Content about Home appliances

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.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Developer Orange Lake Resorts, which operates seven Holiday Inn Club Vacations® resort destinations, has taken steps to minimize its carbon footprint by introducing a new $1.4 million Milnor tunnel system that will save 15 million gallons of water per year.

For nearly 30 years, Orange Lake Resorts operated the laundry facility for its flagship Orlando resort using three 600-pound washer extractors and six 200-pound dryers. The facility processed 1,800 pounds per hour (using 3 gallons of water per pound), completing a day’s work of 28,800 pounds over two shifts.

While Milnor’s PulseFlow Technology—which employs enhanced, intermittent counterflow and RecircONE® pump arrangement that continuously circulates water in the first module—was gaining momentum and praise, Orange Lake’s laundry and facilities leadership teams decided that it was time to make a change.  

“Orange Lake has an eye on the staff’s overall environment and on improvements in efficiencies and expenditures,” says Bill Bell of Steiner-Atlantic, Milnor’s local distributor for the Orlando area, “so we were thrilled that they committed to the corporate investment of introducing this modern equipment from the best in the industry.”

Orange Lake’s new equipment consists of a PulseFlow CBW® washer (150-pound capacity per module), a 40-bar single-stage press and four pass-through dryers. The equipment is capable of processing 4,000 pounds of laundry per hour, using only 0.3-0.4 gallons of fresh water per pound, with a day’s work of 30,000 pounds finishing in just one shift. 

Lower utility and water consumption isn’t the only benefit associated with the new tunnel system. The CBW’s four-compartment loading conveyor improves labor conditions, Milnor says, because the soiled goods require less handling by staff.

Once sorted, the goods are loaded on the conveyor to be discharged in the tunnel’s load chute. After the wash, goods are automatically discharged to the press, which removes excess moisture. After extraction, an automatic shuttle transports each “cake” to a waiting dryer.

In the days before there was a tunnel, Orange Lake staff would have to sort by goods type, manually load soiled goods in the washers, then manually unload and transport the now-heavier damp goods to the dryers/flatwork aisle.

Aside from the tunnel’s ergonomic benefits over large open-pocket washers, its process times are shorter and the quality of linens and towels is enhanced, extending linen life. Additionally, Orange Lake has doubled its hourly production, eliminating the need for a costly second shift.

The Orlando resort, with 2,478 villas and an average of 511,853 annual guests, processes 8 million pounds of laundry per year. Its new equipment enables the company to grow its laundry operation and process up to approximately 10.5 million pounds per year.

Healthcare Laundry: Scott Beaton, Kaiser Permanente Northern California

There are two major differences between institutional and commercial rental laundry plants regarding laundry processing equipment and operational procedures. The overarching difference is that each must serve a different master.

One is customer-based, high-volume, and driven to make a profit, while the other exists to provide a service for a captive audience. Due to these differences, the degree of necessary automation varies substantially.

The other major difference is that commercial/rental plants wash and process linen to meet the needs of both regulatory and customer-based demands. They deliver linen in a manner that guarantees and produces a positive net operating margin. This is driven by the fact that they are in business to make a profit.

Rental laundries typically spend more on their equipment, training and education of their workforce than an institutional facility. Pounds per operator hour, or PPOH, become the mantra. The old adage “time is money and money is time” comes to mind. These large, high-volume shared-service laundries and commercial plants tend to be highly automated, with batch washers, shuttle conveyors and pass-through dryers greatly reducing manual-labor requirements.

Commercial rental operations realize quickly in this competitive, price-point-driven market that financial investment and reinvestment is key in both manpower and equipment. This must take place to be competitive and sustainable in an ever-changing business climate.

A rental plant usually realizes that it takes a financial investment to achieve an efficient operation and, as a result, spends money to make money. Institutional laundries would benefit greatly if they would also utilize this model and invest in their infrastructure to best serve their internal customers.

Chemicals Supply: Marlene Williams, Anderson Chemical Co.

As a chemical formulator, my comments will focus on procedural differences between institutional and industrial laundries. Institutional and industrial facilities both launder linen, but the purpose and focus of each is in response to different expectations.

Institutional laundries provide a service within organizations. Industrial laundries are typically focused as independent businesses. This results in different orientations, chemical programs and procedures.

Major concerns for commercial laundries include optimization of production orientation. This would include labor and labor cost as a percent of revenue, utilities, water and chemical costs, production cost per machine, and overall profitability.

Formula times and rewash numbers can be well balanced to provide optimum profit. Hot water, high alkali, and bleach can provide lower pounds of rewash, but at the expense of linen integrity.

Major concerns for institutional laundries include: maintaining facility par, quality of results depending on potentially lower water temperatures, machine programmability, correct choice of program, and chemistry.

While most institutional facilities have well-trained staff, problems can arise when machines and chemical supply malfunction if a staff person does not make timely corrections. Because of a lesser focus on cost per piece, spotting and special pretreatments or machine formulas may be utilized. The luxury of time for rework and special formulas can result in higher volumes of good quality work without the expense of fabric damage.

Linen Supply: Stephen Marcq, General Linen Service

I see substantial differences between equipment and procedures in commercial vs. institutional plants. In commercial plants, for example, it is common to see newer, larger, more energy- and water-efficient machinery, i.e. continuous batch washers vs. smaller washer-extractors, six-roll ironers vs. one-roll, and so forth.

It is more common to see things like heat reclamation and water treatment equipment, as well as use of steam vs. thermal oil, electric and so forth on ironers. The reason is likely because the commercial plant can typically gain economies of scale, lower the per-unit production costs and thus generate a sufficient return on investment on the large up-front expense, although available space also has something to do with it.

The biggest procedural difference I see is that many institutional plants, by their nature, do a larger number of small loads, turning product sometimes several times per day, whereas a commercial plant may have one machine dedicated to a specific item operating eight hours or more daily.

The institutional plant often can customize the finishing procedures and requirements to the exact specification required, whereas the commercial plant has to find some middle ground to suit its mix of customers.

Commercial Laundry: Tom Gildred, Emerald Textiles

Differences in equipment and procedures between a commercial laundry plant and an institution-based laundry are substantial and exist for a variety of reasons.

The equipment in a commercial/rental plant is usually larger in scale and capable of processing huge amounts of volume (pounds) per hour. In newer facilities, or those that invest in newer equipment, tremendous energy efficiencies are achieved that result in energy and water savings. This positively impacts the environment and reduces operating costs.

Equipment in an institution-based laundry is smaller in scale and handles wash loads of lesser volume. In-house laundry facilities sometimes occupy revenue-generating space that might otherwise be used for additional operations within the organization.

Processes and procedures in a commercial plant are typically more automated, so less labor is required to process the laundry. This improves efficiency and decreases the risk of strain and injury to employees. Another difference in a commercial facility is rental pool linen. Large rental pools require fewer linen purchases on a regular basis and offer a consistent, flexible supply of product to all customers as needed.

The chemical mix in a commercial plant is also handled differently because of the opportunity to use each pocket in a continuous batch washer for specific purposes with specialized chemicals. This allows the precise timing, titration and temperature required to achieve the highest levels of cleanliness.

Handling larger wash loads also allows for the production team to run the same products through folding or ironing consistently, which improves efficiencies lost when switching the products that are being processed.

Finally, the focus in a commercial laundry operation is generally specialized and, because of its scale, designed to comply with OSHA, Title 22, and state and federal regulations.

In an institution-based laundry facility, processes are typically labor-intensive, and require more employees, because they are less automated and staff may or may not be assigned exclusively to the laundry function. Since the task of laundry is usually just one aspect of operations in the organization, it may be more difficult to be focused on compliance, efficiency and quality control.

In part, some of the reasons for these differences exist because of specialization as well as the scale and volume of each type of laundry facility. There are economies of scale realized when a commercial plant is focused on processing linen for multiple large healthcare or hospitality customers, vs. operating a laundry department in-house to process only the linens needed by that organization.

Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Steve Kallenbach, American Dawn

Typically, the equipment and procedures in processing textiles is about the same—whether in a rental laundry or an OPL (on-premise) hospitality or healthcare laundry—but does depend on the volume/poundage of each facility. When it comes to boilers, heaters, reclaimers, sewage treatment, washers, dryers, tunnels, ironers or presses, the equipment manufacturers supply our industry as one. And the chemical companies typically use formulation based on textile/application/poundage vs. market.

While one would think that the processes for these two business channels are equally alike, there are many different practices, based mostly on profitability and/or quality expectations.

The rental channel always has two common goals: growth and profitability. They are sometimes in opposite order, but always present together. This becomes a delicate balance between efficiency and quality. To illustrate, let's look at linen napkins.

A rental laundry typically wants to achieve acceptable market standard quality at the lowest cost. It’s in the business of making profits through textile rental, and therefore measures every microbe of wear life, processing cost, merchandise field recovery, and total merchandise costs (including acquisition) all the way to electricity and building costs.

In comparison, an OPL must maintain the internal (typically single-department customer) quality standard, and is part of a much bigger picture (a small department of a large enterprise). Its building, energy and overhead costs may be charged by estimate or calculation to the whole. Additionally, its quality standards are typically set by one of the other departments that it serves, are not negotiable, and are expected to be maintained, without as much weight given to cost.

The sheer difference in service dynamics and accounting in an OPL drive fairly significant differences in labor management, water/energy/chemical management, textile selection, and inventory management (which typically doesn’t fall under the control of the OPL), all the way to formula times, pressing speeds, and water temperature/steam use.

Additionally, because the perceived quality of OPL customers (key departments) is allowed to be as high as requested, much more finishing (such as pressing vs. tunneling) occurs.

Material handling and delivery also differs between the two types. An OPL typically delivers the goods to another on-premise department (i.e. Guest Services) using carts, rails and perhaps a small vehicle — and goods are many times picked up by the department being serviced. A rental laundry has many more carts (for separation by route/customer) as well as sort railing and numerous route trucks for delivery within a large geographical area.

Numbers will tell a big story here, and both have their place in the textile services markets. Cases can be made in either direction as to what is most efficient and profitable for the enterprise.

Tomorrow: Answers from the textile/uniform rental, consulting services, and equipment manufacturing sectors...

“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.

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

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

These are costs that are certainly rising and becoming a growing expense for laundries. Bringing in experts to make suggestions is prudent. This can be done at no cost more often than not, and you might unearth wonderful savings that you did not consider.

Something else that may be of value is looking at modern equipment. Water usage is greatly reduced through modern techniques vs. older, traditional equipment.

Meeting and talking to peers is wise. A sharp operator can learn from others and not have to reinvent the wheel. These peers may have come up with an excellent idea that is applicable to your application, as well as stimulate thought-provoking discussions about water, fuel and other energy usage.

Lastly, good maintenance prevails. Are all heat pipes insulated? Are any valves leaking? The basics pay off.

And the old adage of “that which is emphasized is what gets emphasized” is of importance. If you, as a leader, are talking up the containment of these costs, your key people will understand that they are not merely words but a message of extreme importance.

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

In other words, you’re asking about the things that on-premise, commercial or industrial laundry workers could be doing that use more energy, natural gas or water than is needed.

On one hand, our industry considers textile processing and finishing to be a “science.” As a science, a process could be established and followed, and a sustainable, efficient and consistent result expected and obtained … with every laundering. On the other hand, however, textile processing and finishing has so many variables that science becomes difficult to apply. It’s more of a delicate juggling of product, process, equipment, chemistry, standards, people and even weather.

While operations can set process and standards for efficient and consistent outcomes, it is difficult to keep the balance in place all of the time. Washing textiles involves 10 key factors, any of which can throw off the balance of cleanliness, wear life, electrical energy use, water use, gas use, finished appearance and, finally, cost!

Let’s examine each of them individually:

• Soil Type — Wash loads are typically sorted by regular level or high-level soil, and by food oils vs. petroleum. Formulas for each are different. If an operator either mixes these sorts or uses the wrong formula, the outcome is non-cleanliness, staining and/or odor. The result is customer dissatisfaction and, many times, rewash. The idea that you would wash/process a textile twice for just one service is a complete overuse of energy, gas and water.
• Textile Color — Most folks know that you shouldn’t wash blacks and whites and colors together, but textiles vary with mixed designs, so sorting for color is more important than in the past. If an operation washes a textile that might redeposit color from a dark to light portion of that textile or even the entire load, the outcome could result in stain- recovery rewash (or even textile replacement).
• Textile Fabric Content — Formulas are written differently depending on fabric or composition (such as 100% cotton, cotton/poly blends, 100% poly, microfiber, rubber, etc.). If product is mixed or if formulation is misapplied, the outcome can be poor textile wear, unsatisfactory cleanliness, staining, color redeposition, lint redeposition, pilling and more. One of the results is rewash. Duplicated effort wastes resources, time and money.
• Mechanical Action (Load Percentage Factor) — Some types of product, such as towels, allow 100% or more of machine capacity for the load. Others, such as uniform shirts, have proven best results at 70%. If a machine is under-loaded, the result will typically be textile wear. If a machine is overloaded, the result will typically be poor cleaning. This results in rewash.
• Water Level — If the formula for a specific textile type calls for a low level and the machine is either programmed incorrectly or is incorrectly putting in high level at that step, the result is diluted chemical mix. If the load step is calling for high level on a flush step, and the machine can only deliver low level (due to misprogramming, malfunction, or water supply), the outcome can result in poor cleanliness, redeposition and even fiber loss. Any of these issues typically result in rewash but also textile replacement.
• Water Temperature — Water delivery to the wash aisle can vary, depending on equipment, capacity, weather and timing. If a formula calls for 160 F, and your water delivery is over capacity or the steam-up is slow, a ma-chine will simply “vamp” while it waits … wasting valuable electrical energy. If your water heating (whether boiler, direct-fire water heater or combination) is too small to keep up with your flow capacity, the wash floor will simply spin while waiting for water to either arrive or to reach temperature.
• Water Quality/Softness — If you are lucky enough to get your city water “soft,” this may not have effect. But most plants have to soften their water. Hard water can cause all sorts of issues, from tinting to ineffective cleaning, bleaching and odor. This, of course, results in rewash. On the other hand, water treated too soft simply wastes electrical energy in the process.
• Processing Time — This is one of the most mis-measured areas of our business. If your machines’ timers malfunction, if they are waiting for water due to capacity, if it takes longer than normal to steam up, or if your valves or drains are open or leaking, then the step times are affected, causing major electrical energy and water misuse. Additionally, if your formula step times are written to be most cost-effective (short), the textiles will not be clean, again causing rewash.
• Chemistry — Our industry focuses so much on cost that we sometimes compromise the chemistry. In some cases, cheaper chemicals may get you lower cost for that load, but if you have to rewash a good percentage or if you have greater customer dissatisfaction, your costs are actually higher. Improper water level, water temperature and mechanical action can also contribute to bad chemistry, with the same result.
• Weather — Many plant/production managers (especially those who have relocated to different climates) don’t realize that climate and humidity change can cause varying quality levels. This is particularly true on the dryer or finish floor, where gas is the driver. If the wash load isn’t extracted enough (because the weather got colder) and then hits the dryer floor with too much water in the textiles, your dryer operators may increase dryer time (gas usage) to compensate.
  
  Additionally, there are key areas of a production plant where energy, gas and water are potentially being wasted.
• Dryers — Many textiles simply need to be conditioned before pressing. If over-dried, they will not press to an appropriate finish. This not only wastes gas on the dryer floor, but can also cause rewash, wasting the entire cycle of energy, gas and water. In some other cases, dryer malfunction due to poor maintenance can cause overheating or even basket flame impingement. This is one of most costly areas of wasted gas.
• Steam Tunnel — Several of these machines are designed to take garments directly from the washer-extractor. Oftentimes, the tunnel speed and temperature are tweaked to compensate for moisture that could have been eliminated earlier in the process. When the temperature is too high, the textile, decoration/emblem and identification label can be damaged. Also, the tunnel may be underutilized if the dryer floor completely dries the product.
• Ironer — Proper use of this finishing equipment is a cross between engineering, speed, temperature, maintenance, textile conditioning, quality expectations, people and weather. Any of these variables can save or waste energy or gas, increase or decrease quality, and directly impact labor costs.
• Shirt Press — Whether executive or production presses, these units can deliver a much higher finish than a tunnel, but cost more in labor and resources to operate. If the unit is at temperature but running at a lower- than-standard rate, the result can be costly in steam (gas use) and labor. Additionally, overheated presses can cause costly emblem and identification tape issues and eventual replacement.
• Boiler/Water Heater — Many boilers and water heaters in our industry are old. While they still operate well in terms of output, they may not have the energy or gas efficiency of new technology. Equipment companies can audit your equipment and offer you a comparison of current vs. future energy use.
• Routing — As our industry has grown, and especially with consolidation, efficient routing has not been well maintained. Additionally, some market sectors require customer accommodations in the form of numerous runbacks. The assigned route typically handles these runbacks instead of the truck that may already be in that area on that day, causing fuel waste that many times goes unchecked.

On the positive side, there are alternative-fuel and electric vehicles available that offer efficient transport options, if the operator has the capital to invest.

Tuesday: Answers from the chemicals supply and long-term-care laundry sectors.
Click here for Part 1.

BEIJING, China — Suppliers from China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United States have confirmed their participation in Texcare Asia, the region’s foremost trading platform for modern textile care. It is scheduled for Nov. 17-19 at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing.

Held every other year, the trade fair consistently attracts key players such as Castic-SMP, Dow, Hoffman/New Yorker, Jensen Group, Maxi Companies, Primus, Pony, Via-trade and Weishi, says Messe Frankfurt, the show’s organizer.

These suppliers and more—the exhibitor list stands at approximately 110 companies—will present a range of sophisticated, energy-efficient washing, drying and ironing technologies in a trade space of more than 10,000 square meters (approximately 32,000 square feet).

China’s laundry and dry cleaning market presents what Messe Frankfurt calls “significant opportunities” for suppliers of resource-saving technologies as the Chinese government implements a raft of measures to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 45% by 2020.

This has created a demand for environmentally friendly products such as centralized laundry systems, advanced dry cleaning machines, green solvents, energy-saving dryers, and water reclaimers.

Alliance Laundry Systems will launch Over-Dry Prevention Technology (OPT)—which it debuted in the States earlier this year—at the fair. The innovative technology shortens drying time and decreases utility consumption while extending linen life, Alliance says.

“We get to see customers, new and old, from across the Asia-Pacific region at Texcare Asia,” says Kitty Zhang, area sales manager for Alliance. “It is the ideal venue to launch our latest energy-efficient products.”

The Jensen Group from Switzerland hopes to impress visitors with innovations in sustainable laundry automation. “Representatives from our three core technology centers—washroom, flatwork and garment technology—will be at the fair to show how our tools can increase efficiency and boost productivity,” says Gerda Jank, head of marketing at Jensen. “These products will be especially interesting for visitors working in heavy-duty laundries.”

Shanghai Sailstar Machinery Co. is confident that its new SGS Cleaning System will be a popular draw.

“As governments enact ever more legislation to combat climate change, we expect our green SGS Cleaning System will generate a lot of excitement,” says Ivy Zheng, Sailstar’s marketing manager. “This system enhances energy conservation in medium- and large-scale laundry plants. It maximizes output, making washing more economical.”

The fair’s long-standing professional reputation continues to attract new exhibitors wanting access to China’s developing textile care market, Messe Frankfurt says. One such company is German-based BÖWE Textile Cleaning GmbH, which manufactures 12-30-kilogram dry cleaning machines for commercial use and 70-200-kg dry cleaning machines for industrial use.

“Texcare Asia has an established reputation for facilitating trade. We are looking forward to participating in the fair and increasing the visibility of our brand in China,” says Frank Ziermann, managing director.

Kunshan Yingelan Commercial Laundry Equipment is another company exhibiting at the fair for the first time. The Taiwanese firm will present its front- and rear-tilt automatic washer-extractors, front-input and rear-output auto-fast-dryers, dry cleaning machines and solvent recovery dryers, along with finishing and ironing equipment.

“Texcare Asia provides textile care specialists a professional platform for trade,” says Lin Qingguo, vice general manager of Yingelan. “By joining the fair, we hope to get a better understanding of the textile care market in China; this will be useful in marketing the Yingelan brand.”

The 2009 event featured 133 suppliers from 17 countries and regions and welcomed 5,977 visitors from 51 countries and regions, including the United States.

To learn more about Texcare Asia 2011 or to register, visit texcare-asia.com or send an e-mail to texcareasia@china.messefrankfurt.com.

An AmericanLaundryNews.com Exclusive

CHICAGO — Based on discussions over the last several years with folks having just completed educational programs sponsored by various entities, I am astonished that many managers in the laundry industry are still unable to complete essential tasks that are key components to making them a success.

It is not totally the fault of teaching establishments. The number of dedicated, knowledgeable professionals in our field is becoming less and less due to attrition and the inability of certain organizations to fill vacancies with qualified individuals who have demonstrated proven abilities in laundry management.

Many new managers (and some old) are not able to properly design a new laundry system. They seem to not know or have forgotten that things like water, steam, air and chemicals are the basis by which one begins the design process. For example, do not start designing a wash system without knowing what type of ancillary design systems exist to support the effort.

You don’t design a new laundry that doesn’t have adequate steam pressure or facilities to support new systems. You don’t build a new laundry without incorporating employee facilities such as restrooms, dining areas, parking, etc. You don’t specify a new item of equipment if you cannot get to the spot of installation.

You specify washing and drying systems based on production capabilities demonstrated in a proposal, and then hold the supplier responsible for meeting those requirements. Never, ever specify how many wash chambers you need for a continuous batch washer, as the technology that has evolved over 10 years demonstrates a vast difference between what top- and bottom-transfer designs can achieve.

Writing specifications for textiles can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be this way. I recently read a specification in which the customer stated only that it desired a 180-thread-count sheet. I was shocked, but not for the first time. Absent were finished sizes/dimensions, fabric construction, shrinkage allowances, colors (if required), fabric weights, types of fabric, labeling requirements, country of origin restrictions/requirements, delivery expectations, and applicable ASTM requirements, and I’m sure I may have missed some other points.

I retrieved some information that was part of the International Fabricare Institute (IFI)—now the Drycleaning and Laundry Institute (DLI)—educational program, where you went to school for months, studying everything from operations to the nuts and bolts of laundry and drycleaning chemistry. IFI did much work to restore products for the Smithsonian Institution in those days.

If you are placed in a position to specify a textile product, think of the following:

• Quality of fibers, fabrics and manufacturer

• Aesthetic appeal

• Comfort expectations

• Does it fit the purpose?

• Does it meet the target market?

• How well is it designed and constructed?

• What are the expectations, and will it perform?

While the corporate logistics novice desiring to make a name for himself or herself will never understand or appreciate this, standardization of laundry equipment and systems for an organization or corporate entity goes beyond making any sense (I’m being nice here).

Every laundry is built and designed differently. There are differences in floor structure, roof-load situations, clear ceiling heights, HVAC locations, water conditions, installation requirements, structure access, system loading/unloading needs, production needs, and types of items to be processed. Drain configurations and utility designs always vary from one plant to the next, and all have different ancillary support systems—air, water, chemicals, steam quality and pressure, thermal, etc. Expectations for automation are always unique; I could go on and on.

If you do not know laundry operations and the systems that process laundry, rely on those with true experience and expertise; keep in mind that titles and supporting programs like contracting do not necessarily demonstrate expertise or experience. Buyers should rely on technical expertise before making contractual decisions.

Most importantly, understand that standardization doesn’t permit determining best value and won’t allow one to take advantage of changes in the state of the art, which is always evolving.

I challenge our industry to step up to the plate, to get more involved in educational programs, to develop unbiased experts who can really inform customers and buyers of the pros and cons.

The old warhorses of our industry are fading or have faded away. I am proud to say that I learned from many of these giants. We need to regenerate or create the same type of environment that these true experts left for many of us.

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. — When striving toward a properly equipped hotel laundry facility, owners and operators have a number of factors to consider, including the right equipment mix, new technologies, types of machines and unique industry challenges.

The proper selection of commercial laundry equipment can have a significant impact on several key operational factors—namely time, money and utilities.

Before the Equipment, You Need A Distributor

Whether shopping for laundry equipment for a new hotel/motel or looking to upgrade an existing operation, it is important to connect with a reliable, established distributor for product guidance and future maintenance. The best laundry distributors are those that have a long history in the business and have received positive reviews for the customer service they provide — both before and after the sale.

It also is wise to look for a distributor with solid warranty and service agreements, factory-trained service technicians and a full parts inventory, so replacement parts can be obtained with minimal downtime. For example, if laundry equipment stops working on a busy Saturday, having a distributor that will send a service technician out promptly with the replacement parts needed for repairs is crucial to keep up with the flow of guest needs.

A reputable distributor will help ensure the laundry room is designed to efficiently meet the needs of the hotel staff and guests. The arrangement should accommodate a good workflow and have proper ventilation and enough space on all sides of the equipment for maintenance and operation. Distributors also can help owners calculate how many loads of laundry will be required to accommodate the average flow of guests.

Finding the Right Mix

To maximize a laundry operation’s efficiency, there are a few variables that need to be considered. For example, how many hours will the equipment operate per day? The answer to this question is dependent on the number of rooms, types of linens laundered, etc. and directly affects the variety and size of the equipment needed.

Another factor that needs to be addressed is the hotel’s target market. If hotel guests are generally business travelers, the type and the amount of linens vary greatly compared to a full-service resort where multiple towel types, robes, linens, etc., are required for daily guest use. Depending on the types of linens and the amount of laundry at the on-premise facility, a distributor can help determine where more or less equipment would ensure a smooth laundry operation.

A simple rule of thumb for preliminary discussions about the capacity of equipment needed to stay ahead of hotel/motel laundry needs is one pound of washer capacity for each guestroom. For instance, if a hotel has 100 rooms, it would need approximately 100 pounds of washer capacity. For dryers, hotel owners and operators would want to select equipment that provides approximately 30-50% additional capacity, in this example, around 150 pounds of dryer capacity.

Generally, owners and operators with more than 40 to 50 rooms opt for two smaller washers, which allow for laundry to be done continually throughout the day, instead of waiting to do all of the linens at one time. Also, in case the equipment breaks down, a second unit is there to keep up with the guests’ linen and towel needs.

Technologies Save Money, Time and Linens

The largest cost in a hotel laundry is labor, which can comprise 50-60% of every dollar spent. One of the best things a hotel owner can do is to upgrade the washers to models that have higher spin speeds, which remove more water from linens. This leads to a reduction in the amount of natural gas consumed in the drying process by shortening the dry times. Higher-extraction washers can cut drying times 20-40%.

Housekeeping operators stand to recoup the price difference between efficient and less-efficient on-premise laundry equipment in labor savings over a few years.

High-spin washers help hotels keep the cost of linen replacement down, as shorter dry times help increase linen life. Most of the damage to linens occurs in the dryers, when linens are tumbling in temperatures of 160-180 F for anywhere from 25 to 50 minutes.

Tomorrow: An additional challenge...

CHICAGO — Anyone who has ever been challenged to shoehorn a functional laundry into a tiny space knows that they can perform such a feat, but the sequel is making that laundry work properly.

Operational Considerations

There are many operational issues that should be considered and implemented during the planning and design process, not the least of which is matching the washing task with the drying task. If a compact laundry is using a 35-pound washer-extractor, the dryer should be 1.5 times the washer capacity, or +/- 50 pounds.

One of the most wasteful aspects of a compact, on-premise laundry is the mismatching of equipment. Smaller facilities always have smaller loads, therefore smaller machines should be included in the equipment mix.

All equipment choices should be coupled with a half-size machine. That is to say, if the primary production machine size is 50 pounds, then a 15- to 25-pound machine should be included as well. There is nothing more discouraging than to visit a facility and see a 50- or 100-pound washer (or dryer) being used to process no more than 5-10 pounds.

It costs the same to process a smaller load as it does to process a full-size load in any washer and/or dryer, so washing or drying full loads always makes more sense.

Compact laundries are difficult to staff, and the best way to staff such operations is to do some homework. You need to:

1. Calculate the maximum daily volume (poundage) that must be processed.
2. Determine the daily hours of operation the laundry is to operate.
3. Divide the maximum daily production demands by the daily hours of operation.
4. Once you determine the hourly production demand, all other decisions should be derived from this one number.
5. Determine minimum space requirements by multiplying the hourly production demands by 5 square feet/hourly production demand, which equals the total production square footage needed. (This space is not all that is needed. Other ancillary areas must be added into the calculations. And the 5-square-feet figure doesn’t account for soiled- and clean-linen storage.)
6. If the calculations show an hourly production output of 125 pounds per hour, divide that number by 50 pounds to obtain the number of FTEs (full-time equivalent) needed for each hour that the laundry must operate. In this case, the answer is 2.5 staff members.

Conclusions

Compact laundries can be a convenient way to meet the textile demands of a facility. Their economic viability can be debated since audits show them to be more costly due to the smaller volume.

Frequently, the reason for installing a compact laundry has more to do with location and convenience than the cost-savings potential. Where commercial laundry service is not viable, compact laundries can meet the textile needs of an institutional facility.

Some readers will ask where the break-even point is when considering the installation of a compact laundry. In 1990, that point was 750,000 pounds annually. Due to the rising cost of textiles, utilities, labor and employee benefits, the minimum annual volume for considering such an idea is now around 1.5 million pounds per year.

The decision to install and operate a compact laundry is driven by a number of extenuating factors, all of which must be weighed by the facility considering such a venture.

Click here for Part 1.

An AmericanLaundryNews.com Exclusive

CHICAGO — You could attempt to design-build a laundry system or build new utilizing such a concept, but a process lacking guidance can be a unique challenge.

By following some simple guidelines (based on a cubic-foot analysis) that will promote a competitive acquisition environment for systems and construction, the design-build process will be more complete and less complicated.

Design Considerations

Arrange the laundry plant production flow in a U pattern or a straight line. The design should permit an open flow without any major partitions or rooms in between. Areas such as ancillary support systems, linen rooms, offices and spare-parts storage should be located on the exterior of the workflow.

Equip the laundry with environmental systems that provide air movement, heating, air conditioning, lint collection and air cleaning.

Any overhead storage rails should be approximately 16 feet high, and there should be a 10-foot clearance when monorails and associated monorail loads are transferring/moving.

An AmericanLaundryNews.com Exclusive

CHICAGO — My last column addressed some basics pertinent to a design-build initiative supporting a new laundry facility or modernization of an existing facility.