserving energy where you can saves money, which you can reinvest in your business to create a better experience for your customers.
At Caldwell & Gregory, we are dedicated to providing your business’ commercial laundry room with a consultative approach, easy-to-understand collections and preventative maintenance. We are proud to be the industry benchmark for collegiate laundry programs and strive to provide students with the best laundry room experience — and with 30 years of experience, we’ve built our legacy on doing just that.
We want your laundry facility to be productive and highly efficient, which is why we are sure to manage every aspect of the machines we lease out. Your business deserves an efficient laundry system, so we offer 24/7 customer support to ensure you are always taken care of and your laundry room experiences minimal downtime due to repairs.
Contact us today to learn more about renting laundry equipment from us and how we can further transform your on-premise laundry program into what you’ve always hoped it could be.
