5 tips for processing laundry in a commercial setting

A top quality, state of the art commercial washing machine is vital for the busiest laundry rooms, whether they are located in hospitals, care homes, restaurants, health clubs, hotels, guesthouses or any other business environment. The ability to maintain high standards of hygiene at speed is crucial to the levels of success.

Perhaps the key to the whole process is efficiency, because without this must-have quality the process could become bogged down along the way. Processes need to be smooth, repeatable and achievable. Knowing how best to get the right results is hugely important, so here are five tips to make sure you continue to improve.

  1. Education, education, education 

    Whether you have a single commercial washing machine or several appliances operating at the same time, you need to ensure your team members know all there is to know about maintaining efficiency levels. Important tasks include sorting laundry items, checking garment labels, pre-treatment of stains and shaking out clothing.

  2. Make safety number one on the agenda 

    Effective health and safety training is the most important thing of all, so make sure you have this issue covered at all times. This can include teaching employees to operate a commercial washing machine safely and, also vital, how to spot, remove and treat potentially harmful fluids and deposits on towels, bedding and clothing.

  3. Routine maintenance is a must 

    Every commercial washing machine is expected to carry out a large amount of work in any given month, so it’s important to schedule regular maintenance checks and, should they be deemed necessary, preventative repairs before serious problems are able to occur. It’s good practice to be rigid about scheduling, regardless of workload.

  4. Energy usage can be vital 

    Every business, from abattoirs to zoos and all points in between, need to operate at its most cost-effective level, and that means they need to avoid wastage. Using a commercial washing machine that’s outdated and inefficient can make a difference to the bottom line, and of course may fall foul of environmental requirements as well.

  5. Square pegs in square holes 

    It’s a sad fact that many businesses are using the wrong equipment for certain tasks, and that can include the continued utilisation of an ineffective commercial washing machine or in some cases a domestic machine. Some appliances are designed to be used in specific types of laundry room, so make sure your chosen machine is able to do the job in the best way possible.