Laundry is an unavoidable expense in hospitality but perhaps one of the most necessary and one in which corners cannot be cut. This is because room cleanliness, which extends to clean sheets and towels, is one the most important factors in measuring guest satisfaction.
In light of today’s labor shortages and turnover, making sure that laundry operations are running as smoothly and efficiently as possible and in the most cost-effective manner is a major challenge.
“In the hotel world, laundry is the heartbeat of the hotel. If you don’t have clean laundry, the housekeeping aides can’t clean the rooms, then guests can’t check in, so it is very important to have a very good laundry in the hotel,” said John Smith, director of engineering at Conrad Indianapolis.
“While the laundry is a back-of-the-the house function, the quality of the bed linens, towels, etc. is anything but. Property general managers increasingly want to know that no shortcuts are being taken in laundry that could impact quality and, as a result, online reviews,” said Randy F. Radtke, senior manager of Content and Creative Services at UniMac, a provider of washer-extractors and tumble dryers, a brand of Alliance Laundry Systems.
Though this could be dependent on the size of the hotel, most small and moderate-sized hotels operate on-premise laundry (OPL), but OPL is not always the most cost-effective. “The benefits include greater control over the process and the ability to manage inventory more efficiently. However, OPL comes with higher labor costs and the need to allocate physical space. Outsourcing laundry minimizes capital expenditures, reduces labor demands and saves space, but it often leads to reduced quality control and the need for additional inventory,” said Hank Jaroslawski, regional manager professional sales HCS at Miele, a manufacturer of high-quality appliances such as laundry machines.
“There are pros and cons to both avenues with the cost of employees on site to handle the labor vs the cost of using an outside service provider,” said King Lee, director of sales and marketing for Dexter Laundry, a builder of commercial washers and dryers.
At Conrad Hotel Indianapolis, for example, Smith estimated that they do 2200 pounds of laundry a day, with a 75 percent average occupancy rate of 360 suites (and takes swimming pool towels into account).
Challenges in Laundry Operations
Almost universally, industry insiders state that the number one challenge in laundry is labor; specifically, having enough staff to manage the laundry operations.
In tandem with labor, training staff properly in best practices is a key factor. “Well-trained staff who understand the equipment and processes are more efficient and find greater job satisfaction. Regular training sessions and clear operational protocols can significantly enhance productivity,” Jaroslawski said.
“We’ve found that it takes constant training, regular reminders and the use of checklists to ensure machines are cleaned daily. We've also marked lines on the washer doors to indicate the maximum linen load. Most importantly, we work closely with our vendor partners to train our teams, including on proper reclaim procedures,” added Dan Paola, SVP of operations at Raines, a hospitality management company headquartered in South Carolina.
Another major challenge, Jaroslawski said, is “… product discard, which can reach up to 30 percent, and reclaim, often exceeding 20 percent. Repeated cleaning cycles consume significant resources, impacting overall profitability and reducing productivity.”
Expenses
Laundry is an unavoidable expense, but an inefficient or poorly functioning laundry system or equipment can lead to other, unwanted and significant expenses. To shrink expenses associated with laundry in the long run, an upfront investment in high quality equipment, along with scheduled, preventative maintenance, can ensure that machines operate at optimal capacity.
“One of the big conversations we have with owners is knowing the difference between price and cost. Price is what you pay for equipment. Cost is what that equipment costs you over its useful life. Machines that seem ‘high priced’ up front often end up saving your operation far more in the long term, due to features that improve efficiency,” Radtke said.
Jaroslawski agreed that hotels that invest in reliable, high-performance equipment often achieve a better return on investment. “Inefficient cleaning processes result in increased labor for quality checks, frequent inventory reordering and the replacement of linens and towels.”
“Besides labor, which is the largest expense, other costs associated with running a laundry room include utility costs to operate the washers and dryers (gas, water, sewer, electricity) and the cost to replace the linens every couple of years,” Lee noted. “With proper care and regular washing and correct drying, a hotelier can extend the life of their linens by 50 percent or more. Another way to shrink utility costs is by investing in the newest laundry equipment as today's washers and dryers use less utilities than machines ten to 20 years old.”
Paola said that hoteliers can find meaningful cost savings in laundry in creative ways: “Having the night audit team fold clean linen during slower overnight hours can help maximize productivity. If your property is on a time-of-day utility rate cycle, running overnight laundry may also reduce water and sewer costs while lowering labor expenses. Daily reclaim is another key practice—treating stains as soon as possible improves the chances of saving those items rather than discarding them. Lastly, consistently purchasing linen to maintain proper PAR levels helps avoid unnecessary wear from overuse and supports a more efficient operation overall.”
Procurement solutions can directly impact expenses. “Implementing procurement technology allows hoteliers to optimize inventory, minimize waste and leverage detailed analytics to identify cost-saving opportunities. Hoteliers can also negotiate contracts with suppliers through a platform, ensuring competitive pricing while incorporating sustainable products that reduce energy, water and chemical usage,” said Valerie Layman, chief product officer at BirchStreet Systems, a hospitality procurement company.
Efficiency
Efficiency in handling laundry operations is of crucial importance to most hoteliers, particularly as how laundry is handled impacts the guest experience. “Guests expect impeccable cleanliness—anything less is unacceptable. To meet these expectations, hotels must maintain strict quality control and utilize equipment capable of delivering consistent, top-tier performance. By streamlining laundry operations, hotels enhance guest satisfaction while boosting profitability,” Jaroslawski said.
Some hotels have implemented effective approaches to streamline laundry operations and thus drive efficiency. For example, Raines has implemented overnight laundry services and has focused on scheduling, which plays a key role in driving efficiency. “Properly scheduling laundry attendants and ensuring that linen and terry are consistently pulled from rooms each day helps maintain a smooth operation,” Paola said. “We also focus on maintaining the optimal PAR (periodic automatic replacement) levels—typically 2.5 to 3 sets of linen per room—which prevents delays and allows room attendants to complete their boards without waiting on clean inventory,” he continued, adding that this approach helps reduce payroll costs and minimizes wear and tear on linen.
Sometimes it’s just a matter of training staff to load the machines to full capacity. “Underloading wastes utilities, labor, chemicals and can contribute to inadequate quality. Staff should also sort by item and soil level to reduce rewash and ensure proper cycles are selected,” Radtke said.
Of course, the machines you choose directly impact efficiency. Smith said that his hotel uses Yamamoto, for example, and through these machines, they have been able to cut down on cycle times, from washing a sheet or towel in 40-50 minutes is now down to 25 minutes or so. That, in turn, also impacts cost, because a shorter run time in the washer or dryer saves on electricity and water.
Making the Most of Technology
Updated technology in high-capacity laundry machines are designed to promote efficiency. “Technology helps monitor chemical and utility consumption, tracks machine usage and evaluates operator efficiency. For example, Miele Move is a cutting-edge wireless solution that provides detailed analytics on when, where and how machines are used. This innovation optimizes electricity, water, chemical usage and labor, driving efficiency across the board,” Jaroslawski noted.
Other companies, like UniMac, have launched a feature for tumble dryers called ProCapture, which captures up to 98 percent of lint—what Radtke calls a “gamechanger for the environment, efficiency and productivity.” Another innovation is the company’s touchscreen for its washer-extractors and dryers, which uses real words and multiple language options to simplify use and enhance training for all employees.
“We use the technology built into our washers, along with Ecolab systems, to monitor things like product usage, wash times and water temperature. This data helps us calibrate the equipment properly, which in turn maximizes wash effectiveness and extends the life of our linen,” Paola said.
Joe Fleming, president of Yamamoto North America, said that from a manufacturing perspective, there has been a big focus in design and engineering to simplify the laundry process for clients, whether that is through larger doors or higher access points so that a user is not bending over to lift wet towels, as well as touch-free controls. “No one likes doing laundry, so the easier we can make it, the better. Anyone that is manufacturing equipment for laundry has that mission in mind,” he said.
Technology has a place in laundry operations, not just in the machines themselves but in laundry equipment procurement processes by providing real-time information that operations need to run smoothly without interruption. “Procurement solutions often feature advanced analytics demonstrating a laundry department’s historic equipment/supply consumption rates and current inventory levels, allowing hoteliers to accurately and instantly determine what needs to be replenished, by how much and when. Being able to leverage this data resolves the risk of understocking or overstocking items, which can either grind services to a halt, lead to an avoidable increase in costs or reduce guest satisfaction,” Layman said.
This article was originally published in the May edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.