Content about Company Location

CHEMICALS SUPPLY: MARLENE WILLIAMS, ANDERSON CHEMICAL CO., LITCHFIELD, MINN.

This well-designed question recognizes that optimization of laundry programs and procedures, as well as incorporating new technology options, can facilitate a laundry manager’s efforts to improve energy efficiency and water conservation. From the chemical supplier’s standpoint, there are two major sources of help available today.

First, technology (proprietary software) to analyze a laundry operation is a strong tool for chemical representatives and laundry managers. A knowledgeable chemical representative can provide valuable assistance with this type of computer analysis, improving not only energy efficiency and water consumption but also creating savings in all areas of program expense.

Secondly, a knowledgeable review of laundry facilities with improved practices and procedures can provide major economies for no additional cost. John White, an industry expert with 35 years of laundry experience, offers a number of valuable tactics:

1. Work with a knowledgeable chemical supplies representative; this should be your starting point. Experienced reps can help you because they work with many different operators and will be able to give you ideas for savings, ideas that are working for others.
2. If you’re still using “old school” washing techniques (180-degree water, lots of alkali and bleach, long cycles, lots of rinsing, etc.), be aware that chemistry has dramatically changed. Talk to your rep about low-temperature washing. Consider enzyme washing, allowing for lower wash and bleaching temperatures. Your supplier should be bringing these innovations to you for your consideration.
3. Replace one rinse step in all your cycles with a medium-speed extract. This will save one high-fill for every load of laundry you process, and, over time, can result in thousands of gallons of water—much of it hot—saved.
4. Understand the relationship between pH and temperature in the bleach bath. A good rep will be able to set your cycles up to bleach in much lower temperatures by lowering the pH of the bleach bath.
5. Lower your water levels 1 inch when washing/bleaching, and 2 inches when rinsing. All water levels are adjustable, and the good reps know how to do this. One inch less water in the wash step will not make any difference in quality, but due to the shape of the wash wheel, will save you up to 30% of the hot water you would otherwise use in a typical wash step (same for bleach step and 2 inches on rinse steps).
6. Focus on sorting laundry by soil load and staining. Unsorted linens must be washed according to the worst pieces. If unsorted, every load becomes a costly heavy-soil load.
7. Program cycles so that your final rinse temperature is between 115 and 120 degrees (typically it is much lower). This means that the linens will be pre-heated (but not too hot to handle) when they go into the dryer. This will save about five minutes of dryer time/energy per load.
8. Don’t under-load washers or overload dryers. Weigh loads and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
9. Airflow is far more critical than temperature when it comes to dryer time. Clean lint screens after every load, and periodically have dryer vents professionally cleaned. Lint can easily clog dryer vents and choke off 80% or more of your airflow.
10. Finally, most dryers can be retrofitted with flue sensors that will shut the dryer down when the load is dry, saving on energy and fabric damage.

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING: KIM SHADY, LAUNDRYLUX CORP, NEW YORK, N.Y.

From the perspective of smaller OPL facilities, more new equipment applications have become available in the past several years than have been introduced in the past decade. I’ll break these energy savings into three categories: electricity, natural gas, and water.

Electricity — The amount of electricity used to operate an OPL washer or dryer may be less than 2 cents per load. There is very little reward for making improvements to electricity use. Evaluating cycle times in the washer could be one area for savings. Washers with higher extraction rates (G-force) can reduce drying times for more savings.

Natural Gas — Assuming natural gas is your heat source for a dryer, ironer or water heater, this is your largest utility cost. To evaluate areas to trim costs, start with your water heater/boiler. There have been many improvements in efficiency, so is your unit outdated? Could reducing water temperature by 5 or 10 degrees make a difference on an annual basis?

The traditional 75-pound dryer in small OPL facilities has gone through significant energy updates in the past few years. Several companies have slashed gas consumption by 20% through new, energy-efficient axial airflow designs that do not sacrifice drying time. This may be the biggest gain for energy efficiency in the past five years.

Also, the extraction rate has a major role in reducing dryer gas use. Upgrading from 100 to 300 G-force can cut drying time by 25-30%, along with similar amounts of natural gas.

Residual moisture controls are gaining popularity to save time and natural gas in the dryer. No longer does the drying time have to be input by hand. Residual moisture controls automate the process, while preventing the dryer from running past the point where linens are dry.

Large laundries have long understood the energy benefits of ironing vs. drying sheets. When ironing sheets properly, the amount of energy used to remove a pound of water is less than the amount a dryer would use to do the same. With new OPL ironers requiring just one person to feed, fold and stack, there can be energy savings, labor savings and huge improvements in quality.

Water — OPL washers are using newer digital technology to measure water levels, providing more precise control for each fill. This also allows the programmer to experiment with finding the optimum water levels and acceptable cleanliness quality. This experiment could bring surprising results in lower water use. Some washers are smart enough to adjust water levels based upon the linen load size, while at the same time adjusting chemical dosing to keep the ratio to water accurate.

Other water savings may be found with ozone systems. Ozone has proven to reduce water consumption and significantly reduce the need for hot water.

UNIFORMS/WORKWEAR MANUFACTURING: STEVE KALLENBACH, AMERICAN DAWN, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

This is the central question surrounding one of the most important dynamics of the decade: “green” reusable textiles and related processing. My responses will relate mostly to energy and costs that directly impact textile-processing costs.

Energy — Over the past 15 years, our industry has reduced energy costs by more than 40% through the use of heat reclaimers, direct-fire water heaters, continuous batch washers (vs. washer-extractors vs. modular washer and extractor units), high-efficiency gas dryers (vs. steam dryers), as well as energy-friendly textiles.

Additionally, chemical companies and plant managers have worked together to find balanced formulations that assist in energy efficiency. An example of this might be in extraction. Once a washer-extractor achieves extraction speed, it is much more efficient to extract the textile a bit longer, if it reduces dryer time (gas usage) while still protecting textile life.

In some cases, textiles have been built to withstand more energy-efficient processing. In others (example: Signature table linen), fabric has been developed to wash cleaner at lower temperatures, thereby lowering energy costs and even processing time. The most recent textile improvement impacting energy efficiency is microfiber fabrics. They take much less time to dry, thereby reducing gas and electricity costs.

Laundry managers need to follow the best in class: 1) know the industry standards, 2) know your own plant’s performance, and 3) engage with your chemical and textile vendors to continually improve efficiency.

Water — Just like energy, our industry has reduced water usage by more than 40% through the use of water reclamation systems and better chemical formulations, soil sorting (to control the amount of rewash) and textiles.

Water reclamation systems reuse some of the last flushes of a formula as the first flush of the next load. Chemical formulation is a key to water efficiency. We put our chemical suppliers in the delicate position of keeping costs down while keeping our textiles clean. Many times, this balance is off, and some plants have a tendency to “over wash” certain textiles. Additionally, some textiles simply clean better, due to raw-material quality, fiber content, weave, topical soil release, etc.

Managers can discuss these issues with their textile and chemical suppliers, in order to choose the right product for the job. Just like energy efficiency, water conservation and efficiency should first be measured against the known industry standards, and managers should engage with their related suppliers to improve both formulation and textiles.

Technology — In all areas of conservation, support technology has improved drastically over the past 20 years. Retrofitting machinery to allow constant monitoring of efficiencies is now available, and the return on investment is sensible in most cases. Additionally, the industry has developed a number of major software packages that can assist managers in monitoring and managing their plant efficiencies.

Maintenance — Aside from education on standards and available efficiencies, the maintenance of equipment and support technology is more important now than ever before.

Plant maintenance managers of yesteryear were measured on downtime of equipment related to production flow. While this will remain the platform for production flow efficiency, maintenance of the future will center more around equipment efficiencies, simply because they can now be monitored constantly.

For instance, in the past, if a drainpipe were open and leaking profusely, it might not be caught and your maintenance department might not focus on it because the equipment was running. In the future, the equipment must not only run, it must run efficiently, because a rightly upgraded and retrofitted wash machine will be able to “broadcast” the presence of an open/leaking drain to plant management.

Textiles — Great plant managers take a more active role in monitoring textile placement as it relates to efficiency, not only in wear-life (life-cycle) costing but also in choosing the right textile for the job.

A simple example of this is allowing a diesel engine mechanic to wear a lightly colored shirt. This textile choice leads to heavy-soil formulation and rewash. Enough of this textile misuse and plant efficiency is impacted.

Other plants overbuy cotton toweling, putting premium textiles into accounts that simply don’t return them. Because these products are typically heavier in content, the plant washes fewer of them per load, thereby lowering both energy and water efficiencies. In some cases, it’s better to put a standard-quality product into an account that needs just that.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. — Three textile services companies have completed expansion and renovation of facilities across the United States in recent months with the assistance of ARCO/Murray National Construction Co. and its Laundry Division.

ARCO/Murray completed an 11,000-square-foot addition to the ALSCO plant in Anaheim, Calif. The project included 9,100 square feet of warehouse area, split into two levels, for a clean-side sort system newly installed by Bobco Systems.

The sorting system utilizes a rail system on both levels for the warehouse addition and conveyors on the first level to transfer clean items from the existing plant to the new addition.

The addition included eight dock doors for clean-side loading and 1,900 square feet of ADA-compliant office, break room and restroom area. It allowed ALSCO to consolidate three structures into one and will reduce the labor and time needed to load trucks with clean product.

A conditional use permit, following strict guidelines set forth by the Disneyland Resort Area Mitigation Plan, heavily governed the facility’s design. The exterior was required to meet certain aesthetic requirements while adhering to landscaping, energy saving and site drainage policies above and beyond those of a typical municipality, ARCO/Murray says.

The design and construction firm worked with G&K Services in the addition of a wastewater treatment building at the company’s Denver plant. The project added a 1,700-square-foot building, and retrofitted the existed building, to enclose both new and existing wastewater treatment equipment provided by Norchem Corp. Work on the addition and retrofit was scheduled to minimize conflicts with G&K operations and resulted in no shutdowns or delays.

The new system allows G&K to reclaim heat from 100% of the operation’s wastewater and provide the option to reuse much of the wastewater after treatment.

Another ARCO project was a facility expansion and equipment installation project for CLEAN the Uniform Co. in St. Louis. The project added more than 24,000 square feet to the company’s existing facility, which was built in 1955. The work included a new truck drive-through, soiled separating area, wash floor and finishing area to serve CLEAN’s retail medical operations.

The drive-through features two pit-style platform lifts to allow CLEAN’s route trucks to unload and load products. The finishing area made room for additional folding capacity, ironers, and utilized a belt conveyor to assist in processing. The new wash floor created room for new side-loading washers and new dryers. CLEAN installed an overhead storage rail in the soiled and clean areas within the addition. Construction was completed while the existing plant remained in operation. 

WICHITA, Kan. — Linen King, an Oklahoma-based textile rental services company that provides commercial laundry services to the healthcare and hospitality industries, recently acquired Via Christi Hospital’s Laundry, an off-premise laundry facility here.

With approximately 20,000 square feet in space, the facility has the immediate capacity to process more than 15 million pounds of laundry each year. This is Linen King’s fifth dedicated healthcare facility in the south-central United States.

The new facility will allow the company to streamline operations and service its Wichita area customers, while freeing up capacity in the company’s Oklahoma facility.

Linen King will work to build up the base volume of the long-term contract with Via Christi Hospitals that was part of the purchase.

Linen King partnered with Clairvest Group, a Toronto-based private equity firm, to acquire the healthcare laundry.

“The purchase of the Via Christi facility represents a significant milestone for our company and is expected to generate immediate value,” says Linen King CEO Leonard McCullough. “The new facility increases our capacity and allows Linen King to expand its presence into new markets.”

The company operates five facilities across four states and annually processes more than 50 million pounds of laundry.
 

RICHMOND, Va. — Cintas Corp.’s Chester, Va., facility has received the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) “Star” worksite designation from the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the agency’s highest recognition for the practice of and commitment to exemplary occupational safety and health.

It is the third Cintas uniform rental operation to receive the coveted status, and the fourth company-wide.

“This type of achievement can only be realized when everyone is working together for one common goal,” says Howard Baron, general manager of Cintas in Chester, near Richmond. “To say I’m proud of my team would be an understatement. It’s a great accomplishment that is deserved by a great group of employee-partners.”

“Receiving the VPP ‘Star’ award here in the state of Virginia is no small feat. Every year, only a small number of companies are awarded this status,” says Jim Cheng, Virginia’s secretary of commerce and trade.

As a facility with leading safety and health practices, the Chester uniform rental facility constantly integrates improvements to its safety and health programs. Cintas employs 120 people in Chester and 1,000 statewide.

ALBANY, Ga. — Equinox Chemicals has announced that it has acquired Adco Cleaning Products, based in Sedalia, Mo. Terms of the acquisition were not announced.

Equinox will move Adco’s manufacturing operations to its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Albany, according to Yalda Harris, Equinox’s executive vice president for Global Product Management.

Dr. Jim Schreiner, Adco’s chief product technology officer, will also be relocating, she says.

Customer-service and order-taking staff will remain in Sedalia, and there will be no changes to the way customers or distributors order from Adco, Harris adds. The national sales team will remain the same.

Equinox is a specialty chemical manufacturer with specialty research, innovation, product development and commercialization capabilities that reach markets spanning the globe, the company says.

Adco manufactures a comprehensive line of specialty cleaning chemicals and detergents used in dry cleaning, commercial laundry, and janitorial and institutional cleaning applications. It offers more than 300 proprietary products through the Adco and Laidlaw brands.

“This latest acquisition will continue our aggressive strategy to revolutionize and revitalize the laundry, dry cleaning and cleaning chemical industry,” says Mark Grimaldi, CEO of Equinox Chemicals.

Mentor Partners had owned Adco since 2007.

RACINE, Wis. — CMJ Partners, a private investment firm based in Vero Beach, Fla., recently acquired Imperial Laundry Systems out of receivership. It is now named Imperial Laundry Services.

“We acquired Imperial Laundry after having completed a significant amount of due diligence,” says Robert C. Moore, president of CMJ Partners. “During that process, we discovered and were excited about the company’s strong and experienced management team, high level of customer satisfaction, reputation for quality and reliability, and the efficiency of the company’s facility and equipment.

“We are pleased to be the company’s new owners and are committed to be our clients’ long-term partner.”

“What would you say are the most common errors in laundry processing that lead to higher-than-necessary energy, fuel or water costs?”

Commercial Laundry: Rick Rone, Laundry Plus, Sarasota, Fla.

Utilities in general are usually the second-largest item on any laundry’s budget, so any and all energy and utility costs should be scrutinized carefully and thoroughly. The single biggest error we make is taking the proper operation of our plants for granted!

One of the largest expenses for laundries is natural gas. Whether it is used for firing hot-water heaters, steam boilers, thermal fluid ironers or dryers, natural gas has been deregulated and can be purchased from suppliers other than your local pipeline. Once you are confident that you are purchasing at the best price, you can concentrate on the day-to-day efficient operation of your plant.

If your dryers are set by time and temperature, is everything working properly? Have you been maintaining your thermostats and sensors? If a load is not completely dry, is your staff leaving the load in for a complete extra cycle?

Is your staff cleaning the lint filters as often as necessary? When was the last time you had all your gas burners checked with a combustion analyzer and recalibrated?

Check with your washroom chemical supplier to see if it has any new products that might let you wash at a lower temperature, thus saving money.

When was the last time you confirmed that your steam traps were working correctly? This item alone can be a significant resource saver.

When you process sheets through your ironer, how close together are they? If they are not almost leading edge to trailing edge, then you are probably running your iron faster than you need to, and therefore at a higher temperature than necessary. This wastes gas and causes additional wear and tear on your equipment.

Not everyone needs nor can afford an efficient tunnel washing system. If your plant is using conventional washers, are all drains sealing correctly? A leaking drain will cost the operator in both time and utility cost.

Are all level controls set and working properly? Quite often, the greater mechanical action available in an open-pocket washer will let you set your water levels to a lower point.

Have you ever watched your drain during high-speed final extract? If your washer is programmed for more time than necessary, you are not being as frugal as you could be. If you see the water cease coming out of the drain in five minutes, there is no reason to continue the extract cycle.

One potentially huge savings may be derived from reducing sewage or water disposal fees that are usually at least three to four times the cost of water acquisition. When towels leave the washroom, they are customarily at about 40% or more in moisture content. Your utility company should not be charging disposal fees on that water because it will be evaporated in your dryer. There is precedent, and you should have no problem requiring your utility supplier to modify the sewage charges.

Labor is the largest line item on almost everyone’s budget, and we all deal with labor issues daily. Utility costs traditionally rank second. Take the time to review your plant’s operation. Apply common sense and you will find many additional cost-saving avenues that are available to you.

Equipment Manufacturing: Chuck Anderson, Ellis Corp. San Diego, Calif.

There are many areas in the laundering process that need to be monitored. Some common errors I see in processing that lead to higher-than-necessary energy, fuel and water costs are:

• Pre-sort — ­ I don’t think there is enough emphasis placed on the importance of a good pre-sort department. Stains, rips or tears can be identified in pre-sort before the article is processed, saving energy, water, chemicals and labor. We routinely see textiles make it all the way through the laundering process, and it is the room attendant who rejects the article.

• Washing — Make sure that your operators are utilizing the proper formula for each classification of textile being processed.

On many occasions I have seen textiles processed on the wrong formula, or different classifications of textiles sharing a formula because nobody took the time to build a classification-specific formula. Processing this way leads to longer-than-necessary formula times or shortened formulas that lead to rewash, both of which waste energy and reduce the linen’s useful life.

Check washers for door-seal leaks, steam leaks, leaking drains, etc. These all lead to increases in energy and water usage.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of using a scale in your laundry. Many times, I see the scale has been removed from the laundry, or it is piled with other items from the laundry for use as a storage area. Also, I hear that the operator has been loading the machine for so many years that he/she knows exactly how much to load by look and feel—yeah, right. Under-loading and overloading washers lead to higher processing costs, machinery wear and tear, and increased rewash.

• Drying — Review your dryer times. Most linen is over-dried by several minutes, wasting valuable energy. I would choose a benchmark of, say, 25 minutes and test each classification and document your findings. You can also weigh the textiles before and after drying to get an idea of the pre-dry and post-dry moisture content. I have many customers who utilize summer and winter drying formulas to maximize efficiency.

Make sure that dryer lint collectors are being blown down and cleaned frequently, and that there is adequate make-up air to the dryer burner.

• Flatwork — I routinely see operators pulling pieces off the folder due to wrinkles and mis-folds. Make sure your padding is in good order (note: old sheets do not replace padding) and the folder is properly tuned. Reprocessing items run through the flatwork system is one of the biggest wastes of energy and time that I see.

• Clean-Linen Storage — Once linen is processed, make certain that it is immediately wrapped, covered or stored in a contamination-free environment. Too many times, I have seen linen that had to be reprocessed because it was exposed to a nightly blow-down by engineering.

Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.
Click here for Part 3.

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Bates Troy Healthcare Linen Services will use a BAE Systems test truck powered by a HybriDrive® parallel propulsion system in its healthcare linen service deliveries and pickups. The test will provide BAE Systems with valuable data about the fuel economy and performance of the HybriDrive parallel system, the companies say.

 “Having the ability to test the HybriDrive parallel system in a real-world operational situation is very valuable to our product development, to further demonstrate and validate its benefits and value to end-users and their communities,” says Dr. Mike Mekhiche, director of programs for power and energy management at BAE Systems, Johnson City, N.Y.

 The HybriDrive parallel system is a heavy-duty electric-hybrid propulsion system that complements BAE Systems’ HybriDrive series system. It was designed to respond to the specific needs of the heavy-duty vocational truck market. With more than 300 million miles of revenue service, more than 25 million gallons of diesel fuel saved, and more than 280,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions prevented, the HybriDrive series system has proven itself to be an efficient hybrid system that has provided significant environmental benefits, BAE says.

“Bates Troy has a history of dedication to state-of-the-art technology, and this partnership with BAE Systems to test their hybrid system was a natural step for us,” says Brian Kradjian, president and CEO of Bates Troy Healthcare Linen Services. “We are excited to measure the efficiencies that can be gained through the utilization of the BAE Systems hybrid propulsion technology in our fleet.”

AVON, Conn. — Advantage Capital Partners, a venture capital and small-business finance firm, in partnership with investment management firm Ironwood Capital, has provided up to $7.1 million in financing to New England Linen Supply Co.

The financing will enable the company to maintain 72 employees at its New Haven operating facility and position the company for potential growth in Connecticut.

New England Linen is headquartered in and operates from New Haven, Conn., as well as from an affiliated company in New Jersey, and serves customers from the Boston metropolitan area to greater Philadelphia.

The investment was made through Advantage Capital Connecticut Partners I, a fund created in connection with the Connecticut jobs statute, a bipartisan package intended to create jobs, spur innovation and strengthen the state’s economy.

“This financing demonstrates their commitment to invest in solid businesses located in neighborhoods that need jobs,” said Michael Vicchairelli, CEO of New England Linen Supply Co. “This investment ensures that our business remains and grows in New Haven.”

“Our resort has upgraded its linens everywhere, from the guestrooms to the pool to the five-star restaurant. So, the pressure is on to clean, handle and store these goods so they give us the longest useful life possible. What advice can you give me about processing high-thread-count linens?”

Commercial Laundry: Rick Rone, Laundry Plus, Sarasota, Fla.

The best advice that I can offer is to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. The next best source of assistance would probably be your chemical supplier. It should be able to offer the appropriate details for the wash and dry cycles with an eye toward cleanliness as well as life expectancy.

In general, as the thread count goes up, you usually need a higher water temperature to open the fibers and release any soil or stains. Some people believe that you can accomplish the same thing with raising the pH level. I am not a big fan of this method, because I believe it contributes to a shorter life cycle. I am not saying it doesn’t work, but there are better ways to accomplish the same goal.

I will presume that you know the four parts of the washing equation. If available, you might try a longer formula or hotter water. We always try to use the minimum amount of chemicals, but not just due to the cost. Since we process only customer-owned goods (COG), we believe that part of our responsibility is to help our customers get the longest life expectancy (number of wash cycles) from their bed and bath linens.

The next area to review would be the extract cycle. Whether your machinery utilizes centrifugal extraction or the press method, faster or greater pressure is not necessarily best. You need to be ready to admit to yourself, as well as your supervisor, that this new material is going to take longer, and therefore cost more, to correctly process than the old (lower thread count) linens.

Higher-thread-count linens will usually finish better if sent to the iron with higher moisture content. Since the question is specifically about higher-thread-count linens, I will address the flat goods only.

Ironing of your new linens can and probably will be a whole new ballgame. Let’s review the factors that affect output and quality: ironing temperature, speed of line, roll pressure, type of pad, adjustment of each roll speed, type of tape being used, and, finally, folding method (air blast or blade). Since the moisture level might be higher, you can either run the iron more slowly or turn up the temperature and maintain current speed. I support the theory that slower is better. We would rather lose production than compromise quality.

Next, I would look at roll pressure. Generally, the higher the pressure, the shorter the life of the pad/pads. This can be balanced with the correct pad thickness as well as proper material. If your iron is a multi-roll unit, and if each roll is inverter-driven, you should properly synchronize the speed of each roll individually so as to obtain the correct pull of each roll away from the previous one.

There are many types of iron tape available. Based on your choice of pad material, roll pressure and roll-speed synchronization, the tape you use will not leave unnecessary tape marks or pucker lines in your higher-thread-count linens.

I prefer the air-blast method of folding. Unfortunately, as the thread count—and therefore weight and thickness—increases, so to does the need for a blade to assist in the proper folding. As long as the blade is properly maintained, it will be a valuable tool.

Be prepared to accept that the whole process will take longer and cost a little more, but the finished product will be better and should last longer.

Equipment Manufacturing: Chuck Anderson, Ellis Corp., San Diego, Calif.

Managers new to processing high-thread-count linens must first understand that high thread count does not equate to more durability. In fact, the opposite is true.

Thread count is simply the number of threads per square inch of fabric. These consist of vertical threads (warp) and horizontal threads (weft) woven together. To achieve a higher thread count, thinner threads are packed into the same square inch of fabric with a tighter weave. These smaller threads with a tighter, less flexible weave produce a more delicate fabric.

The most important step after purchasing new linens is to wash them thoroughly to remove vat dyes and sizing used in the manufacturing processes. If these chemicals are not removed before finishing, yellowing can occur, which will take several rewashes to remove (in some cases). These chemicals can also produce allergic reactions in some guests.

High-thread-count linens are expensive, and you want to make sure ownership has provided you with enough product. Resorts should have a minimum of three pars: one par in the room, one par being processed, and one par on the shelf. It is important that linen “rest” on shelves for 24 hours after laundering, because many types of linens are more easily damaged right after washing; this also enhances the flat-dry appearance.

Take a look at your equipment. If processing with a tunnel washer, you will need to add a program to your press for these more delicate fabrics. Specifically, to prevent hydro-burst in sheets, the press should be set to ramp to a membrane pressure of no more than 15-20 bars.

Adjust washer cylinder speeds, water levels, chemical concentrations, temperatures and process times to achieve high quality with reduced mechanical damage and chemical degradation.

Check inside of wash cylinders and around doors for snags. One method is to run an old pair of pantyhose along the inside. The material will snag on any burrs or imperfections.

For good mechanical action when washing napery, load the wash wheel to this capacity, depending on type: full drop — 90%, split pocket — 75%, Y-pocket — 65%.

Dryers should be in top shape and preferably have humidity controls. Make sure to set adequate cool-down time, and do not over-dry.

Check speed and tension on spreader-feeders using one sample test sheet; do not destroy multiple sheets before you realize you have an issue. Replace ironer padding and roll covers if worn or ripped to reduce mechanical abrasion. Make sure cleaning/waxing is on a routine schedule. Control chest temperature at 310-325 F. These heavier, larger linens are going to require slower processing.

It is important to educate banquet staff, pool attendees, servers, housekeeping and any other resort personnel who come into contact with these high-end linens about their cost and proper handling.

Each department should have proper soil carts or bins so that linen does not sit on the floor. These carts should be cleaned regularly and checked frequently for protrusions that could snag or tear linen. Besides sorting linen into normal classifications such as towels, sheets, pillowcases, etc., goods should be sorted by degree of soiling. This will eliminate over-processing and prevent unnecessary wear.

Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.

“Our resort has upgraded its linens everywhere, from the guestrooms to the pool to the five-star restaurant. So, the pressure is on to clean, handle and store these goods so they give us the longest useful life possible. What advice can you give me about processing high-thread-count linens?”

Textiles: Elizabeth Easter, Ph.D, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky.

High-thread-count linens, especially cotton sheets, were introduced to consumers in the ’90s. In the past five years, the hospitality industry has begun offering these so-called “luxury linens” to their customers. Thread counts that traditionally averaged 180-200 have been replaced with thread counts up to 1,500.

There are some misunderstandings about what they actually are. Most people believe that quality, softness and durability increase in a linear way with increasing thread count number. This is not necessarily true. The truth is that it’s just not that simple. Thread count is only one measurement to examine when considering luxury linens.

What are the quality indicators of high-thread-count linens?

• Fiber Quality — 100% cotton sheets are by far the most popular among high-thread sheets. The highest-quality cotton is long staple. Staple refers to the length of the cotton fiber: the longer the fiber, the better. It creates stronger and finer yarns. Among long-staple cottons, the longest are Egyptian extra-long staple and Pima (Supima).
• Yarn Size — This is a measure of the fineness of each yarn: the higher the yarn number, the finer the yarn. The yarn size in sheets is typically between 40 and 100. The size will determine how many yarns can be woven in a square inch. Higher thread counts are created with finer yarns, as more of them can be woven into a square inch. Also, super-fine yarns can be twisted, creating two-ply yarns that can then be woven into sheeting.
• Thread Count (Yarn Count) and Construction — Thread count is the number of yarns per square inch of fabric, i.e. add the number of warp and weft yarns. Construction refers to how the thread count is achieved (number of warp and weft yarns, number of picks in the weft, use of two-ply yarns, etc.) To achieve higher thread counts, sometimes two-ply yarns are used, and sometimes multiple yarns (picks) are inserted into the weft.

Chemicals Supply: Carrie Armstrong, Ecolab, Eagan, Minn.

The upgrade of linens throughout the facility creates an opportunity to develop a partnership with each department. Training the end-user on the linens, development of quality standards, par levels, and linen-abuse potential will assist in linen management. Written procedures and standards that are specific to each department for handling the upgraded linens can then be established and practiced.

Processing high-thread-count linens in the laundry has its challenges. High thread counts provide for luxurious linens and often require specific guidelines for processing. It is important to consult the manufacturer and/or read the care labels before laundering and processing. The manufacturer and/or labels will provide guidelines for processing based on the thread count, fabric type, color and manufacture.

Upgrading to high-thread-count linen does not indicate an increase in industrial wash durability. More often, these linens are more delicate due to the nature of the manufacturing of the cotton, the yarn size, and production of the thread count.

Here are items to review and document when upgrading linen, with a goal of reducing mechanical, chemical and stain damage in processing:

• All linen type specifications
• Wash formulas — revise per manufacturer’s recommendations
• Wash processes — water levels, chemical concentrations, temperatures, wash/rinse/extract speeds and times
• Load weights — do not overload or underload
• Dryer temperatures — do not over-dry
• Spreader/feeder tensions
• Ironer cleanliness and temperatures
• Stain program
• Sorting procedure
• Quality assurance program
• Par levels
• Storage space
• All equipment maintenance — no rough edges, clean
• Test-wash all linens multiple times

After this review, put written procedures and standards into place and begin monitoring. Continued training and education for laundry personnel, as well as the various departments, is necessary. Soon, processing the upgraded linens will be routine, and you’ll be prepared for the challenges of optimizing the life of your high-thread-count linens.

Textile/Uniform Rental: John Shoemaker, General Linen & Uniform Service, Detroit, Mich.

Marriott in New Jersey has a large laundry. Per its policy, processed linens are allowed to “rest” for a 24-hour period. In order to make linens last, be sure to maintain plenty of par and avoid quick wash turnarounds.

Likewise, it would be a wonderful time to have the chemical company visit and do titrations with increased regularity.

Full checks should be done. All four pieces of the “washroom pie”—time, temperature, mechanical action and chemical action—should be addressed to assure longevity of life.

Are the washers being under-loaded, resulting in too much chemical action? Is the temperature too hot? Is the run time correct for the upgraded products? Check and recheck all washroom elements to assure the maximum longevity of your textile products.

Tomorrow: In many ways, cotton is easier to wash, but finishing is another issue …

“Equipment, chemicals, etc., play a huge part in our laundry’s success, but our most important asset is our people. We have to work well as a team. In what ways can I improve my team-building skills and learn how to spot trouble that could drag down staff morale and curtail production?”

Uniforms: Barb Herman, SanMar Corp., Issaquah, Wash.

It’s pretty clear that our industry does a good job building teamwork and morale on the sales and service side. But most companies typically don’t turn inward, toward their production and administrative staffs, to provide any real motivators for going beyond the call of duty or for building better production through true teamwork.

We treat people fairly and truly care, yes, but do we motivate and build a culture of efficiency from the inside out?

We as an industry spend a lot of effort and time “externally” branding and marketing our goods and services to our customers and prospects. But we don’t really spend any time doing the same for our internal staff.

If you were to give a plant tour today, could your department leaders explain to a prospect what you do in your laundering process that sets you apart from the competition? Can they state why, for instance, you might fold and bundle your shop and bar towels versus bagging them in bulk?

The word “teamwork” is defined as a cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together or in the interests of a common cause. The idea of giving your production and administrative staff “all the information” empowers them with more knowledge to connect the dots.

It makes them part of the success of your company and enables them to own their process. It makes what they do more important.

When you give meaning to people’s work, you enhance morale. And studies for decades have shown us that higher morale provides higher production, whether in quantity or quality.

The following is a recipe for success in team building from within our plants and offices:

1. Make them part of the important, customer-centric decisions. If you make a change in the way you need to produce goods, such that it enhances your service, the production staff should be just as much a part of that decision or design process as the sales and service staffs.
2. Make sure that your internal staff knows how you sell your products and services.
3. When you have internal meetings, bring someone from sales and/or service, so that ideas can be exchanged from both perspectives. Build a culture that you are truly all working together. Do the same when you have external department meetings, by bringing production or office personnel to those meetings, and empowering them to take issues back to their respective “departments” to figure out solutions.
4. Hold full staff “rap” sessions with your entire organization (or at least representatives from all departments). Create a 360-degree view. As a leader, it’s a must to provide and/or be the conduit that allows and enhances information flow in both directions.

When all of your teams know they have the 360 view, teamwork will be a natural result. It is when we compartmentalize and run departments in a vacuum that we don’t take advantage of the teamwork opportunity that exists in every company.

Teamwork starts from the top down and grows from the bottom up!

Commercial Laundry: Rick Rone, Laundry Plus, Sarasota, Fla.

Certain ideologies can be used based on the number of workers within a company, but respect is necessary no matter what the size.

Keep employees motivated. Motivation is not always associated with giving more money. Managers need to be smart about scheduling workers, making sure they get at least 40 hours a week and consider how many days they will need to complete the hours. Can they save a day of paying for childcare and/or transportation if you schedule them for four 10-hour days instead of five days or more with shorter shifts?

When there is not enough work, review your people. When possible, lay off the ones who are not performing well and let the others complete a full-time schedule. Keeping the right people will maintain your production levels.

The employer can help employees in different ways. If a worker gives advance notice that he or she can’t report for work on a particular day, let them switch with another co-worker so they won’t lose hours.

Schedule employees who can carpool to work together on the same day so they can split the cost of gasoline.

Recognize the various nationalities in your laundry by doing something special on their holidays. Promote from within whenever possible.

Rotate workers to different workstations; this will prevent burnout while helping them gain experience in different areas, ultimately boosting production.

In the laundry industry, we encounter many different cultures and people who speak different languages. Workers can come from various foreign countries and primarily speak their native language, not English. People who are fluent in all languages spoken at your laundry must be available to prevent problems from happening due to miscommunication.

Communication issues will drastically affect production and quality. All employees should take comfort in knowing there is someone they can ask questions to better understand what they are supposed to do.

When you hire a new employee, make sure he or she has the right capabilities. Place new hires with more experienced employees so their work can be monitored in case they are not working up to standards (quality, speed, etc.) or a problem arises.

Managers must monitor production by piece or pound per hour and see that the workers are aware of these numbers and where they are with respect to standards. Consider an incentive if production goals are achieved.

Experience shows that employees will split off into different cliques or groups for various reasons, and this will affect your production and quality. Break up these groups, and make them understand that they need to work together. They work for the same company, and “groups” cannot be tolerated.

Understanding and accommodating your employees, and listening to their suggestions and ideas (hint: install a suggestion box) makes them feel important and part of the company.

Click here for Part 1.

Tomorrow: Answers from the textile/uniform rental, hotel/motel/resort laundry, and equipment/supplies distribution sectors…