CINCINNATI – A constant challenge for today’s launderers is improving their current operation and making choices that increase productivity. Two priorities that should drive laundry care operations are efficiency and effectiveness.
To achieve these goals, management must regularly review its laundry procedures to find ways to maximize performance, protect linen investments, improve cleaning results and, ultimately, provide cost savings and customer satisfaction.
In today’s tough economic climate, it’s crucial that management establish and update policies and procedures. Following are best practices to help launderers evaluate and improve their commercial laundry operations to boost efficiency and effectiveness.
ENSURE IDEAL WASH CONDITIONS
Create and utilize proper procedures for ideal wash conditions. Review and follow linen guidelines, pre-sort laundry properly and treat soiled items immediately. Keep rewash rates below 5% by setting wash times and temperatures correctly. Load linens and fill the water properly, as underfilling or overfilling can reduce cleaning efficacy.
Keep linen inventory levels up to help extend linen life. Inventory levels that are too low result in linens being washed too frequently, causing fading and wear and tear at a more rapid pace. Make sure you have the proper amount of linens in stock and have a process in place to reorder when needed.
MAKE GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION
You only get one chance to make a good impression. Consider customer service in every aspect of your laundry operation. Do not send unacceptable pieces of linen to guests or customers that could potentially be returned and give a bad impression. It can also cause unplanned rework and a potential bottleneck in overall laundry operations.
Train staff properly and provide checklists to keep things running efficiently. Employee training does not start and end with the hire. Effective, continual education on following proper procedures can be the key to achieving productivity and results that keep customers satisfied.
For all of these reasons, facility managers must take a good, hard look at their commercial laundry operations and work with their suppliers and product manufacturers to ensure the best results. By establishing effective procedures and using the latest innovations in laundry care, management can decrease operational costs through a reduction in linen replacement needs and labor costs, plus enjoy the benefit of customer satisfaction by providing bright, white and fresh towels, bedding and clothes.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].