Commercial laundry equipment is designed to withstand heavy daily use, but what are some best practices laundry staff can follow to ensure the most efficient wash with the least amount of wear on your machines?
Here are five suggestions for efficient commercial laundry.
1. Use the Right Kind of Machines
Ensure that you are indeed using commercial laundry equipment that is installed by a certified commercial laundry company that ensures rigging and bolt-down.
2. Maintain and Update Equipment
Well-running and new machines use the least amount of electricity and water. Regular maintenance visits from a technician can help with efficiency. They can also spot potential problems before leaks or breakdowns occur.
Update your commercial laundry equipment when:
breakdowns are frequent
repair costs are adding up or are greater than 50% of the cost of replacing the machine
your utility bills are getting higher each month.
3. Practice Preventive Care
A technician isn’t needed for every maintenance check. You or your laundry staff can:
check your washer’s hoses for cracks and leaks
inspect external vent caps
clean out detergent dispensers and wipe the basin, doors, and seals of your commercial laundry equipment
clear out lint traps and the dryer exhaust system
4. Learn How Your Equipment Works
Even if you have been working in laundry services for years, every piece of commercial laundry equipment is unique, and laundry staff should receive proper training to ensure efficient practices in your facility. Training should cover:
settings and cycles
temperature
cleaning and maintaining
detergents types and amounts
loading
5. Practice Proper Loading Techniques
Loading goes beyond sorting between fabrics and laundry usage. It has to do with how much laundry is put into a machine for any given cycle. Both overloading and underloading may seem to have their advantages, but they affect:
the quality of the wash
the efficiency of your machines and laundry products
your water and electrical use
your machine’s ability to function
Overloading is a common cause of less-than-clean laundry and can also cause severe strain on your machines, for even commercial laundry equipment has its limits. To avoid breakdowns and malfunctions due to overloading:
consult the manual for the recommended load size
invest in a laundry scale
train staff on proper loading techniques
Underloading a washing machine does not save on water and electricity, because machines are designed to use a base amount of both. Plus, underloading can result in unbalanced rinse cycles, which can wreak havoc on your washing machines and their components.
It is difficult to judge detergent levels for both underloading and overloading situations. You may:
not use enough for a thorough clean
use too much and create too many suds which prevents clothes from rubbing together to help eliminate grime and dirt
use too much detergent and softener which leads to build-up in the machine
Turn To Harco For All Your Commercial Laundry Equipment Needs
Harco has served Eastern and Atlantic Canada with customized commercial laundry solutions for over 60 years. We provide training, including loading protocols that avoid overloading and underloading, on all the machines we sell. Contact us today.