The benefits of an on-premise laundry

Introduction

In your organisation, dirty laundry is likely being created almost constantly. And like many other companies, you may just gather it up and hand it over to an outsourced laundry business to take care of. They collect it, clean it and then deliver it back to you.

It may seem to be the most convenient solution, but is it the best approach to laundry? Outsourcing your laundry requirements can be a large cost to your organisation and there’s little opportunity for long-term ROI. There is a lack of control regarding the liability of the outsourced laundry service (including failed collections and deliveries) which can leave your premises short or even totally without linen. In addition to this, when a laundry company takes possession of your laundry, there is no way for you to guarantee it’s treated carefully and cleaned in accordance with industry regulations. And most worryingly of all is that when your laundry is processed by an outsourced company, your load can simply be mixed in with many other loads in the same wash and separated after cleaning.

So what’s the best solution? Bringing your laundry on-premise.

If you’re concerned at the thought of the initial investment needed for equipment; You don’t need to be concerned. Not only will this equipment help to reduce your overheads and operating costs, but there are also multiple other benefits to this approach. To illustrate the positive impact this approach to laundry can have on your business, your operating processes and your bottom line, we’ve created this helpful guide. Read on to see what an on-premise laundry can do for your company…

Less space than expected

It’s no secret that the initial investment needed to procure commercial laundry equipment is greater than the outgoings needed for domestic machines, but, it’s an investment worth making. Many businesses think they can keep costs down by using domestic machines in their on-premise laundry, but they pay the price in the long run. Higher running costs; more breakdowns and downtime; greater maintenance costs; and reduced warranty cover are just some of the issues that they might face.

For these reasons, it’s vital that your on-premise laundry uses commercial washing machines and tumble dryers. Superior machines will have an operating lifespan of over 30,000 hours; which equates to running the machine 8 hours a day, every day for over 10 years.

In addition to the peace of mind you can enjoy by purchasing hard-wearing equipment, you can also ensure your laundry is operating in accordance with any industry regulations. When you pass your laundry to an outsourced laundry company, you trust that their machines are reaching the temperatures and detergent doses that your load requires. However, with an on-premise commercial laundry, there is no need to place your trust in another company; you can simply programme the wash yourself. If your laundry requires a disinfectant wash you can make sure your washing machine reaches the right temperature every single time by monitoring the process (with an independent validation tool).

Quick and easy

Your business is likely to process laundry all the time. So, when this is the case, you can’t afford to be spending hours in the laundry room, waiting for loads to finish so you can sort them and move on to the next. This process is inefficient, costly and the biggest negative effect will be on your overall customer/service-user experience.

For this reason, it’s vitally important that you invest in commercial equipment that can meet your needs in the shortest possible time. You need to know that when you simply want to do a quick wash, the machine is capable of functioning quickly and efficiently while providing the best level of cleanliness.

Some commercial washing machines can carry out a quick wash cycle in just 40 minutes which means that you can complete your entire laundry load in a much shorter time (therefore saving your energy bills), or you can get more loads washed during a normal shift. Either way, this is a much more efficient way of carrying out your laundry.

In addition to this, by purchasing a commercial ironer, you can complete the entire laundry process in your new laundry room. With roller lengths ranging from 83cm to 350cm in width, there is an ironer that will meet your needs both in terms of space and potential workload. A member of staff can process all of the ironing and then return to more important tasks like providing an excellent experience for your service users.

Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly

Energy efficiency and its related cost-savings have been mentioned throughout this ebook, but when purchasing commercial laundry equipment, how do you know what’s eco-friendly and what’s not? Well, thankfully there are awarding bodies that reward companies with certifications based on their environmental awareness. So, all you have to do is look for washing machines and tumble dryers that meet all of your needs and have been given the following certifications.

Firstly, there’s WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme); the duties of which include the prevention of waste, undue consumption, misuse, erroneous measurement or contamination of water. Laundry equipment that is approved by WRAS uses water in the most efficient way and never risks contaminating the mains water supply.

Another certification to look for is the government’s Water Technology List (WTL). This list promotes technologies and products that encourage sustainable water use. So, when purchasing your commercial washing machine, be sure to ask if it features on the WTL. Another benefit to this government scheme is that by purchasing equipment on the WTL,   your business may be able to claim 100% first-year allowances in the form of tax relief.

When you purchase laundry equipment that is certified by WRAS and the WTL you’ll automatically reduce your water and electricity bills in comparison to uncertified machines.   But, industry-leading equipment will also have additional energy-efficient features such as washing machines that reduce moisture levels to help reduce the drying time, and tumble dryers that switch off automatically when the load is dry to prevent running unnecessarily. This qualifies you for the Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme. Your accountant should be able to advise you on this topic.

On-premise laundry – a case study

A business that made the move to an on-premise laundry is the 62-room Hotel Höltje in Northern Germany. As a popular establishment, they were constantly generating dirty laundry; however, they were unhappy with the previous laundry process…

“We tried outsourcing years ago but were continually beset by mix-ups and plagued by laundry damage. Besides that, turnaround times were simply too long”  - Anolda Glander, Hotel Höltje’s Senior Manager.

To combat this lack of efficiency, they decided to create an on-premise laundry; but with one key difference. Hotel Höltje used a cogeneration plant that ran on natural gas and produced electricity and heat. It was therefore decided that this system should be utilised in the laundry process to keep costs down and provide eco-friendly energy.

The result was the implementation of an H2O dryer that uses 80ºC hot water from the cogeneration plant’s storage tanks to heat the air used in the tumble drying process. This combination of an innovative H2O dryer and a cogeneration plant means Hotel Höltje’s electricity costs are down by over €20,000 per year (R336 000), and they can now dry 200kg of laundry each day at practically no expense.

In addition to the direct cost-savings, Hotel Höltje is now able to ensure its laundry is given the due care and attention it deserves (which is not guaranteed when outsourcing). Having invested fully in the cogeneration plant and the H2O dryer, Günter Glander (the hotel operator) believes the investment “has already paid its way and will reap huge economic rewards in the long run”.

Conclusion

When you outsource your laundry operation there is little opportunity to lower your costs, unless of course you are regularly changing suppliers and chasing cheaper rates (which is hardly convenient). You will always be at the mercy of the laundry company’s prices and you will have no opportunity to generate any long-term return on investment.

In direct opposition to these shortcomings is an on-premise laundry. By choosing your equipment carefully, you could dramatically reduce your outsourcing costs, your energy bills, your environmental impact and of course, generate long-term savings and ROI. You will also be able to ensure your laundry is given the care and attention it needs and is processed in accordance with current industry regulations. Along with improving your costs and your bottom line; you’ll also ultimately be able to improve your customer/service-user experience.