Content about Home appliances

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — When looking to renovate an existing laundry or building a brand-new facility, there are many questions to ask before the process begins and while the process is ongoing.

David Chadsey, the managing director for Laundry-Consulting.com, addressed the issue during a recent webinar, 10 Things You Should Know Before Building or Renovating a Laundry, sponsored by the Association for Linen Management.

While Chadsey focused on 10 questions to ask, he emphasized that for each application, there may be more than or fewer than 10 items, and that the list is not intended to all inclusive.

1. WHAT AND HOW MUCH

Chadsey’s first question focused on what a laundry needs to process and how much needs to be processed.

“This is the first thing you need to evaluate,” he says. Best practices are based on volume and classification and will differ depending on the type of laundry facility you are working with.

“When calculating what and how much, we want to confirm the volume and then we want to estimate for projected growth,” Chadsey says. “If you’re building or renovating, obviously you don’t want to build just for today.”

Look down the road; what are the possibilities that might be in store for the facility?

Chadsey suggests looking at what equipment you have and want, and perhaps allowing the facility’s plans to contain contingencies for expanding square footage sometime in the future.

Another suggestion is to evaluate the capacity per each process path, whether it’s dry fold, flatwork, wash aisle or finishing line. Take a look at manual labor and automation, and what may change in the future. You can design a finishing line, for instance, more effectively if you know it’s only going to handle hospital sheets.

Always allow for flexibility in a project. If the projected production is to be maintained, laundry managers must look at the ebb and flow of a plant as the linen moves through, as well as the times of day and the days of the week. If a change occurs, whether it be in equipment or in processes, the laundry must be flexible enough to handle the change.

2. SELECT A PROJECT TEAM

As a way to maintain checks and balances during the building process, and to be sure that everything is covered and the project is moving forward, select a well-balanced team to oversee the project.

Such a large-budget undertaking will typically require a project coordinator— usually a member of the organization behind the project—and an outside consultant, one to help the team navigate the process, will be hired. Other members of the team are typically the laundry manager, contractors, the architect and engineer, and there may be more than one engineer, equipment vendors, plant engineering staff, human resources, and a person who will speak for those financing the project.

The project coordinator needs to understand the work scope of all members of this team, as well as their responsibilities, Chadsey says.

3. INDUSTRY PRACTICES

Before the building progresses too far, it is best to identify best practices for the particular type of operation intended for the renovated or new facility.

“Processing 20,000 pounds of linens for healthcare is different than processing 20,000 pounds of hospitality linens, especially on the finishing side,” Chadsey says. And processing industrial textiles is certainly different than processing table linens.

He suggests talking about automation, different types of wash wheels, as well as volume considerations before too much time, money and energy has been expended on the project.

4. CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS

Any building project involves considerable amounts of money, Chadsey says.

While people most often consider equipment to be the major expenditure for a laundry operation, it may be true only for some renovation projects. If the laundry is brand-new or the facility will be undergoing a major redesign, often the planning and design stages can be a major budget item, as well as the construction costs.

Consider these factors:

• Planning and Design
• Construction
• Utility Upgrades and Connections — Will the new facility require more electricity, higher water consumption, greater sewer capacity?
• Equipment
• Impact Fees — Depending on the locale, these fees can be significant, Chadsey says. Consider the fees that will be charged by the municipality for the facility, for new connections to water lines and sewer, or for other utilities. One project on which Chadsey worked encountered impact fees in excess of $1 million, he says.
• Downtime Processing — During renovation, is a plant going to experience downtime? A project team must look at how the operation’s processing will be completed during building or renovation, and plan for that downtime.
• Transition and Training — If a new plant is being built to replace an older facility, a project team must consider how operations, equipment, personnel and support staff/equipment will be moved from the old facility to the new. In the case of a renovation, how does management propose to work around and then integrate a new line or new room of the facility? And after the transition is complete, production numbers will be lower as the staff is trained and learns new equipment, procedures and systems. Staffing issues may include the need to downsize.

5. FOOTPRINT REQUIREMENTS

One of the major considerations for both a new build and a renovation is the facility’s footprint. If you are currently operating a laundry, you probably will have a general idea of the space required for current needs. But what happens if you want to expand? Chadsey has a production area formula that he picked up along the way during his 28 years in the industry, and while he can’t remember where he found the formula, he thanks those who came up with it.

“I use 5 square feet times pounds processed per hour. Plus soiled and clean staging, plus the mechanical room,” he says.

The staging area or areas encompass the space needed to process incoming soiled linen, as well as processing and storing clean linen after it comes off the process lines.

“An on-premise laundry may require a relatively small staging area,” he says. “If you’re a shared hospital laundry with a large number of trucks coming in each day, or if linen goes to a certain customer and that customer can only pick up three days a week, then staging requirements can be significant.”

Green initiatives are another consideration, he says. Take new innovations in water-reuse equipment, for instance, which may take more space.

The formula example that Chadsey provided during the webinar was:

A laundry processes 10 million pounds per year for 312 days per year (that’s 32,000 pounds processed per day). Divide that figure by the number of hours the facility is operating each day—in this case, 12 hours—and you have 2,700 pounds of linen being processed each hour. Multiply that figure by five and you arrive at a total of 13,500 square feet required for production.

For this example, Chadsey used 2,500 square feet for both the staging areas and the mechanical room, making the facility’s total size 18,500 square feet.

Check back tomorrow for part 2, including operational metrics, automation, transitioning, and more!

ROANOKE, Va. — It seems that making the required adjustments in your laundry operation is a never-ending process. There are a number of variables to be considered when making periodic adjustments. With this in mind, I have decided to, over the next several months, discuss the factors and opportunities available to every manager in fine-tuning his or her operation.

Let’s look at the wash room. There are certain universal principles that apply to all washing equipment, whether it is a tunnel washer or a conventional washer-extractor. The first principle is deciding how big a load you wish to put into your washing machine. Sounds simple enough, but the answer can and should vary based on the type of linen you are washing and the moisture content of the linen to be washed.

To illustrate, I will use my operation’s tunnel washer. Its rated load capacity is 110 pounds per pocket, but if I were to fill each pocket with 110 pounds, I would be dramatically under-loading the tunnel. We wash micro-filament mops through our tunnel washer. Because of the moisture content in the soiled mops, we load each pocket to 165 pounds. This load easily fits into the extractor at the end of the tunnel, and the load comes out looking clean and smelling great.

There is a danger in putting too much linen into a tunnel-washer pocket. An overly large load will not come clean, and may not fit efficiently into the extractor at the end of the tunnel or may not come out at all. Anyone who has experienced a jam up inside the tunnel washer knows that it is something you want to avoid.

There is, however, a compelling reason to accurately determine the proper load size for each type of linen. We were able to increase our average load size from 100 pounds per pocket to 125 pounds per pocket. That is a 25% increase in output without adding time or additional equipment.

We wash a large amount of reusable barrier surgical linen that each day. This linen is made from 100% polyester fibers and weighs very little per piece. If I were to load this type of linen to 100% of normal capacity, the linen would be so tightly packed in the washing machine that water may not reach the center of the load.

The key to this type of linen is to have enough goods in the washer to provide good mechanical action and effective cleaning. Underloading the washer will cause the linen to float on the water’s surface; overloading will end up producing no mechanical action at all. We have found that a general rule of thumb is to start testing at 70% of rated capacity.

The most effective way to wash linen is to do it right the first time. The wash room is not an area where you want to try to save money. Poor-quality washing will result in unhappy customers, higher labor costs and higher linen-replacement costs. Since labor and linen represent two of the largest expenses in a linen rental plant or in-house laundry, we should focus our attention on managing these costs.

It is for this very reason that I personally despise the use of guaranteed cost-per-pound-of-linen wash-room chemicals contracts. I want to be able to exercise my managerial control and to dictate the quality level coming out of my wash process. I want to be able to reduce my labor and linen replacement costs.

Many fixed-cost-per-pound contracts end up using far too much chlorine bleach (extremely inexpensive) and less-than-desirable amounts of alkali and detergents. Instead of having a chemical representative trying to find ways to make a profit on his or her fixed-price contract, I want them spending time trying to keep my quality up, my replacement costs down, and my productivity high. I personally believe that these are two entirely different types of service and are mutually exclusive.

The next area to focus on in the wash room is turnaround time. How long does it take from the time a wash cycle is completed until the next load is started? This is extremely important for conventional washers but also should be looked at for tunnel washers (hold time).

We track turnaround time for every load on our conventional washers, and have found that having a place to unload the washer into “ready” and “waiting” helps reduce turnaround time. Having the next load prepared and ready to be loaded also reduces this time.

When we first starting looking at turnaround time, we found that we were not doing a good job when it came to processing traditional wet mops. Housekeeping was bagging the mops in plastic bags and sending them to the laundry. Our soil sorters set these bags to the side until there were enough for a wash load. The cart was then taken to the wash room where, after the washer was emptied, the wash person would slowly open each bag and place the mops into the washer. This system required 30 minutes to load the washer. By having the soil sorters remove the mops from the bags and sort only the mops into the carts, we were able to greatly reduce the amount of time it took to load the washer.

Running a tunnel washer faster than the dryers can handle the linen causes the tunnel to go on “hold.” To me, a tunnel on hold is wasted time. It is better to lengthen the tunnel wash time per pocket than to allow it to constantly go into a hold situation. Proper scheduling of the linen mix going through a tunnel can help keep the equipment running smoothly. Next time, I will discuss tunnel scheduling.

ROANOKE, Va. — It seems that making the required adjustments in your laundry operation is a never-ending process. We must consider a number of variables as we make periodic adjustments to our operations. With this in mind, I have decided to discuss—over the course of the next several months—the factors and opportunities available to every manager in fine-tuning their operation.

First, let’s take a look at the soil-sort department. This area varies by laundry, and the quality of the process in this area can make a major impact on the overall operation. I guess the first decision to be made is whether we are going to sort the soiled linen or not.

It used to be a popular idea, both in Canada and the United States, to sort healthcare linen after it had been washed and decontaminated. I know of a number of laundries in both countries that have abandoned that idea in an effort to reduce chemical, labor and linen-replacement costs.

The purpose of sorting soiled linen is to remove trash and other foreign material before the linen is washed, and to facilitate the proper cleaning and handling of the linen through the laundry.

The larger the laundry, the greater the number of sorting classifications. Smaller laundries may mix all large dry items together, while large laundries will sort thermal blankets, bath blankets, knitted contour sheets and incontinent pads into separate classifications.

The more detailed the sort, the more the wash formula and the drying times can be customized for each individual product. (The ability to fine-tune a dryer formula will be considered in a future column.)

Ideally, linen should be handled as few as times as possible as it moves through the laundry. A thorough soil-sort process eliminates the need to sort the product after it has been washed and conditioned or dried.

For example, we use a soil-sort classification just for our white hospital bath towels. This allows the operator on the small-piece folder in the production area to quickly process the items without having to handle unrelated items. Once processed, the items are placed in stacks of 10 on a conveyor belt that moves through an automatic tie machine and then delivers the product to the cart make-up area.

Bath towels are only touched three times before they are ready to be packed for orders: during the soil-sort process, as they are fed into the small-piece folder and, finally, as they are put on the conveyor. This economy of effort leads to a highly efficient and effective laundry.

In reviewing the soil-sort area of the laundry, I will normally check the established classifications to determine if they still meet the needs of the laundry. I check to see how many times each must be handled before the product is ready to be placed in carts for delivery. This survey tells me if I need to add or subtract soil-sort classifications.

I will also review what percentage of my overall work volume is represented by each classification. I want to make sure that high-volume items receive the greatest amount of attention. I also use this information to make sure that all high-volume items are placed in appropriate positions along the soil-sort platform. Efficiency can be improved when high-volume items are placed in the best positions.

It is important to remember that the mix in your laundry will change over time. Your process requires periodic review to ensure that the underlying mix has not changed.

Review and re-evaluate production standards for this area during this fine-tuning process. Changes made in the number of classifications and the placement of each in the soil-sort area will impact an employee’s productivity. Being able to measure the impact of the changes and validate that you have improved your operation is a critical component in being a good manager.

Finally, assess the quality of your soil-sort process. How many items are showing up in the wrong category? A bath towel accidentally sorted into a load of white sheets will need to either be rewashed or gathered, dried and then routed to the appropriate finish area. The most economical way to process linen is to do it right the first time. Tracking the amount of linen that is incorrectly sorted can give you an ongoing measure of your soil-sort area’s effectiveness.

Equipment Manufacturing: Steve Hietpas, Maytag Commercial Laundry, St. Joseph, Mich.

Although not directly related to the manufacturing of commercial laundry equipment, for some of our customers this topic is a major concern. Professional laundry managers can do two things to help stem the flow of objects found in dirtied linens: an employee training program and, where applicable, conveniently placed containers for depositing razor-sharp objects.

In healthcare settings, a number of pointed objects—hypodermic needles, for example—are used on a regular basis. These needles, if left in soiled linens, are dangerous to professionals processing the laundry. By incorporating collection receptacles in or near every patient’s room, it makes disposing of these items properly more convenient and more likely. Coupled with a program to train staff of the importance of sharps disposal, laundry processing is much safer for all parties involved.

In the food and beverage industry, training again plays an integral role in reducing the amount of cutlery found within soiled linens. The awareness gleaned from training helps to protect those processing the linens and ensures the vast majority of utensils are available for patrons.

Textile/Uniform Rental: Tom Peplinski, Golden West, Oakland, Calif.

Sharp objects can be a safety concern to all those handling soiled linen. Each year, millions of workers suffer workplace injuries that could have been prevented. Approximately 30% of all workplace injuries involve cuts or lacerations, and about 70% of those injuries are to the hands or fingers.

Some practical steps can help minimize the risk of contact with sharp objects:

• Include the issue of sharp objects in your hazards safety meeting
• Post reminders that sharp objects may be present in soil area
• Be sure that gloves (puncture-resistant, when possible) are worn
• Be sure all personnel are trained in the procedures of handling soil
• Have a clear, written policy and procedure covering first aid
• Keep good housekeeping rules that include eliminating sharp objects and edges
• When sharp items are found in soil, try to identify customers from which they came and inform them of the issue.
• Post anti-sharp/anti-garbage posters at customer’s soil area
• Offer to speak at customer’s safety meeting to address the potential problem
• Inspect the area where the soil container is placed to see if there might be a safer area elsewhere
• Inform all service personnel when sharps are found so they are aware of the risk

Finally, review past incidents/injuries involving cuts and lacerations. Have participants discuss the cause of the injuries and possible solutions as to how the worker or employer could have prevented them. Apply suggestions for improvements to your “Cuts and Abrasion” policy and procedures.

Commercial Laundry: Richard Warren, Linen King, Conway, Ark.

Laundries don’t put the sharps into the linen stream, and we can’t keep them out.

I find that infection control staffs at hospitals are embarrassed about the issue, so we need to be sensitive in our approach. I find them quite willing to work with a laundry that maintains a professional attitude toward what they perceive as their own problem. We certainly can’t be heavy-handed when we discuss this issue.

We have done some things physically that have practically pushed this problem into extinction. We contact the infection control people, our point of contact in the linen department, and the linen committee to talk about how to keep the sharps out. They need to know where the offending item came from, so we help by taking a picture of the item. Sometimes it’s identifiable. If the discovery is made in the sorting department, we make note of the specific carts we are working with at the time. We e-mail all this information to personnel at the hospital so they have something to work with. Calling them to complain just keeps the adversarial relationship alive.

Not all hospitals recognize the urgency of the situation, but those that do have shown a dramatic decrease in incidents. We apply the same procedure to all manner of rogue hospital items, some of obvious value. Any customer would appreciate that attention.

There are commercially manufactured machines that “scan” the soiled laundry for foreign objects, and are used at the point of linen collection. I don’t have any first-hand knowledge regarding their effectiveness.

ROANOKE, Va. — I have been employed in the healthcare laundry market for more than 40 years, starting as a washman in a healthcare laundry in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June 1972. I have often marveled at the changes in the laundry industry over the past four decades. The industry has been unpredictable at times, but I have always found my work enjoyable and interesting.

In this month’s column, I project what the laundry industry will be like in 20 years. Now, I know my crystal ball is not perfect, and I claim no special ability to predict the future, but a little common sense can go a long way in predicting what might happen.

My expertise is in the area of healthcare textiles, so I will deal only with this segment of the business. There are four main areas that will affect our industry: national healthcare, environmental concerns, energy, and textiles.

NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EFFECTS

In the year 2033, the U.S. healthcare laundry market will look very much like the Canadian laundry market does today. The majority of U.S. healthcare will be controlled by the government through its single provider network. Because government is the major source of all revenue, it will be actively involved in helping to control costs on all levels.

Administrators have for years looked at linen service in a healthcare facility as an unavoidable cost. They have continually looked at ways to reduce the costs associated with this service by outsourcing to lower-cost providers, using contract management companies, limiting the number of items in the linen inventory, and re-introducing cost-effective reusable products.

Sometime between now and 2033, the politicians will focus on commercial laundries that want to make a profit off of sick people, and the inefficient in-house laundries, and make the decision government always makes: they can do it better. Just like Canada, the U.S. government will establish a network of healthcare authority laundries that will provide predictable-quality linen service to all healthcare facilities.

This move will probably happen at or near the point when the brain trust in Washington similarly takes over the food service programs at hospitals, moving the majority of food preparation to regional, off-site central kitchens.

The commercial laundry industry will, of course, fight this development, but in the end it will lose.

This development of government-operated central laundries will also eliminate all contract management business in the healthcare laundry market. A number of provider companies will find themselves in a position to sell their facility to the government or face owning a facility that has no customers.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

The need to lessen our collective impact on the environment will continue to be heralded over the next 20 years. It will reach the point that all laundries will need to treat their wastewater and reuse it. (We currently reuse a little more than 50% of our water used in processing linen.) Over the next 20 years, substantial research-and-development dollars will be spent in all industries to make it possible for them to clean and reuse water. Once the technology is available, all laundries will be required to use it.

Similar improvements will be found in boilers, dryers and ironers, reducing our use of energy but forcing the industry to quickly utilize the newest technologies.

Government planners will mandate the use of reusable linen surgical packs and other items. Government-run laundries will make and sterilize surgical packs for use in the operating rooms. They will provide reusable underpads and isolation gowns. Every effort will be made to lessen the amount of trash that needs to go into a landfill. New fabrics will be developed that are easier to wash but present additional challenges in the finishing area. Some of these products may eliminate the need for ironers altogether (more on that later).

Washroom chemicals will need to be developed based on their ability to clean and their effect on the environment. All products will have to be biologically safe and have a minimal effect on the environment. This will require our universities to train a new breed of enviro-chemist. These chemists will understand how various chemical properties will affect the environment. Over the years, they will greatly expand our knowledge in this area, as we learn from our mistakes and get better at predicting the unintended consequences of our actions.

ENERGY

Environmental consequences will be the driving force behind our energy policies. The internal combustion engine will continue to be Public Enemy No. 1. To effectively reduce pollution from automobiles and trucks, the government will continue to allow oil prices to increase. The steady increase in fuel processing which will create higher gasoline and diesel prices will cause consumers and companies to reduce their use of these products. This reduction will be heralded as a major achievement for the environment.

Some companies will switch their vehicles over to natural gas, and this will help for a while. But the current excess supply of natural gas will quickly disappear and the government will move to limit fracking as an environmentally hazardous way to get this energy source.

This energy policy will affect the number and location of government-run central healthcare laundries. These plants will be designed to provide services to healthcare facilities in a well-defined geographic area. Gone will be the days of operating a depot in a far-off city! Distance and possible weather-related problems will determine the location of healthcare laundries. Gone will be the days of several laundries competing to serve the same geographic area. Each area will be carefully planned, and healthcare providers will find themselves assigned to the government-run laundry in their area. The government will do away with the VA laundry system.

Nursing homes and other non-acute care healthcare facilities will also be directed by the government into one of these government-controlled laundries. The power of the U.S. government will be based on the control it can exert as a single payer.

TEXTILES

It does not take a lot of imagination to see the development of a new line of products that will enhance the healing process and decrease bed sores. The current reimbursement system will penalize facilities for skin care problems that develop during a patient’s stay in a facility.

Recently, I have seen several linen items just coming to the market that have clinical proof of their success in this area. The washing and finishing requirements for these products are dramatically different from our traditional linen. Early prototypes do not require the use of an ironer to finish the sheets, and they dry much faster than traditional linens.

The driving force in this area will be the improved health of patients due to their use of this type of linen. I predict that healthcare facilities will demand that laundries provide these items despite being more expensive for the laundry to purchase and driving up the cost per use over traditional linen items. The added cost of treating in-hospital skin problems will make these higher linen costs seem like a small investment.

My favorite Star Trek movie calls the future the “undiscovered territory.” We are free to dream and make it whatever we want. It’s my belief that the forces I cite in this article will impact the laundry industry as described unless we do something to change the current course of human events. I happily leave those efforts to others.

Chemicals Supply: Philip L. Bodner, Metro-Chem, Kearny, N.J.

Hello, my name is Phil Bodner, and I am a “soap-man.” I get to wear many hats and mean many things to the customers I serve. I’m pleased to be a part of American Laundry News’ continuing effort to bring new ideas and beneficial information to our industry. I hope to contribute to the conversation and provide whatever insights that my experience will allow.

I live in South Jersey with my wife, Penny. My likes include family, golf, history, politics, current events and dining out with our friends. For the past 28 years, I have worked as a sales representative and sales manager for Metro-Chem Inc., and my expertise in laundry technology extends from shirt laundering, hospitality and institutional, to linen supply and industrial uniform plants.

My responsibilities have included new product ideas and testing, hiring and training field technicians, procurement and engineering of automated injection systems, marketing and sales meetings, as well as maintaining many long-term customers in my own Philadelphia area territory.

At Metro-Chem, we manufacture more than 100 laundry-specific products for all laundry needs. We provide innovative, top-quality chemistry to all segments of the industry, but we believe that you can only be as good as your ongoing commitment to service in the field. It is this combination of effective products and a true consultative approach to technical service that I believe helps fuel our sales growth and delivers the greatest good to our individual customers’ businesses.

As a company, we stay abreast of everything from local water conditions and water restrictions, to wastewater regulations and new types of textiles and garments. As such, we’ve been busy in 2012 developing a new activated chemistry to help perform well in lower temperatures, lower pH and with fewer oxidizers required. This concept is moving us toward shorter wash formulas with importance placed on less water consumed per load.

We have also done our due diligence and created several new non-NPE surfactant-based detergents with exciting results. These formulations are more readily biodegradable for those that desire, or are required to take, a greener path toward laundry production.

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I hope that 2013 will provide opportunity, renewed prosperity and happiness to all in our industry and our country.

Equipment Manufacturing: Steve Hietpas, Maytag Commercial Laundry, St. Joseph, Mich.

Since graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, I’ve spent the majority of my career—more than 15 years—in the commercial laundry industry, with a focus on the OPL segment.

Currently a senior sales manager, I joined the Maytag® Commercial Laundry team in October 2007. To date, I have managed OPL sales throughout the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Canadian markets, and I work directly with distributors to ensure our products meet the needs of their customers. Previously, I was a regional sales manager for another commercial laundry equipment manufacturer covering a similar territory. My background also includes working with national accounts that purchase equipment directly for their own use, as well as selling to franchisees.

Maytag® Commercial Laundry offers a full range of commercial washers and dryers to the OPL market through an international network of distributors. Our company is dedicated to developing energy-efficient solutions and dependable products for the commercial laundry market. And in 2008, Maytag® Commercial Laundry celebrated the 50-year anniversary of its entry into the commercial laundry business.

As the industry continues to evolve, so does commercial laundry equipment. From a manufacturer’s perspective, this can create challenges. An excellent example of this is the ongoing objectives to increase the energy and/or water efficiency of equipment, while decreasing the amount of time it takes to do laundry—therefore decreasing labor costs—and providing exceptional cleanability.

2012 was a busy and successful one for Maytag® Commercial Laundry. We introduced an industrial line of soft-mount washer-extractors available in 180-, 230- and 275-pound models. We also enjoyed continued growth within the OPL market segment and are continuing to work on new product introductions for 2013 and beyond.

Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Scott Delin, Superior Uniform Group, Seminole, Fla.

I have expertise in image apparel and uniform program management, specializing in healthcare laundries. With more than a decade of supplier sales experience, and another 15 years in a mixed-plant linen supply company, I believe my hands-on knowledge base is unparalleled.

I, alongside my father, grew up operating a women’s apparel cut-and-sew operation. I am passionate about sharing my knowledge with others and helping them build successful partnerships.

The company I work for, Superior Uniform Group, was founded in 1920 as Superior Surgical Manufacturing. By 1926, its Fashion Seal Uniforms brand was created. After acquiring several other manufacturers over the years, Superior Surgical officially changed its name to Superior Uniform Group in 1998 to better reflect its greatly expanded clientele base.

Superior Uniform produces more than a dozen catalogs, outfitting employees from various industries that include healthcare, restaurant/food service and governmental/public safety. The company has also created a call center division called The Office Gurus, and a digital apparel division called everyBody Media, which were both launched in 2008 and 2011, respectively.

I am a board member for the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), where I develop and present in-house training programs that can be used in laundries as they seek new, innovative approaches to selling uniforms to the healthcare industry. I am also active in the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA), where I serve on its board of directors, and am a member of the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) advisory board. I hold a bachelor of science degree in textile and apparel management from Philadelphia University.

A couple issues that will present challenges in the new year include market changes and how our healthcare customer base is looking for a new type of uniform look, with new kinds of user-friendly fabrics. I’ll also be thinking about more employee purchase programs as hospital and healthcare budgets continue to be cut.

ERIE, Pa. — Following the installation of a new washer-extractor from Maytag® Commercial Laundry, a Shriners Hospitals for Children® site here is experiencing improved energy and water efficiency and increased staff productivity, the hospital’s manager of environmental services reports.

Pleased with the performance of a Maytag 55-pound multi-load washer-extractor installed seven years ago, the hospital opted to replace an older 135-pound washer with a 55-pound Energy Advantage™ soft-mount, high-speed multi-load washer-extractor, to help rightsize its laundry operation.

Recently transitioning from a 30-bed acute-care hospital to outpatient care, Erie Ambulatory Surgery Center and Outpatient Specialty Care Center has a four-day-a-week laundry operation, which cleans about 3,400 pounds of laundry. The 135-pound machine coupled with the existing 55-pound washer was more than it needed. For guidance in its equipment choice, the hospital connected with Maytag distributor Equipment Marketers, Cherry Hill, N.J.

“We strive to be as energy- and water-efficient as possible, and running correct load sizes for our needs is a natural way to accomplish that,” says Laurie Bowe, CHESP, manager of environmental services for Shriners Hospitals for Children®. “We were pleased with our first Maytag washer, as well as the company’s customer service. … Equipment Marketers was versed in the product and our specific application—they were the perfect partner for us.”

“Being environmentally conscious and finding new ways to operate more efficiently and within budget is crucial in the laundry rooms of today’s healthcare facilities,” says Bob English, general manager of global commercial laundry at Whirlpool Corp. “Upgrading to new multi-load, high-speed washer-extractors can significantly reduce energy and water consumption, leading to lower utility bills and more efficient operations for the facility.”

“Our laundry facility is now optimally sized, and we’ve also become more efficient from a staff perspective, completing more loads of laundry in less time,” Bowe says. “Everything has turned out wonderfully.”

Laundrylux continues to provide hands-on help to laundry owners with its end-of-year Open House at its corporate office in Inwood, N.Y. Current store owners can visit anytime between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. to speak with Factory experts. Stay for lunch at noon and attend a retool seminar at 1 p.m. Attendees will learn how to increase their store profits and grow their business.

If you’re new to the industry, register for Laundrylux’s 6:30 p.m. New Investor Seminar where you will learn how to get started in the coin laundry business. Learn about the Electrolux brand and industry-leading, high-performance product line. Laundrylux also provides new store owners with store design, signage, and expert marketing support—quite unique in the industry.

End-of-year price specials and rebates on equipment will be available. “Touch and feel” the complete Electrolux and Wascomat product lines and learn about the revolutionary Crossover washer and dryer. Learn about investment tax credits, energy savings, increasing store profits, and more.

Plus, if your laundry was damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Laundrylux is offering a Disaster Recovery Program that includes no payments for up to 6 months, 0% interest for 12 months, and no advanced payments, application fees, or filing fees. This program is for Coin and On-premises laundry. Call today or plan to attend the show to learn more.

To register, call 866-971-1010.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — As word continues to spread about the various benefits of using less energy and water in daily tasks, much of the hospitality industry is now working to make its on-premise laundry (OPL) facilities more energy- and water-efficient. As a result, many hotel owners are finding that the conservation of natural resources is not only good for the environment, but also for business. It can lead to lower utility bills and increased productivity, as well as an improved image in the eyes of hotel guests.

Though it may be tempting to jump right in and start buying new equipment, it’s important for hotel owners to first take a close look at the many options available to them, leading to a more informed decision.

There are a variety of things to do and consider as they begin their research on improvements, which can ultimately lead to higher energy and water efficiency, as well as a higher return on investment (ROI).

FIRST, FIND A DISTRIBUTOR

Whether looking to buy laundry equipment for a new hotel or upgrading an existing operation, hotel owners would be wise to first begin a relationship with an established distributor for product guidance and future maintenance. Look for laundry distributors who have a long history in the business and a well-known reputation for good customer service, both before and after the sale.

It also is a good idea to choose a distributor that offers solid warranty and service agreements, factory-trained service technicians and a full parts inventory, so replacement parts can be obtained with minimal downtime. It is crucial that the distributor send a service technician out promptly with the replacement parts needed for repairs so the laundry facility can keep up with guests’ needs.

ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY

Though the costs of operating an OPL are considerably lower than sending laundry to an outside business, selecting the right equipment for the job can reduce costs even further. Hotel owners can significantly cut utility costs by investing in the latest energy-efficient commercial laundry equipment, including multi-load high-speed washer extractors.

High-Speed Multi-Load Washer-Extractors — The best way to improve overall OPL efficiency is by incorporating multi-load, high-speed washer-extractors. Extracting water in the washer instead of the dryer through higher spin speeds means linens will dry more quickly and gently, and less energy will be consumed.

For the highest level of performance, hotel owners should look for soft-mount washer-extractors with a G-force (G), or spin speed, of at least 300, though certain soft-mount washer-extractors can feature high-speed extraction of up to 350 G.

Higher G-force simply means more water is removed. For example, a 55-pound washer operating at 100 G will leave about 50 pounds of water to be extracted in the dryer, which will take 45 minutes to dry. A 350-G washer, however, will only leave 33 pounds of water, which will reduce drying time to 31 minutes and save linens from additional wear.

When compared to laundries operating with 100-G washers, those operating with 350-G washers can save substantial labor dollars. A laundry operating with 350-G washers can process 10 loads in approximately 2½ hours less time than the laundry operating the 100-G washers. At $10 an hour, increasing washer speed to 350 Gs has the potential to save more than $8,000 a year in labor. Plus, shorter drying time at 170 F will cause less linen wear and tear.

High-speed washer-extractors are an ideal option for OPL operators, as they drastically reduce labor and other operational costs. Of course, to complete the efficiency upgrade package, OPL facilities also need an energy-efficient multi-load dryer.

Multi-Load Dryers — Like multi-load washer-extractors, today’s multi-load dryers can hold larger loads of laundry, reducing the number of loads that need to be dried. These highly efficient dryers come in varying sizes, with the largest ones being able to accommodate loads of more than 150 pounds.

For the highest energy efficiency, hotel owners should look for large dryers with high-performance airflow distribution systems that dry clothes faster using less energy, and sufficient insulation and sealing to prevent the leakage of heated air. This allows the machine to dry clothes faster using less energy.

Washer-Extractors for Smaller Facilities — In addition to the individual size and performance of machines, the size of the OPL facility is an important factor to consider. Though multi-load equipment is ideal for larger facilities, it might not be as good of a fit for some smaller OPLs. Fortunately, there are also equipment options for laundry facilities in smaller hotels.

Owners of smaller OPLs stand to reap the most substantial benefits from an equipment upgrade, usually from a traditional top-loading washer to a front-loading high-speed washer-extractor. When comparing on-premise high-speed washer-extractors with traditional top-loaders, the front-loaders are generally recognized as the more energy-efficient option, and they also use water more efficiently.

For example, a top-loading machine needs enough water to cover all of the fabrics in its drum, while a front-loading machine only requires one-third of that amount of water. The drum in front-loading washer-extractors is horizontally set, so as it turns, it uses gravity to drop the fabrics back into the water. This allows front-loading washer-extractors to use several gallons of water a year less than traditional top-loading machines.

Another front-load washer-extractor advantage is that these machines have no agitator in the middle of the drum, allowing them to hold larger loads, which also saves time and energy. Additionally, agitators inflict gradual wear and tear on fabrics over time, so fabrics washed in a front-load machine should last longer.

ELEMENTS OF PROPER OPL DESIGN

For hotel OPL facilities to operate efficiently, it is also important for owners to properly design the facility, ensuring that all OPL components are positioned in the most beneficial way for hotel staff members.

First, OPL facilities must have a wide swinging door that will easily accommodate in-and-out foot traffic. Then, there’s the placement of the different areas used for separating soiled laundry prior to washing and folding clean laundry after it’s processed. Placing folding stations near washers and dryers helps staff members to be more efficient, as they only have a minimal distance to carry laundry, and also helps keep clean laundry from potentially being dragged on the floor.

Washers and dryers should be in close proximity, while allowing for staff members to easily maneuver laundry carts within the space. Store clean linens near the entrance/exit door for easy access to both housekeeping and other hotel staff members.

Most distributors will have someone on staff who specializes in laundry facility design, or will be able to recommend an outside interior designer or architect who can assist the hotel owner with producing a more efficient laundry room layout.

IN SUMMARY

Under the guidance of a reputable, well-established commercial laundry distributor, hotel owners can make huge improvements to the energy- and water- efficiency of their OPL and significantly reduce operational costs.

High-speed washer-extractors and multi-load dryers are a wise investment for all OPL facility owners, as they help achieve all of these goals and allow staff to spend less time handling laundry and more time on other important duties.

In addition, due to the ROI of the equipment, hotel owners can expect to recoup the price difference between this equipment and traditional less-efficient OPL equipment in utility savings over just a few years.

High-speed multi-load washer-extractors and multi-load dryers also help decrease a hotel’s impact on the environment. So, by making informed energy- and water-efficient decisions for their OPL facilities, hotel owners are not only making a smart move for their bottom line, but are also doing their part to preserve the environment of future generations.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — There often comes a time when hotels examine their on-premise laundry and decide whether to keep processing their linens in-house or to outsource. Reasons can range from aging equipment and escalating labor and utility costs to pressure from unions and/or outgrowing the allocated space. The luxurious 800-room Fairmont San Jose recently faced this dilemma. With equipment replacement imminent, the pounds-per-operator-hour number low, and labor costs rising, the hotel decided to take a hard look at its options.

Processing up to 16,000 pounds per day, Fairmont looked into the option of outsourcing by evaluating bids from several local linen service providers. Simultaneously, the hotel reached out to equipment distributors and manufacturers for their input on design, equipment recommendations, laundry assessment, and pricing. Western State Design was awarded the contract to supply, install and commission new flatwork finishing equipment from Chicago Dryer Co.

The Fairmont San Jose decided to take a three-phase approach to replacing its laundry equipment, with finishing equipment being the first phase. Western State Design’s Phil Charlton and Mike Boelk worked diligently with hotel management—Assistant Director of Housekeeping Jason Lustbader and Chief Engineer Larry Wick—to ensure a successful project and to provide the facts and figures in support of why reinvesting in new equipment and keeping the laundry in-house made economic sense.

The long-term partnership between the hotel and the distributor plus Fairmont’s proven success with Chicago® equipment at other properties around the world provided an extra level of confidence that the laundry renovation would go smoothly and deliver the promised results.

New equipment includes a Chicago King Edge Vac CT, Century 2-roll 5200 CT Steam Ironer, Skyline S-16 CT Folder, and Stacker. The complete flatwork system was designed with CHI•Touch, a state-of-art, PC-based, color touch-screen control.

The CHI•Touch easy-to-use graphical interface provides operators, floor management and service teams at the Fairmont San Jose with real-time information to maximize productivity and machinery uptime. The system on all three pieces of equipment allows the ironing line to function more seamlessly than ever before. An operator simply touches the screen at the feeder to select any of the property’s seven programs and the ironer and folder adjust accordingly. The color touch screens indicate simply and clearly what is happening in each machine component.

Installing the new flatwork finishing system has eliminated the Fairmont’s need to pre-condition sheets, increased processing speed (from 65 feet per minute on the old system to 138 FPM on the new system), eliminated three FTEs at the ironing line, and reduced flatwork finishing operating hours by roughly 50% (from 10-16 hours per day to 6-8 hours per day).

The Fairmont San Jose triple-sheets its beds and commonly has the need to process up to 3,000 sheets per day on a full turn with the Chicago flatwork system, which also handles all of its table linen, pillowcases and napkins.

The Fairmont San Jose made an educated choice to keep its laundry in-house and is realizing the savings and efficiency resulting from investing in the first all-CHI•Touch ironing line in the country. The property is now able to effectively process at the speed and cost of a well-automated and efficient commercial laundry, while controlling and producing linen quality that consistently meets the high standards of the hotel’s rooms and food-and-beverage management, project managers say.

COMPARING IN-HOUSE TO COMMERCIAL

Whether an on-premise laundry is benefiting a hotel by providing better service at lower cost or is a financial burden to the property is unique to each location. Several variables—such as floor space, equipment age, utilities, access, and property location—need to be considered. Additionally, true operating costs and the outsourcing provider’s proposal need to be compared dollar for dollar. What to purchase and from who are also key questions to answer.

Equipment providers that can offer turnkey solutions are likely the best choice, but often are not easy to find. The decision as to whether investing in in-house operations is prudent and offers the required monthly savings ultimately belongs to hotel management and ownership. These are some items to consider:

• In-house laundries generally benefit from maintaining lower par levels, reducing overall linen cost and inventory while freeing up valuable storage space
• Tighter quality-control measures can usually be met when processing in-house, resulting in brighter whites, less staining, a higher-quality finish, and longer linen life
• Some commercial laundry service providers do not process food-and-beverage linen or uniforms, creating the need to use two or more outsource companies
• A commercial service in need of increasing production to process a wide variety of quality and linen types may use stronger chemicals, acids, alkaline and bleach, which can weaken fabrics and increase discard quantities
• Does the linen service provider have a contingency plan for power outage, flood, fire, or other disaster that could interrupt service?

In some cases, it may make economic sense to outsource, or a hotel may need an outside linen service provider to meet its excess demand or for emergency service, and there are many reputable linen service companies to meet these demands. It is necessary, however, to periodically visit the laundry provider to check on the process, chemicals and detergents being used and the quality of finishing and folding. It’s also important to check the water source to ensure the water is soft and will not discolor or damage the linen.

PHASE TWO AND THREE IN WORKS

The Fairmont San Jose carefully followed this evaluation process and chose to keep its laundry in-house, saving at least 12 full-time jobs within the hotel and local economy. Today, its efficient laundry operation meets the quality demands of a top-rated hospitality property.

Moving forward, the hotel will complete the planned second and third phases to revamp the remainder of its laundry services and provide the state-of-the-art property in the heart of Silicon Valley with a laundry that will meet its needs for many years to come.

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — Keeping costs low while continuing to provide premium services for customers is a daily struggle for any operations manager. With so many areas to oversee, it’s easy to overlook one of the most important—the laundry room.

It is an essential behind-the-scenes operation, where there are a number of ways to save money and still provide customers with the quality linens they expect. Newer technologies, coupled with reliable, durable, industrial-strength machines, can save owners thousands of dollars in the first year alone.

The initial investment in laundry equipment is the most important aspect of making sure a laundry room is cost-efficient in the future. Choosing machine features such as high G-force extraction, advanced controls and industry-leading technologies, combined with proper employee processes, allows managers to operate an efficient laundry room.

HIGH EXTRACTION

The best place to remove water from linens is the washer. As laundry technology advances, G-force extraction speeds continue to increase. Certain manufacturers are producing washer-extractors that spin at up to 400 G-force—removing more water from linens than lower-G-force machines.

If a laundry runs a 60-pound, 100-G machine 365 days a year and produce 12 loads a day, at $1 per therm, it would cost approximately $4,630 in gas to dry the linen completely. Comparatively, assuming you followed the same schedule and used the same amount of linen, the cost to dry linen in a 60-pound tumbler after withstanding 400 G-force extraction is $2,746 a year in gas. The difference is $1,884 per year per machine. As many hotels have multiple machines, this is a significant cost saving in just one year.

Investing in a machine that offers high G-force extraction will pay for itself over time, and help laundries reduce water and utility costs.

CONTROL FEATURES

Over the last few years, manufacturers have begun to truly automate machines through the development of advanced controls. These controls typically offer additional features to help make machines more efficient and can amount to thousands of dollars in energy, maintenance and labor savings.

Some advanced controls have the ability to monitor machine performance and provide reports that show error messages, as well as maintenance information and alerts. Additionally, the reports give managers a continuous log of maintenance history, which can be used to keep track of how the machine is being used.

Alerts provide managers with important maintenance information in order to make sure machines are running at maximum efficiency. This feature helps prevent unnecessary downtime, repair costs and disruptions in service. For example, after every 200 hours of machine use, managers are alerted that the main bearings need to be greased. This prevents unnecessary wear and tear, and allows managers to focus on other aspects of their job rather than manually recording.

Another feature allows for actual time-and-date stamping of the last 25 loads completed. With this function, managers can see what time a cycle started and ended. If long periods of time pass between cycles, it could mean employees aren’t working efficiently. Reports like this can be used as a training mechanism, showing managers where supervision needs to be focused or where more training is needed.

Restricting the fast-forwarding of cycles can combat labor and quality issues. Some owners have reported employees skipping certain cycles in order to expedite the laundry process, which allows the employee to leave earlier or do less work during their shift. When this feature is turned on, managers can rest assured that the linens are being cleaned to the standards they have set in the time frame specified.

Since labor costs are such a huge expense of the laundry operation, one other feature to look for in machine controls is a “head start” option, which allows machines to begin a cycle before employees report for the day. Employees can load the washer at day’s end, then the machine will automatically start and finish so employees can immediately move the linens to the dryer at the beginning of the next shift. This allows for one extra load to be processed per day.

OVER-DRY PREVENTION

Along with advanced controls, other technologies are becoming readily available for on-premise laundries, such as over-dry prevention. This technology directs the dryer to shut off when a load of linen has reached an optimal level of dryness. This reduces energy costs associated with over-drying and protects the integrity of linens, decreasing the need for replacement.

In a survey of commercial laundry distributors and laundry managers, 79% believe on-premise laundries over-dry by more than eight minutes per cycle. If this time were eliminated, annual savings could be as much as $883 in utilities and nearly $5,000 in labor. Also, the linens experience 31% less fiber loss when over-drying is eliminated.

OPERATIONAL SAVINGS

An easy way that managers can make sure they’re running an efficient laundry operation is by properly training employees on how to load machines. A common issue among on-premise laundries is that employees don’t load machines to full capacity. Under-loading machines wastes water and chemicals, and requires employees to clean more loads of laundry, causing unnecessary wear to the machine and increases in labor expenses.

The most important decision an operations manager will make is the type of machine to be purchased. It’s vital to invest properly upfront for high-quality equipment, since it will pay for itself in the long run. Make sure to invest in a machine that is built for on-premise use and not a refitted coin machine. True OPL machines are engineered to work harder for longer periods of time.

Additionally, always look for machines that provide the lowest cost of ownership, which can be found with OPL machines that have the features I’ve described. To understand the exact savings available, contact your local OPL distributor. Its representative will be able to provide detailed information to help increase efficiency in the laundry room.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Water is a big deal in Colorado. Discover Goodwill of Southern and Western Colorado, which operates the Fresh Start mixed plant laundry here, was using almost three gallons of water per pound of laundry processed. Management knew it had to make some changes in order to stay competitive in the marketplace.

DESIGN TEAMS TUNNEL AND CONVENTIONAL WASH AISLE

Over the years, Fresh Start’s conventional wash aisle had grown to 10 machines totaling of 2,250 pounds of wash capacity, but many of the washers were past their normal service life. Heavy soil drove the high water usage. In 2011, the local water utility announced a 300% rate increase to be phased in over three years.

With anticipated growth opportunities also in the mix, a new tunnel washer system made sense, but a significant portion of Fresh Start’s seasonal business included military goods that weren’t compatible with tunnel processing. Staying conventional and installing a state-of-the-art water-reuse system was also under consideration. 

Fresh Start needed a wash aisle that used less water, capacity to double production capability, and significant conventional washer capacity. Available space would not accommodate a full tunnel system plus the conventional wash capacity needed. And the capital cost of new conventional washers plus water reuse was significant.

The solution: a hybrid tunnel design utilizing 1,600 pounds of existing conventional wash capacity. A shared manual gravity rail would service a new line of high-production 450-pound dryers. The shared-dryer design provided adequate dry capacity for the tunnel and conventional washers in a shared space.

COORDINATION IS KEY TO KEEPING DOWNTIME TO MINIMUM

A major equipment change can shut down laundry production for weeks or even months, so with the business in growth mode, this was a concern.

Project scope included major steam, water, electric, HVAC, and air-supply modifications. New roof penetrations were required, old walls had to come down, and installation of new walls and barriers was needed to maintain functional separation between soiled and clean areas. Old dryers and washers would be rigged out before new equipment was brought in and installed.

Fresh Start selected Kannegiesser USA to deliver the equipment and installation solution it needed. Tony Jackson, Kannegiesser’s sales manager, organized a team of local industrial contractors, and the project was squeezed from eight weeks of plant downtime to just three.

“We settled on a very aggressive installation schedule,” says Jackson. “We needed a good collaborative effort to meet the time line goal for full production, and everyone delivered.”

New equipment included a Kannegiesser PowerTrans 10-compartment (165 pounds capacity in each) tunnel washer, Kannegiesser PowerPress 56-bar extraction press, Gardner Machinery heavy I-beam rail system, three CLM 450-pound capacity industrial dryers, and six ADC dryers.

Mech One was responsible for all HVAC and ductwork. Much of the material was pre-fabricated in advance of the equipment delivery. It designed and built modular ductwork above the roof that transitioned the hot dryer exhaust parallel with the roof. While sturdy, the design allows for easy disassembly, providing interior inspection access.

Olson Plumbing & Heating consistently stayed ahead of their schedule commitments for air, gas, water, drain and steam, according to Jackson, and successfully troubleshot a last-minute issue to ensure proper gas pressure was available for the plant’s larger gas utility load.

The new electrical requirements required a block-wide power shutdown to install the new service.  Electric Services of Colorado mobilized during early weekend hours and made the transition seamless for Fresh Start and its affected neighbors.

MATERIAL-HANDLING SYSTEMS ENHANCE ERGONOMICS, SAFETY

Ergonomics and safety were also primary goals of the laundry renovation. Fresh Start employs disabled individuals throughout the laundry. Helping them reach their highest level of personal and economic independence is central to the mission of Goodwill.

Utilizing a manual conveyor on the back side of the tunnel eliminated the safety hazards of an automated shuttle; the conveyor inclines to load press cakes to the dryer rail. The heavy I-beam rail design allows up to three cakes—a full 450-pound dryer load—in each sling. Manual rail can work even when ceiling height is not sufficient for automated rail technology.

Where once dryers had been manually loaded from carts, the new clean rail provides faster, easier dryer loading. The dryer rail also provides nearly 7,000 pounds of staged storage between the tunnel and the dryers. Rail staging can increase tunnel production by eliminating system holds associated with “waiting for dryers.”

The system performed right from the beginning, says Vae Lafano, laundry project manager at Fresh Start. “Summer is our busiest season. The new laundry design shortened our seasonal wash-aisle production by six hours a day. They told me that the tunnel would put pressure on the finishing side of the plant, and it has.”

And how’s the water usage? In the first two months of operation, Lafano reports the tunnel water consumption is averaging 0.5-0.6 gallons per pound. Good news for Fresh Start, and good news for Colorado.