Content about chemicals

RIPON, Wis. — Some business owners and facility managers are considering outsourcing their laundry operations in hopes of reducing expenses. It is important to gather all the information up front and weigh the pros and cons carefully before making any decision.

Dilemmas such as this are becoming more prevalent every day. Many business owners and facility managers are charged with finding ways to reduce operating expenses and increase efficiency for the greater good of their business. But unless you have all the information available, your decision could wind up producing a negative impact instead of a positive.

HOW DO THE COSTS DIFFER?

If you’re considering the switch from on-premise laundry (OPL) to a linen service, it’s important to learn what makes up the laundry dollar so you know where your expenses come from.

According to OPL managers surveyed by UniMac, a manufacturer of OPL equipment, the main costs of running an on-premise laundry come from labor, which makes up 45-55% of the total cost, followed by linen replacement at 13-25% and equipment at 8-12%. The remaining costs are incurred through chemicals, utilities and maintenance.

The main costs incurred when paying for a linen service include company overhead, with functions including marketing, sales, delivery trucks and gas, administration, and management. Of those costs, 31.5% is included in your payment.

It can be difficult to imagine a comparison between the cost of operating an on-premise laundry and the monthly service fee from a linen service. However, by analyzing the cost of equipment and accounting for labor, utility costs, expected lifetime maintenance and chemical costs, it is possible to calculate the expected operational costs.

On average, to launder a pound of soiled linen on the premises costs approximately 31 cents, according to several OPL distributors and UniMac research. While it is true that a linen service can leverage economies of scale to actually process the linen for less per pound, the average linen service charges approximately 48 cents per pound to service and supply the facility’s linen, according to distributors and UniMac.

The 17-cent-per-pound savings is significant. For example, if your business launders 1,200 pounds of linen a day, the average total cost for on-site laundry for a year is $135,845, while a linen service for the same period would cost, on average, $209,664, a difference of $73,819.

QUALITY CONTROL

When your laundry is on-site, managers have complete control over everything being laundered for guest use. As a manager, you are in control of what type of laundry chemicals are used, how loads are sorted, and which washing and drying cycles will be used.

Additionally, you are in control of the type of linens that are being used at your facility, meaning you pick the brand, thread count and color. Luxury linens are becoming increasing popular, and because of the high-end material used, specific washing and drying instructions will need to be followed.

On-premise laundering allows managers to have that type of quality control over processing.

Linen services typically work out of a pool of linens that their customers rent. When your business returns linens, those items are put in the wash with other businesses’ linens in order to achieve the maximum efficiency. You can choose to separate the linen your business uses from others’ linen, but your costs will go up from the previously mentioned figures.

EQUIPMENT SELECTION

If your laundry is on-site, it’s critical to take a look at how you can continue to improve the costs associated with the operation. Equipment can positively impact the largest expense of the laundry dollar—labor.

When selecting washer-extractors for your operation, it’s important to look for machines that conserve utility costs and cut down on the time spent cleaning linen.

Washer-extractors with high G-force extraction speeds remove more water from linens, which leads to decreased drying times. For example, a machine spinning at 100 G-force extracts less water during the final spin than a washer extracting at 300 G. Higher extraction reduces the amount of moisture left in the linens by up to 47% and also decreases drying times and gas usage by as much as 35%.

Another feature to look for is spray rinse, which uses less water than a traditional bath wash. It also cleans linen more quickly and efficiently than a standard machine.

The last feature to look for in washer-extractors is the number of fill valves a machine uses. A washer-extractor that has four fill valves helps maximize efficiency. It can trim up to four minutes off the fill time.

A timesaving feature available on dryers is Over-dry Prevention Technology. This technology shuts a dryer off when the load has reached a precise level of dryness.

In a survey of commercial laundry distributors and laundry managers, 79% believe on-premise laundries over-dry by more than eight minutes per cycle. If this practice were eliminated, annual savings could be as much as $883 in utilities and nearly $5,000 in labor. Also, the linens experience 31% less fiber loss when over-drying is eliminated, which extends linen life and reduces replacement costs.

Advanced equipment controls are available to help managers regulate their staff. They help to keep the laundry running efficiently, while reducing the costs associated with keeping linens on-site.

Newer controls offer quality reports that give managers access to date-and-time stamps for machine activities, including each cycle’s start and end times. Too much time between cycles indicates staff inefficiency. With this type of information, management can take necessary steps to improve employee productivity.

To further improve efficiency, control options such as “head start” can help cut several hours of labor expenses per week. Machines can be preloaded and programmed to start ahead of employees’ start time so when the employees arrive for work, the first wash load is complete and ready to move into the dryer. This allows for an extra load of laundry to be processed each day.

Workers should be performing at full capacity, as should your machines, but employees sometimes under-load the machines, leading to wasted utilities and chemicals. Advanced controls provide information when this happens. These reports help managers determine whether better training or smaller machines is needed.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

When considering a change in how your business processes its laundry, you must look at the long-term savings. By contacting your local laundry distributor, you can gain insight into the benefits of maintaining an on-site laundry and get all the facts about what additional options are available. A distributor will be able to provide an actual assessment of your operation and pinpoint where improvements in efficiencies may need to be made.                         

UNIFORMS/WORKWEAR MANUFACTURING: STEVE KALLENBACH, AMERICAN DAWN, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

The answer is yes, you can. But in overloading and under-loading, there are some ramifications.

Sometimes, the outcome might outweigh the costs, but it’s definitely something to be mindful about before proceeding as a regular part of your production process.

First, there are five key elements in washing textiles: mechanical action, temperature, water level, time, and chemistry. If you increase or decrease one of these elements, it will impact other elements of the cleaning process.

Additionally, in many cases, it will add wear and tear to your machinery.

When you increase (or over-load) your washer-extractor, you decrease the amount of “open” area for the textiles to tumble—commonly referred to as “mechanical action.”

This decreases the textile cleanliness outcome, doesn’t take out stains (likely causing early replacement), and will definitely add to mechanical stress on the machine, especially if the load is over 100% of the stated capacity.

You can sometimes offset this inequity by increasing the formula time and/or the chemistry, but while the overload may reduce the amount of loads, your true operating costs may actually increase.

Sometimes, you have to consider more than just weight...volume, perhaps. Large items that absorb little water (such as mats) will have less negative impact than items that hold lots of liquid (microfiber toweling) when loaded strictly by weight.

Additionally, the soil type can dictate the load factor, if you are trying to provide more than normal mechanical action to remove heavy soil, etc. If you know the relative absorption of the product as well as the soil factor of the load, it will assist in your management call to either overload or under-load. Either way, you need to closely monitor your quality output and make adjustments continually and accordingly.

You also need to monitor rejects and rewash. The load factor may actually cost more than just following the usual formulation instructions, as it could result in double processing! One old trick in loading full-drop wash wheels is to visually load the machine to three-quarters full level.

When you under-load your washer-extractor, you increase the mechanical action significantly. While this is not an efficient use of resources, and may cost you significantly more to produce, the practice can also break down the fibers of your fabrics and cause all sorts of textile wear issues, such as heavy pilling, tears, etc.

While the appearance on the surface may lead you to believe that you are either cleaning product better or producing faster, the hidden reality is that you could be damaging your machines or your textiles.

In the end, this all comes down to customer satisfaction and relative costs. My advice: Be careful, be calculated, get the opinion of your chemical supplier, monitor the quality and textile life closely, and track your machine maintenance.

COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY: TOM GILDRED, EMERALD TEXTILES, SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

While there may be no “magic” answer to this question, I believe the real answer is “it depends.” Several factors that impact decisions regarding loading capacity should be considered when defining the formulas for processing. Some of these include quality standard, type of machinery, category of linen, and the degree of soil present.

Depending on your objectives, and the four factors I’ve mentioned, it might make sense to load either slightlyheavier or slightlylighter to achieve your goals. For instance, terry cloth items absorb more water, which is important to remember when considering overloading this type of item, as the additional water will make it even heavier. Other less-absorbent items, such as gowns, could be managed in heavier loads.

Certain products are well suited for under-loading in the drying process to ensure a quality finish without wrinkles, while some items may be overloaded with no problem—in fact, it may be desirable. Each type of load has its own custom formula, including how much of the product to include in the load. This formula is best determined by the particular item’s specifications and its level of soil in order to achieve the quality required.

Both overloading and under-loading are strategies that can be used to achieve optimal efficiency and quality. The right combination of load capacity, chemical mix, water temperature and processing time ensures production efficiency, optimum throughput and the proper quality levels.

MEMBER AT LARGE: DOUGLAS STORY, SWISHER HYGIENE

I think we should first define what overloading a washer means. Is it 100 pounds in a 100-pound wash wheel, or is it 200 pounds in a 100-pound wash wheel? Well, you could be loaded correctly in both cases.

If the load is not soiled, or is lightly soiled, you could load to 100 pounds and it would be correct. But, if it is a load of wet bar towels, loading a 100-pound washer to 200 pounds could result in just processing 100 pounds of dry, clean bar towels, so that loading is correct as well! Simply speaking, you have to know the average soil load of the fabrics that you are processing in order to properly load the washers.

As for loading in general, I don’t think the standards are set in stone but the warranty on the equipment is. If one overloads the washer too much, you may end up with mechanical issues. In reality, one could, on occasion, overload a washer by 10-15% of rated capacity, but it should be an exception and not a standard operating procedure.

Water levels, electric motors, brakes and space capacity can all be negatively affected by overloading a washer, and all this is in addition to the poor-to-horrible quality the washer will be producing.

What happens to the fabric when you overload a washer? Here are a few things:

• Mechanical action is reduced or eliminated
• Distribution of water is limited

It is possible that not all the fabric in a horribly overloaded washer will even touch water during the process. I learned this lesson in college after trying to wash all my jeans and heavy shirts on the cheap at a Laundromat. I still had powdered soap on my very dry jeans as I unloaded the washer. What a mess.

• Distribution of chemicals throughout the washer is uneven

This can damage areas where concentrated chemicals contact the linens.

• Fabrics are not adequately cleaned and cannot be considered hygienically clean or sanitized

In spite of the accounting calculations on the enhanced productivity, overloading may create mechanical and quality issues that would override most savings over a longer period of time.

As for under-loading, it is just a waste of labor, equipment and operational efficiency! The industry is starting to create washers and dispensing systems that can actually compensate for various load sizes, but I still find it a waste in terms of equipment and time expenditures.

If you have a 100-pound washer, use its capabilities to the maximum. This will ensure that you are using labor, chemicals and time optimally in your efforts to produce a quality product at the best possible price.

A few points about under-loading:

• Chemical concentrations are too high
• Mechanical and chemical wear on fabrics is excessive
• Water use per pound processed is excessive
• Energy use per pound processed is excessive
• Labor cost per pound processed is excessive

So, whenever possible, load your washers to within 10-15% of the rated capacity of what would be considered the clean, dry weight of the fabric. And for goodness sake, use a well-calibrated scale to make sure you are adding the right poundage to your washers.

Loading your washers as they should be loaded will go a long way to maximizing the overall efficiency of your washroom operation.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2!

ROANOKE, Va. — Several times a year, I am asked about poor-quality wash or stains. About stains, my philosophy has always been that they represent a failure to properly handle or clean the fabric; I have frequently found that most stains are caused by improper wash formulas. I was convinced that I had not met a stain I could not beat until I arrived in Milwaukee, Wis.

While working at Aurora Health Care, I encountered a light yellow stain that resisted all attempts to remove it. We attempted to identify what the substance might look like before it was washed, but the source of the stain eluded us. We worked with our chemical vendor to identify the stain. We tried developing a reclaim formula but still the stain stumped the company experts.

We requested that our chemical vendor and linen vendor send samples of the stained linen to independent labs for analysis; the labs could not identify the stain or find a way to remove it. The stain showed up more frequently in early-morning loads than at other times of the day, we determined, but the source of the stain and its tool for removal remained a mystery.

When I accepted a job at Health Group of Alabama, the stain “followed.” The fact that the stain could be present in two different laundries 600 miles apart led me to look at other environmental factors. This time, we narrowed our search to various chemicals used in the hospital and quite accidentally discovered that the source of the pesky stain was a hand soap used at the largest facility.

The active ingredient was chlorhexidine gluconate, the most effective hand sanitizer on the market today. The soap is clear; it shows no color in liquid form or when dried on linen. But the cleaner will react with chlorine to form a light yellow to dark brown stain (its color depends on the amount of soap and chlorine present).

In Milwaukee and again in Alabama, there was enough chlorine in the local water system to cause the chlorhexidine gluconate to form a stain. In an effort to reduce the amount of staining, I worked with our chemical company to devise a formula that would limit the chances of setting the stain before we could rinse the soap from the fabric.

Our first step was to change from chlorine bleach to hydrogen peroxide bleach. This reduced the stain by 50% but apparently there was still enough chlorine in the incoming water to cause the problem.

Our next step was to add an antichlor or hydrogen peroxide to the first pocket of the tunnel washers. Both chemicals neutralize the chlorine and thus prevent the chlorhexidine gluconate from setting.

By taking these steps, we were able to reduce our stains from this chemical by 80%.

At the Roanoke, Va., laundry where I now work, chlorhexidine gluconate stains have reared their ugly head once again. This time, the hand cleaner is part of a bed-bath kit used to bathe bedridden patients. The Roanoke city water system contains chlorine levels sufficient to cause the chemical to set a light yellow stain.

To add to our frustration, the sodium vapor lights used in the laundry’s overhead lighting make it difficult for workers to see the stain. Under normal fluorescent light, the stain can be easily detected.

In all my years in the laundry business, I have seen the process I detailed above remedy a number of stain and odor problems. Oil stains on high-thread count polyester surgical gowns or Gortex gowns can be almost eliminated through the use of a solvenated detergent in conjunction with enzymes but with no softeners. A barrier retreatment product, if used properly, will prevent oil from adhering to the polyester fibers while maintaining the barrier quality of the fabrics at like-new levels.

Residual odor problems in freshly laundered reusable diapers and underpads can be addressed by switching to an enzyme detergent.

Numerous stains can be avoided by using a warm (not to exceed 120 F) fresh-water flush at the start of the wash formula. Many medicines and body fluids react unfavorably in the presence of heat or wash chemicals.

The key to overcoming a stain is the willingness to do the detective work required to identify the cause, then asking for help from the appropriate people to develop a system to avoid it.

Textile/Uniform Rental: David Dersheimer, SITEX Corp.

There are certainly differences in what commercial or rental plants may choose or use for equipment and procedures when compared to institution-based laundries and their respective facilities.

Generally, the volume and product mix of a rental or commercial facility tends to fluctuate more than an institutional facility’s does.

Rental facilities tend to make equipment and process decisions based on current mix and volume plus projected growth. They have smaller load quantities in varying item mixes. The soil levels in rental plants also tend to range broadly from light to heavy.

Institutional laundries have a more consistent volume and less variance in soil classifications. And there is typically less variation in soil levels and volumes in a healthcare, nursing home or hotel laundry.

But I’m not sure you could define differences in laundries based only on these two categories or generalities. You might need to ask a few questions, such as:

• What is the item mix, and how many different sort classes/soil levels are there?
• What is the facility’s planned growth? Is there anticipated growth in one segment or area? If so, how will that impact the volume and mix?
• How would product mix affect equipment decisions?
• Is the wash operation running batches or smaller, varying loads, or loads of similar volume and sort class? Does the facility need single or convention machines, or would a continuous batch washer be a better choice?
• If flatwork finishing, is volume or flexibility needed? For large pieces, does the facility need a sheet feeder, table linen feeder, or a machine that can do both? Is an ironer needed to handle napkins and pillowcases?

Differences between any two laundries, whether commercial or institutional, can be quite distinct. One needs to assess current mix, planned growth, and output expectations to determine individual needs.

Consulting Services: Ron Evans, RJ Evans and Associates

There are several procedural differences between industrial rental laundries and institutional laundries. Growth, greater competition, incomparable number of products processed, and profit are the driving and dividing forces.

Since most rental laundries have hundreds if not thousands of customers, their processing practices must be much more flexible and expanded than an institutional laundry that may have a singular or limited common customer base.

Since rental laundries exist in a much more competitive environment, it is essential for the production department’s contribution to the rental company’s bottom line be fully within strict budget forecasts. The trick here is that all production forecasts are predicated on sales forecasts, and the latter can be difficult to project for a coming year.

There is a constant need to search for improved best practices to satisfy the varied demands upon their daily changes in usage, product variation and resource allocation. It becomes essential to leverage all advantages that eliminate or reduce waste while at the same time operate within projected budget requirements. These are all centered on “lean and mean” customer satisfaction.

The production department’s contribution to bottom-line profit in a rental laundry is scrutinized and monitored due to its constantly changing customer base. Rental laundry production management must be much more engaged and “hands on” in addressing all the demands of its varied customers’ needs. Pressures on rental managers are more numerous and dynamic than those on institutional managers. Rental production managers must be good business managers as well as knowing their trade.

Another difference is the role of a production department in a rental industrial laundry. Full-time salespeople use their production department as a sales tool and regularly take potential customers on plant tours. Therefore, the department always has to be in marketable “showplace” condition.

A rental laundry’s service department also uses the production department as a customer-retention tool. Service departments have developed sophisticated programs to elevate a customer’s understanding of the rental laundry’s value in maintaining their fixed costs, convenience, and quality standards. As such, they constantly market environmental advantages in waste treatment, sanitary conditions, safety practices, and inventory control. Processing techniques are used not only for production but to gain and retain customers.

Because of its dedicated freestanding facility, the rental laundry has acquired a “target” on its back for every governmental inspector. Consequently, it must operate under the assumption that it will have city, state, regional and federal government inspectors in its facilities throughout the year. The end result is rental laundries have unsurpassed training and updated performance exercises in safety, waste management, OSHA, and human resource issues out of the realization that they will be audited. This constant pressure creates a professional, self-policing system and a comfort zone for their customers.

Both types of industrial laundries have similar equipment, chemicals and procedures for the items they process in common. Because of the difference in competitive situations, rental laundries must operate at a higher level of customer speed to retain revenue-generating clients.

It has been my experience that most rental production managers could operate an institutional laundry quite easily while most institutional production managers would have to expand their skills to effectively manage a rental industrial laundry.

Equipment Manufacturing: Kim Shady, Laundrylux Corp.

How do you define commercial laundry or institutional laundry? Often, those terms are used interchangeably. So let’s remove the descriptive terms and be more absolute. What is the equipment difference between a laundry processing less than 3,000 pounds per day and a laundry processing more than 3,000 pounds per day?

In the simplest form, the equipment differences can be defined by automation. It may reduce labor costs, improve quality, reduce processing time or save energy. As the pounds processed per day increase, there become economies of scale for each of these items.

While improved quality may be a goal for selecting automation, the determining factor is most likely the return on investment (ROI). You can calculate this by projecting labor savings, energy savings and maybe even overhead by square foot vs. the cost of automation.

A small-piece folder is one of the smallest investments for automation. It can process towels, gowns, blankets or fitted sheets. If your laundry is processing 1,000 pounds of these items a day, a small-piece folder could reduce your staffing by one person. An institutional laundry is likely using a staff of two to hand-fold these items. If a basic small-piece folder is $45,000, what might the ROI be?

Commercial laundries likely process a large quantity of flat goods. Automation in this case may include automatic pickers to replace one or two staff members.

Processing linens through an ironer requires the least amount of energy per pound of finished goods. But that doesn’t mean ironing is the lowest-cost method for processing goods. An institutional laundry may use an ironer but lack automation, thus requiring two to four staff members.

Over the last five years, numerous ironers on the market have offered feeding, folding and stacking built into the ironer, allowing a single operator to process 150 or more pounds per hour. Processing 75 pounds per hour is a common goal in laundries without automation. A machine with these features can reduce the staffing required for ironing. The additional investment for the feeder, folder and stacker may be $100,000. What might the ROI be for this automation?

Labor will always be the largest cost of operating a laundry. An institutional laundry can be limited in methods for reducing labor costs, so automation can be a difference maker. It is the difference between the equipment selections in a commercial laundry and an institutional laundry.

Member at Large: Douglas Story, Swisher Hygiene

When I first read this question, I thought, “What in the heck can anyone say about this? Processing fabric is processing fabric, right?” But it is a good question that has forced me to look not so much at the equipment or procedures that are used by the two laundry types but at the philosophies behind the use of that equipment.

As I was contemplating what I would write, I was inspired by one of my favorite “philosophers,” Jeff Foxworthy. Here, offered somewhat tongue-in-cheek, are some differences between a commercial laundry and an institution-based laundry:

• If the laundry manager is a graduate in hospitality management and is in the job as a learning experience, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• If a washer’s rated capacity is used as the measure of the pounds of linen being processed, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• If a washer’s rated capacity is considered an estimate and everyone knows that it can hold another 100 pounds, it might be a commercial laundry.
• If the laundry manager loads the washer and then walks to the next room to welcome a guest and offer them a cookie, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• If the laundry manager is proud of his washroom’s 2,000 lbs/hr production but can’t understand how two 100-pound dryers can keep up, it might be a commercial laundry.
• If the laundry manager, when asked why he has 10 washers and two flatwork ironers stored in the parking lot, answers, “Parts,” it might be a commercial laundry.
• When employees stay later to produce more laundry, it might be a commercial laundry.
• When employees stay later to clean the rooms or provide patient care, it might be an institution-based laundry.
• When the flatwork ironer goes down and the laundry manager prays for its recovery, it might be a commercial laundry.
• When the laundry manager can give you the cost per piece, labor, utilities, fixed and variable cost itemized, it might be a commercial laundry.
• When the laundry manager says, “I don’t know all of my utility costs,” it might be an institution-based laundry.

There are philosophical differences between commercial (for-profit) and institutional (not-for-profit or support services) laundries, but it is not, for the most part, in the equipment or processes they use. It is more in how management approaches the business and customer service sides of the operation.

In the past, the primary focus of a commercial laundry was the customers that paid for their service. By contrast, this was/is not always the case for the institutional laundry. But as we look to the future, I believe that we are seeing the philosophies of these two operations beginning to merge.

Institutional laundries are becoming more like their commercial counterparts because of economic pressures and because many of the organizations operating these laundries have realized the impact they have on the bottom line of the institutions they serve.

Commercial and institutional laundries are becoming more customer-focused, so both are looking at better, or more efficient, ways to improve the way they do business for the customers they serve. For both, it is a matter of survival.

Click here for Part 1.

NEW YORK – Manufacturers of laundry machinery, textiles and chemicals reported renewed interest in their products from the hotel industry at the 96th annual International Hotel, Motel+Restaurant Show (IHMRS) here in November.

Exhibitors at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s West Side expressed satisfaction with increased foot traffic at the show. Attendance peaked at 23,953, up 2,800 from the previous year, including managers and executives from major hotel chains and independent properties, according to show management.

The show provided manufacturers of textiles and formulators of chemicals with an opportunity to tailor their products to the hotel industry.

Standard Textile Co. targeted the high end with a new line of sheets, dubbed “Luxury That Endures,” developed in collaboration with Todd-Avery Lenahan, a hospitality designer. Pre-laundered and room-ready, the sheets are designed to withstand the harsh environments of central laundries. A high-end visual appearance combines with a tensile strength of 117 pounds to create a more durable luxury product, according to Greg Eubanks, group vice president for hospitality sales and marketing at Standard Textile.

“The traffic and interest at our booth has been fantastic,” says Eubanks.

Several manufacturers, among them Riegel and Cintas Corp., exhibited new earth-friendly, eco-conscious products for the hotel industry.

Riegel, a division of Mount Vernon Mills, drew interest with its RieNu line of recycled polyester table linen, made from recycled plastic bottles, otherwise destined for landfills. The use of one of its table napkins eliminates three plastic bottles from landfills, the company says. Riegel offered the table linen in five colors at the show.

“We believe there’s a great deal of pent-up demand in the hotel industry,” says W.H. Rogers, vice president of Riegel. “We’re hoping that will be reflected in the new budgets for hotels in 2012.”

Cintas was among 10 exhibitors who received Editors’ Choice Awards during the opening ceremonies at the show for best new products within the categories of design, equipment and supplies, and green guest amenities. The company was recognized for its Eco Cobra Jacket, an eco-friendly garment option for bellmen, doormen and other front-door hotel professionals, and the latest product within the company’s EcoGeneration™ collection.

Cintas also drew interest with the industry’s first machine-washable tuxedo, which is partially composed of recycled polyester, made from recycled plastic bottles. The company partners with Boardroom Eco Apparel and its mills to take discarded plastic bottles and transform them into recycled fibers. The process breaks bottles down into flakes; from those flakes, a filament is extruded, which is spun into yarn. The plastic-formulated yarn is then woven into a fabric to create the tuxedos. After use, the tuxedos can be tossed into a standard washer and dryer. The company estimates that the machine-washable tuxedos can save hotels up to $1,000 per employee annually.

The hotel industry is also demanding a broader palette of colors in table linen for its facilities, according to Elizabeth Barrett, associate brand manager for Procter and Gamble, makers of the color-safe Tide Professional Laundry System. “There’s definitely a trend toward the use of more color,” says Barrett.

Ecolab, a maker of laundry chemicals, also attracted an increase in floor traffic at the show. “This show was much better than the show two years ago,” says Jim Moore, assistant vice president for corporate accounts. “We’ve met with hoteliers from all over the world.”

Mercedes Benz USA, a Daimler Company, made its first appearance at the show with an exhibit of three vans, including the Sprinter Cargo Van. The diesel-powered van offers payload capacity of up to 5,358 pounds, 547 cubic feet of cargo space, and a standing height of 6 feet 4 inches.

The IHMRS will return to New York on Nov. 10-13, 2012.

Click here for Part 1.

NEW YORK – Manufacturers of laundry machinery, textiles and chemicals reported renewed interest in their products from the hotel industry at the 96th annual International Hotel, Motel+Restaurant Show (IHMRS) here in November.

Exhibitors at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s West Side expressed satisfaction with increased foot traffic at the show. Attendance peaked at 23,953, up 2,800 from the previous year, including managers and executives from major hotel chains and independent properties, according to show management.

The increase in show attendance may reflect a rebound not only in New York’s economy, but also in the hotel and motel industry, following three years of recession.

There were indications at the show that the hotel industry is beginning to increase demand for on-premise laundry machinery.

“There are many pockets of pent-up demand now because spending had declined during the recession,” says Craig Madson, national account sales manager for Alliance Laundry Systems, manufacturer of laundry machinery that includes the UniMac brand.

Other manufacturers of laundry machinery echoed that view.

“It’s been a great show for us,” says Thomas Kindy, regional sales director for Chicago Dryer Co., which shared booth space with Pellerin Milnor. “People in the hotel industry have ignored their needs for the last couple of years because of the recession. Now they’re starting to make purchases again and trying to reduce operating costs in their laundries through automation. There’s been a lot of action.”

Chicago® exhibited its Comet Executive Ironer and Air Express Small-Piece Folder. Milnor exhibited a 300-G-force washer-extractor; a 60-pound-capacity washer; and a 35-pound-capacity cabinet-style washer with EP-Express control.

Although floor traffic didn’t measure up to its level of five years ago, it was still much improved from where it was in the depths of the recession, according to Joseph Leo, sales manager for equipment distributor PAC Industries. The show generated strong foot traffic in particular on the first day, he adds.

Dick Ruel, national sales manager for Maytag Commercial Laundry, described the level of interest from the hotel industry as “fantastic.”

“Sunday [Nov. 13] was the best day we have seen in several years,” says Ruel. “People who are building hotels are interested in cost savings and control for their laundry operations. The interest has been so strong that we can’t keep up with it. There’s been a real steady growth in demand for laundry machinery among hotels and institutions.”

Some manufacturers of laundry machinery suggested that it was still important for them to have a presence at the show, even if attendance figures had not quite rebounded to match those of halcyon days.

“It’s important for us to be here for the exposure to the industry,” says Pamela Simonetti, director of marketing for G.A. Braun.

Next Thursday: The show provided manufacturers an opportunity to tailor their products to the hotel industry...

CHICAGO — With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, American Laundry News asked laundry managers this month to comment via the Wire survey on the things they are thankful for.

Approximately 72% agreed with the statement, “I’m thankful, because our operation is performing well,” while 22.2% were unsure and 5.6% disagreed.

Roughly 61% agree that “our (end-users or clients) appreciate our services,” while 33.3 “somewhat agree” and 5.6% “somewhat disagree.”

Respondents’ positions on equipment were slightly more varied. As for “Our equipment works well, and isn’t a concern,” 50% “completely agree” with the statement while 25% “somewhat agree.” Approximately 13% “somewhat disagree,” 6.3% “neither agree nor disagree,” and 6.3% “completely disagree.”

Survey-takers were asked how confident they were in next year being better for everyone. Two-thirds of respondents “completely agree” (33.3%) or “somewhat agree” (33.3%). Roughly 22% “neither agree nor disagree,” and the remaining 11% “somewhat disagree.”

Practically everyone who took this month’s survey could identify his or her biggest “turkey,” or headache-causer. Thirty-one percent selected the all-encompassing “other” category but explanations were not available due to a technical glitch with the online survey.

Equal shares of 12.5% pointed to equipment, employee(s), management, and textile supplier as inducing headaches for their laundry, while equal shares of 6.3% identified an end-user or client, a chemicals supplier, or a competitor or competitors.

No one singled out an equipment distributor or a government regulator.

Lastly, the survey invited respondents to name one aspect of their service for which they give thanks every day. Many replies related to personnel, but there were others, such as:

• “We have a hospital that is still open.”
• “I’m still working in this economy.”
• “The Board of Directors, who is aware of the need to upgrade equipment and allowed me to do so. That decision has saved money, reduced injuries, and makes the laundry viable and competitive for the long term.”
• “100% complete, on-time deliveries.”

While the Wire survey presents a snapshot of readers’ viewpoints at a particular moment, it should not be considered scientific.

Subscribers to Wire e-mails—distributed twice weekly—are invited to take a brief industry survey anonymously online each month. All managers and administrators of institutional/OPL, cooperative, commercial and industrial laundries are encouraged to participate, as a greater number of responses will help to better define operator opinions and industry trends.

To sign up for the Wire, click the “Subscriptions” button at the top right-hand corner of this page and follow the instructions.

“Our resort has upgraded its linens everywhere, from the guestrooms to the pool to the five-star restaurant. So, the pressure is on to clean, handle and store these goods so they give us the longest useful life possible. What advice can you give me about processing high-thread-count linens?”

Commercial Laundry: Rick Rone, Laundry Plus, Sarasota, Fla.

The best advice that I can offer is to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. The next best source of assistance would probably be your chemical supplier. It should be able to offer the appropriate details for the wash and dry cycles with an eye toward cleanliness as well as life expectancy.

In general, as the thread count goes up, you usually need a higher water temperature to open the fibers and release any soil or stains. Some people believe that you can accomplish the same thing with raising the pH level. I am not a big fan of this method, because I believe it contributes to a shorter life cycle. I am not saying it doesn’t work, but there are better ways to accomplish the same goal.

I will presume that you know the four parts of the washing equation. If available, you might try a longer formula or hotter water. We always try to use the minimum amount of chemicals, but not just due to the cost. Since we process only customer-owned goods (COG), we believe that part of our responsibility is to help our customers get the longest life expectancy (number of wash cycles) from their bed and bath linens.

The next area to review would be the extract cycle. Whether your machinery utilizes centrifugal extraction or the press method, faster or greater pressure is not necessarily best. You need to be ready to admit to yourself, as well as your supervisor, that this new material is going to take longer, and therefore cost more, to correctly process than the old (lower thread count) linens.

Higher-thread-count linens will usually finish better if sent to the iron with higher moisture content. Since the question is specifically about higher-thread-count linens, I will address the flat goods only.

Ironing of your new linens can and probably will be a whole new ballgame. Let’s review the factors that affect output and quality: ironing temperature, speed of line, roll pressure, type of pad, adjustment of each roll speed, type of tape being used, and, finally, folding method (air blast or blade). Since the moisture level might be higher, you can either run the iron more slowly or turn up the temperature and maintain current speed. I support the theory that slower is better. We would rather lose production than compromise quality.

Next, I would look at roll pressure. Generally, the higher the pressure, the shorter the life of the pad/pads. This can be balanced with the correct pad thickness as well as proper material. If your iron is a multi-roll unit, and if each roll is inverter-driven, you should properly synchronize the speed of each roll individually so as to obtain the correct pull of each roll away from the previous one.

There are many types of iron tape available. Based on your choice of pad material, roll pressure and roll-speed synchronization, the tape you use will not leave unnecessary tape marks or pucker lines in your higher-thread-count linens.

I prefer the air-blast method of folding. Unfortunately, as the thread count—and therefore weight and thickness—increases, so to does the need for a blade to assist in the proper folding. As long as the blade is properly maintained, it will be a valuable tool.

Be prepared to accept that the whole process will take longer and cost a little more, but the finished product will be better and should last longer.

Equipment Manufacturing: Chuck Anderson, Ellis Corp., San Diego, Calif.

Managers new to processing high-thread-count linens must first understand that high thread count does not equate to more durability. In fact, the opposite is true.

Thread count is simply the number of threads per square inch of fabric. These consist of vertical threads (warp) and horizontal threads (weft) woven together. To achieve a higher thread count, thinner threads are packed into the same square inch of fabric with a tighter weave. These smaller threads with a tighter, less flexible weave produce a more delicate fabric.

The most important step after purchasing new linens is to wash them thoroughly to remove vat dyes and sizing used in the manufacturing processes. If these chemicals are not removed before finishing, yellowing can occur, which will take several rewashes to remove (in some cases). These chemicals can also produce allergic reactions in some guests.

High-thread-count linens are expensive, and you want to make sure ownership has provided you with enough product. Resorts should have a minimum of three pars: one par in the room, one par being processed, and one par on the shelf. It is important that linen “rest” on shelves for 24 hours after laundering, because many types of linens are more easily damaged right after washing; this also enhances the flat-dry appearance.

Take a look at your equipment. If processing with a tunnel washer, you will need to add a program to your press for these more delicate fabrics. Specifically, to prevent hydro-burst in sheets, the press should be set to ramp to a membrane pressure of no more than 15-20 bars.

Adjust washer cylinder speeds, water levels, chemical concentrations, temperatures and process times to achieve high quality with reduced mechanical damage and chemical degradation.

Check inside of wash cylinders and around doors for snags. One method is to run an old pair of pantyhose along the inside. The material will snag on any burrs or imperfections.

For good mechanical action when washing napery, load the wash wheel to this capacity, depending on type: full drop — 90%, split pocket — 75%, Y-pocket — 65%.

Dryers should be in top shape and preferably have humidity controls. Make sure to set adequate cool-down time, and do not over-dry.

Check speed and tension on spreader-feeders using one sample test sheet; do not destroy multiple sheets before you realize you have an issue. Replace ironer padding and roll covers if worn or ripped to reduce mechanical abrasion. Make sure cleaning/waxing is on a routine schedule. Control chest temperature at 310-325 F. These heavier, larger linens are going to require slower processing.

It is important to educate banquet staff, pool attendees, servers, housekeeping and any other resort personnel who come into contact with these high-end linens about their cost and proper handling.

Each department should have proper soil carts or bins so that linen does not sit on the floor. These carts should be cleaned regularly and checked frequently for protrusions that could snag or tear linen. Besides sorting linen into normal classifications such as towels, sheets, pillowcases, etc., goods should be sorted by degree of soiling. This will eliminate over-processing and prevent unnecessary wear.

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“Equipment, chemicals, etc., play a huge part in our laundry’s success, but our most important asset is our people. We have to work well as a team. In what ways can I improve my team-building skills and learn how to spot trouble that could drag down staff morale and curtail production?”

Textile/Uniform Rental: John Shoemaker, General Linen & Uniform Service, Detroit, Mich.

One of the great things that should be done is having a weekly staff meeting. First of all, “weekly” staff meetings don’t happen 52 times a year. You have seven major holidays, vacations, some passes around budgeting time, and a few high-profile customer plant visits that take precedent.

So, these “weekly” staff meetings are more like 38 or 39 times a year, but when lead properly, they are a time for bonding.

The facilitator needs to make sure he/she is in charge to prevent a donnybrook amongst the pugilists defending their home turf. This open forum often leads to every member of the group seeing others’ needs, and makes for a more palatable final resolution. This helps with morale.

Another wonderful idea is having “inside/outside” days. Have the plant supervisor ride a route that is having problems with a plant-related issue. Have a district service manager sort the route that has faded garments labels. This will lead to constructive criticism rather than finger pointing. The DSM will now say, “You are right, these labels are too hard to read, and it needs to be addressed” rather than “The stupid plant is mis-tying all of my garments and screwing things up.”

When you are facilitating such meetings, you can see the benefits. Trouble spots will emerge before you, allowing a more cohesive team-building effort in which everyone has buy-in and is rooting for the success of the team.

Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry: Phil Jones, Sheraton Vistana Resort, Orlando, Fla.

There are several ways to improve your team-building skills. One is by challenging yourself to read at least one new book per month. I always choose a book by a successful leader in some field such as business or sports. You will find valuable pieces of information on how to build and maintain a team from those who have done it. Try to take away at least one or two principles from each book.

Look at how you might implement those practices in your organization and then share what you propose to the team. Ask many questions and get 100% involvement in the changes. Your team must be able to provide open feedback on the processes—including having the ability to change or stop a process if it does not work.

We make our associates feel like they are business owners with an equal say in the operation, and have open discussions in our morning meetings on how processes are working.

Another way to improve team-building skills is to benchmark with other organizations that have successful teams. We take our management team on field trips to visit other laundries or some of our vendors to see teamwork in action. It is one thing to talk about how teams operate, but it is quite another to see it up close.

Just as I take one or two principles from the books I read, I ask my team to do the same after our visits. They are responsible for coming up with suggestions for improving our team and then implementing those changes.

Holding regular team meetings is an important way to gauge if trouble is brewing within your organization. A change in the level of engagement during meetings can be an indicator that something is off-center.

Your team becomes quieter or doesn’t respond the same way as in the past may be a warning sign. If your team has gotten quieter or doesn’t respond in the same way it has been, that may be a warning sign. If your team no longer asks questions or makes suggestions during the meetings, or there are side conversations going on, those could be signs of unrest that you need to address quickly. There is nothing wrong with openly asking what’s going on and what you can do.

Equipment/Supplies Distribution: Russ Arbuckle, Wholesale Commercial Laundry Equipment SE, Southside, Ala.

As in any labor-intensive endeavor, your people play a key role in just about every aspect of your successful business. In most cases, there will be many different types of people, personalities and even cultures. Blending this potpourri into a productive, cohesive unit is, in my mind, one of the most difficult business tasks.

Repairing or even replacing malfunctioning equipment, upgrading/updating processes and operations, or even revamping complete infrastructure, while difficult, does not involve the one thing that can make or break productivity—the clash of individual personalities.

Building a successful team is not something that can just be learned from a book.

Understanding the individuals and how each meshes with other team members is critical to maintaining morale and, subsequently, production.

It is important for human resources, supervisory staff and even owners to understand the individuals who make up the team. They need to be aware of things that can create dissension.

Understanding the personalities can make it easier to determine which are right for which tasks and put like-minded individuals together on specific jobs.

Management must be vigilant in watching for signs of tension, or even hostility, among team members. These signs can come in many forms, and it is up to you and your staff to learn to recognize them early on so that you can intervene immediately.

By not allowing these tensions to fester, your chances of “keeping the peace” and preventing loss of production are much greater.

Promoting team spirit helps to keep personalities cohesive as they all strive toward the same goals. Defining these goals, as well as introducing direct benefits for achieving them, helps to keep the spirit alive and well.

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“Equipment, chemicals, etc., play a huge part in our laundry’s success, but our most important asset is our people. We have to work well as a team. In what ways can I improve my team-building skills and learn how to spot trouble that could drag down staff morale and curtail production?”

Consulting Services: David Chadsey, Capital Equipment Consulting, Winter Haven, Fla.

The truth is everybody wants to be part of a group. It is part of our DNA. No matter who you are or what you do, you want to be on a winning team.

Great organizations understand this natural inclination, and they build on it. Team building in the workplace not only increases productivity and return, it adds to the personal fulfillment of all those who work for you. When those people leave at the end of the day (or their shift), the successful corporate team is further magnified to all the families represented in your organization. In my house, when Momma’s happy, everybody’s happy.

Team Identity

Your team needs to have an identity. What do you want your organization to be known for? Quality Linen On Time Every Day? Amazing Customer Service? Or maybe Efficiency and Speed to Market?

If your parent organization has a corporate identity, your department can align itself with this overall team concept. The first step in team building is team identity; it is the core of whom you are and what your team members strive to achieve.

In the 1970s, an unusual group of Pittsburgh Steelers defensive linemen became known as the Steel Curtain. Just like you, there were days when those fellas did not want to come to work. They got tired. They got hurt. But they had an identity as a unit that would not compromise control of the line of scrimmage. Something special rose up in them based on that identity that is still recognized 35 years later.

Communicate the Vision

From initial employee orientation, through training and regular staff meetings, managers need to communicate the vision of the team’s identity. Policies and practices should be reinforced by the purpose.

“We answer the phone before the third ring because we have the best customer service in the industry.”

“Our production standard on the small-piece folder is 800 pool towels per hour because we are committed to on-time delivery.”

“We monitor wash water temperatures and chemistry because we are committed to quality.”

Whether you love or hate Walmart, you know it has low prices. The team has an identity that is reinforced by all levels of management every day.

Communicating the team vision is critical. As a leader and manager, if you can effectively communicate your identity and vision, your people will amaze you. Well-coached team members will step up and fulfill corporate vision in areas you may not have even addressed.

Execute the Plan

This is the hard part. I have never met a laundry operator who wanted a reputation for getting “Most of the Linen Clean Most of the Time.” Nobody has the goal of “Delivery Guaranteed On-Time, Except When We’re Late.”

Executing the team plan requires a systematic approach to performance. There are a lot of resources available to help you formally execute your plan. Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, ISO 9000 and Miller Heiman are a few that have been popular in recent years across a wide range of industry sectors. Accessing professional, process-oriented support will provide your organization with the structure to help build a successful team.

Equipment Manufacturing: Chuck Anderson, Ellis Corp., San Diego, Calif.

The greatest attribute of any manager is the ability to understand and be understood. Open communication is the best way to improve employee morale and spot trouble.

Praise motivates people! Research shows that in order to increase motivation and ensure top performance, we need to praise at least five times more often than we find fault or criticize. Try not to praise and criticize in the same meeting or conversation. I encourage you to go out and find at least two employees to praise today!

Be consistent and timely. Whether you have daily, weekly or monthly meetings, stay on time and follow up on previous goals and achievements. If action items are not repeatedly addressed, the team will feel the meetings are a waste of time.

Be certain that the purpose and objectives of the team are clearly defined. The team must be aligned around common objectives. People enjoy working toward a clearly defined goal. Write the major objectives on a whiteboard each week to keep the team focused.

Share information and delegate. Many times team leaders or managers have a difficult time delegating and/or sharing information because they fear losing their authority. But if leaders don’t delegate and share information, they lose their time, energy and ability to lead.

Continuously coach and support the development of your team leaders. This may involve hiring outside professionals, or sending your team leaders to “boot camp,” but this will pay dividends in a more productive and motivated team.

Encourage suggestions and ideas. Maybe you have been looking into how to improve production in a certain area. The person doing the work may actually already have the idea since they are involved in the task each day.

Get involved! Make time this week to roll up your sleeves and work the ironer for a couple hours or help load and unload the washers and dryers. This will build camaraderie with your employees and help break down barriers.

Tomorrow: Answers from the uniforms and commercial laundry sectors.