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SALISBURY, Md. — By successfully serving small commercial accounts from one of his two coin-operated laundries, Mitch Wyatt nurtured a reputation that today has him handling the laundry needs of major hospitality, healthcare and food and beverage clients. Recently, to meet increasing production needs, Wyatt moved his commercial business into a newly constructed industrial laundry facility here.

The Quality Linen Services building turns out 1,700 laundry pounds per hour, using minimal labor, water and energy — giving Wyatt the opportunity to draw new clients and boost profits.

DEVELOPING COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS FROM COIN LAUNDRY

“I serviced five hotels, two assisted-living facilities, one university, and two restaurants out of one washer at my coin laundry,” says Wyatt. “We used a 55-pound-capacity Continental E-Series Washer that would maintain a temperature of 140 degrees and stay at that temp. I was getting stuff so clean, my clients were amazed.”

Once cleaned, tablecloths, linens and napkins were pressed and finished using a Continental Flatwork Ironer. Wyatt’s staff then folded, stacked and delivered the items to clients.

PRODUCTION NEEDS SURGE

All went smoothly until Wyatt secured a five-year contract with a local hospital. “I knew I needed significant industrial equipment to fulfill growing production requirements,” he says.

So, he sought help from Operations Manager Doug Colonna, who holds 15 years of industrial laundry experience; Deke Sheller of Fowler Equipment, a laundry equipment distributor in Baltimore; and Joel Jorgensen, vice president of laundry equipment manufacturer Continental Girbau.

The 10,000-square-foot industrial facility required careful planning, a partnership of experts, and a mix of highly efficient industrial laundry equipment engineered for bolstered productivity, according to Wyatt.

DEVELOPING AN INDUSTRIAL LAUNDRY FROM SCRATCH

“We worked with the engineer constructing Quality Linen’s building and all elements of laundry design, construction and utilities,” says Jorgensen of the project. “We went on to define specific laundry production needs, the equipment mix, and solidified financing over an eight-month period.”

In the end, the new building featured a Girbau Industrial Continuous Batch Washing system capable of processing 13,600 pounds in an eight-hour shift.

The facility’s powerhouse is its seven-module Girbau Industrial TBS-50 Eco-Tunnel with four-stage water reclamation, water filtration and drain-water heat recovery. Complementing equipment includes a Girbau Industrial ICP3 Incline Loading Conveyor, SPR-50 Press, Dual-cake Delivery Shuttle, three ST-100 Dryers, a PSN 80 single-roll gas thermal ironer, FT-LITE Folder, AP LITE Stacker and an FT-MAXI triple-sort dry goods folder.

Two Continental Girbau CG-120 Dryers, and two Continental E-Series washer-extractors (55 pounds and 90 pounds, respectively) round out the lineup.

CONTINUOUS BATCH WASHING

The system not only boosts laundry productivity to 95,200 pounds per week using a single shift, according to Wyatt, it takes just one employee to operate and manage, is stingy on water, and produces high-quality results.

Key to Wyatt’s equipment decision was his need to properly manage and process laundry for a variety of accounts. “Unlike most of our competitors, we provide rental service, as well as service for clients with customer-owned goods,” he says. “We required equipment programmable by customer, so items would be properly cleaned according to each client’s unique needs.”

Check back Thursday for the conclusion!

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.

CINCINNATI — Setting up a surgical pack room for a healthcare laundry facility takes more than a little thought and planning. A recent webinar, sponsored by the Association for Linen Management, featured Jim Sprout, the pre-pack business manager for Standard Textile Co. in Cincinnati.

Sprout detailed the key elements in developing a successful pack room program, starting with what hospitals are looking for from service providers.

“What do they want from us? Cost savings, staff preference, environmental impact and a partnership,” says Sprout. Such a partnership, he says, is a key relationship, as is the partnership with the manufacturer that makes the towels, gowns and other linens for your healthcare facility.

OTHER KEY ELEMENTS

The other major elements in putting together a pack room program include the facility, the staff, the products to be provided, and a strong quality-assurance program.

Sprout says a textile manufacturer can provide invaluable information to a healthcare laundry.

“We know how to launder this (linen), we get all the testing, we develop the fabric, we register it with the government, and only we know how we washed it 75 times,” he says. “Whomever you buy any product from, you should base your laundry formula on what the manufacturer recommends.”

Always register products, Sprout encourages, and rely on the manufacturer for product support when anything goes wrong, as well as for program support.

Many manufacturers also can provide clinician support, including access to a nurse to help provide technical information and representation with a laundry’s clients.

“We think it is important if you want to be a partner with an OR (operating room staff) that you add some sort of clinical expertise available on your side.”

As for the facility, Standard Textile has developed a pack room layout that may prove helpful. Ask a number of questions, Sprout recommends, including the type of storage needed, whether your facility will be sterilizing or distributing packs, where offices, locker rooms, bathrooms and break rooms will be, where the quality assurance testing will be accomplished, and more.

The main requirements are proper air exchanges—no air venting from an area contained soiled linens, and clean air coming in; an ability to seal the pack room, and that the surfaces be cleanable.

Sprout says large light tables, 6 feet by 8 feet, with red lines to guide folding are also essential. Other considerations to take into account are shelving and reject bins, as well as a repair station.

Standard Textile’s approach to facility design, he says, is to have a large space, at least 140 to 160 square feet per worker. This enables the facility to have plenty of storage space—key to maintaining an efficient and orderly pack room—and lots of room to move about. But he also says it’s not good to have workers searching a pack room for materials.

“We prefer to have everything already sorted, already stacked, already organized so the workers who make the packs don’t have to do the search.” It’s best to have one person designated as the material handler, who takes away finished products and who brings in raw products, Sprout says.

His company’s approach also recommends keeping inspection, folding and pack-making functions all in the same area, and it suggests more formal and focused training for pack room workers.

Product selection is a key element to a proper pack room, Sprout says. Know the product’s performance characteristics, evaluate current and potential products, and continually review the products.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

A quality assurance program is a major element to consider, Sprout says. He listed 11 parts of a sound quality assurance program.

One, ensure that all items are folded the same. Engineers as well as OR nurses have designed folds for certain pieces of linen, such as surgical gowns. Two, inspect the materials, although perfection is not the goal, he says. The inspection criteria should be specific, documented, constantly reviewed and constantly adjusted. Three, know the age of the products being used. “We test our products to be sure they are good for 75 uses. … It’s not enough to just date it. … The simple way is to mark in red. Many places now use bar codes, and several even use RFID. Ours supports all three systems.”

No. 4 is accountability, Sprout says. A facility must be able to track every item and every pack back to the person who processed it: the inspector, the assembler, the sterile lot, etc. Next on the list is environment, meaning that the space and workers must be clean and that access is limited.

The sixth principle to a sound quality assurance program is item repair. The manufacturer will list recommendations for types of patches, placement of patches and the number of times an article, such as a gown, can be patched. “We think it is important to have repairs done only within fairly tight restrictions on methodology and types of repairs.”

Barrier testing is No. 7 on Sprout’s list of elements for quality assurance. While a brand-new product meets barrier expectations set by a manufacturer, a barrier can be compromised. “We believe barrier testing should be done on a regular basis. We think it is important that you monitor barrier performance on a daily basis.”

Pre-printed labels are best, Sprout says, to cover the eighth item on the list. Packs have to be labeled, he says, and they have to be labeled accurately. Sterilization is No. 9, and is a critical part of quality assurance, he says. Inventory management—knowing when materials levels are down and being able to order them before it hits a critical point—is imperative, he says. “You simply can’t run a pack room and wait until the workers come out and say, ‘We’re out of gowns,’ because then it’s too late. And users absolutely rely and depend on having those sterile packs where they need to be.”

The last item on Sprout’s list is complaint handling. A facility requires an easy method to communicate any issues that might arise. “We think the more information you get about any dissatisfaction that users have only strengthens your ability to be successful.”

WHAT HOSPITALS ARE LOOKING FOR

Sprout also touched on what hospitals are looking for from a provider of surgical packs. Primary is cost savings, and while this is important, Sprout says hospitals are often reluctant to provide information to allow a cost analysis. When talking about the cost savings of reusable linens vs. disposables, Sprout suggests sending a team that includes a clinician to the hospital to demonstrate the benefits.

Hospitals also are looking to make their staff happy, and studies have show that clinicians, including surgeons, prefer reusable gowns to disposables. Environmental impact is a growing concern for many healthcare facilities, and Sprout talked about a European study that shows reusable gowns cause only one-third to one-half the environmental damage caused by a disposable gown. The study points mainly to energy use, water consumption and regeneration of chemical carcinogens as the main factors to consider in the debate. The laundry process alone takes less water to wash a gown than a manufacturer uses to make a disposable gown, he says.

Other environmental studies have reached the same conclusion: the impact of using disposables is far worse than using a reusable product.

The other item that hospitals are looking for is a true partnership, Sprout says. This is where access to a clinician is so important for a pack room. “Not only Standard Textile, but other companies as well have clinical nurses available to help you with surgical linen issues, people who can represent you.” Communication is another point in a partnership, he says. The best accounts have committees that meet monthly or quarterly to discuss any surgical linen issues and keep improvements going on a continual basis.

OTHER FACTORS

Sprout touched on recent updates to the industry. First off is the change to OR towels. He touted the movement toward synthetic towels as a way to eliminate lint in operating rooms. Other changes are the improvement in monitoring of sterilization through biological indicators and the improvements in fabrics.

Unique device identifiers are on their way, Sprout says. “Every device you make, you need an identifier. In the long run, we’re going to have to bar-code or add RFID to pack labels.”

Lastly, Sprout mentioned sequential wrapping, which has changed the dual-wrapping and separate-wrapping procedures. With two-ply wrappers, a facility saves time and money, and Sprout says that “if there are pack rooms that wrap every single pack two completely separate times with two completely separate methods, that’s wasteful, and that’s an opportunity to cut back that time spent almost in half.”

Hospitals’ reluctance to change without a cost comparison is major. “The biggest hurdle is getting the cooperation of a hospital to turn over enough of their costing structure for disposables so that we can convince them that the savings we are projecting are reasonable, accurate, real and achievable.”

COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY: TOM GILDRED, EMERALD TEXTILES, SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

A contingency plan for power outages should be comprehensive and encompass multiple areas within the operation. As a healthcare laundry, it is critical to deliver consistently and on time to customers. We employ a contingency plan outlined as follows:

• Provide ample supply of par at customers’ facilities
• Work in advance
• Maintain an inventory of processed linen
• Maintain an inventory of new linen
• Prepare for emergency through redundancy and backup plans
• Operate with reserve capacity

First, managing within The Joint Commission’s requirements to maintain a certain par, or number of days’ worth of laundry at customers’ facilities, and ensuring ample supply for the appropriate number of days is important. Second, working ahead in the plant, and having processed linen ready for delivery in advance aids readiness and consistent supply. Holding in reserve new linen at your own plant facilitates the availability of excess inventory in the case of emergency or power outage.

Securing additional power generation in case of emergency is important for successful contingency planning. Either owning your own backup power generator and maintaining it, or identifying suppliers and securing an agreement to lease a generator when needed is a proactive approach to ensure your laundry is in the front of the queue within hours of the request, at a time when demand may be high. Having agreements with backup processors in a geographically desirable radius of your service areas should be the final step in your contingency plan.

Finally, processing below actual capacity allows the operation to ramp up throughput and provide additional volume after an interruption. By operating below total capacity, a facility not only reduces wear and tear on equipment, it ensures its ability to respond quickly and “catch up” as needed in outage situations. Plant redundancy is a crucial aspect of capacity, and having a facility with extra machinery, boiler power and air compression allows for tremendous increase in throughput when needed.

We at Emerald Textiles tested our contingency plan on Sept. 8, 2011, when all of San Diego County and some neighboring cities were completely without power. Having a solid plan in place allowed us to maintain operations and deliveries seamlessly.

HEALTHCARE LAUNDRY: SCOTT BEATON, KAISER PERMANENTE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

The definition of a good contingency plan is as follows:

The plan shall provide for the uninterrupted operations and services in the event of any occurrence potentially leading to the disruption of the provider’s operations. Such disruptions include, but are not limited to, loss of utilities, medical emergencies, natural and/or man-made disasters, fire, inclement weather, work stoppage, and/or major accidents.

A contingency plan should include the following components:

• Plant and transportation contingency protocol
• Key member re-call chain
• Contact list of backup laundry facilities
• Backup source of textiles on call

The provider should furnish a mechanism to inform. A step-by-step procedure should be in place in the event of an emergency and shall be available to supervisors, each of whom may be responsible for execution of the protocol.

All employees should be familiar with the major elements of the plants contingency protocol in the event of emergencies.

The pyramid re-call chain should be written, complete, current, and available to all supervisory personnel, so that timely and accurate contact can be made in case of an emergency.

A designated person should maintain the call chain and be responsible for updating it at least annually or when personnel changes occur, and distributing the list to personnel.

The facility should have written agreements with one or more alternate laundry providers that could cover the facility’s volume, detailing when and how these providers will process textiles in an emergency.

Such agreements shall be updated annually, signed and dated.

The provider should have adequate transportation capabilities with contingency planning.

The facility should have written agreements in place with one or more alternate textile suppliers, detailing the services and delivery times provided.

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

Power outages tend to be regional—it is unlikely an entire city will be without power. As a contingency plan, have another laundry ready to take your work in case of a short-term power outage. This can be another institution in the same business you are, or a commercial laundry.

Have the agreements worked out in advance so that the switchover is as smooth as possible. There will have to be many accommodations made in your facility to get this done, and you need a contingency plan that everyone understands and agrees to.

The second thing you can do is to acquire a dedicated gas-powered generator that automatically comes on in the event of an emergency. Laundries can be “sinkholes” for power, however, so the best idea here if you have a large laundry is to maintain a dedicated generator with the ability to “dump” large quantities of power on demand. (A large washer going into extract can pull down an incredible amount of power in the first 30 seconds of start-up, so your generator system needs to be able to accommodate this huge spike in demand.)

These two actions, along with keeping adequate linen on hand (having a two-par inventory in locked storage would help if you are located in an area where power outages might be expected) are your options for addressing power outages.

It is far less likely that you will suffer a gas outage, but it is still a good idea to have a propane backup for the possible loss of natural gas (I’m thinking here of ground disturbances such as earthquakes). The changeover from natural gas to propane is relatively easy, and your maintenance team should be ready for this conversion at any time with the parts and know-how to get the job done quickly and with a minimum of disruption.

If you are in a zone where these ground disturbances are probable, get a large propane tank and prep your team for this contingency.

(Editor’s note: Williams received assistance from consultant John White in writing this month’s response.)

Check back tomorrow for Part 2!

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.

ROANOKE, Va. — I once wrote about having an opportunity to use reusable barrier isolation gowns in all the hospitals that comprise the Carilion Clinic. The ability to start such a program was rewarding after having failed to gain approval over the previous seven years.

Initial User Training

We had two major fears as we were getting ready to start. We wanted to make sure the reusable barrier gowns were returned to the laundry for reprocessing and we wanted to make sure that the nurses were properly trained on how to tie the reusable gowns. We wanted them to be able to use a similar technique to which they had become accustomed with the disposable gowns.

Working with a nursing unit director and the hospital training department, we developed an in-service program. The education piece includes information about the environmental impact of switching from disposable barrier gowns. It also explains the quality-control system in use, details the expected cost savings associated with shifting to reusables, and addresses how to maintain proper gowning technique.

Product Rollout

We began with a 60-day trial on four units. We surveyed the staff after 30 days and again after 60 days to determine product acceptance. The staff was pleasantly surprised by the reusable barrier isolation gown, commenting that:

• the reusable gowns had greater drapeability and were easier to put on than the disposables
• the reusable gowns were more comfortable to wear
• they felt better protected wearing the reusable gowns
• the packaging worked better in the over-the-door caddies
• the reusable gowns required less storage space on the units
• the nurses appreciated the reduced environmental impact

This study resulted in full product approval by the infection control committee and the nursing product standardization committee. We rolled out the program gradually, adding four units every six weeks until the entire system was using the reusable barrier isolation gowns.

When we began, we were producing 1,500 reusable barrier isolation gowns per month for one or two departments. We are now averaging 87,000 gowns per month.

The additional business has been great for our laundry, and we have reduced our system’s cost for isolation gowns by $300,000 per year.

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

CHICAGO — Taking inventory is often cause for headaches at any laundry facility, and a recent webinar on linen inventorying addressed how to make the process work for each individual system.

Barbara Williams has more than 30 years of experience in the textile industry. As a consultant with Standard Textile Co., she frequently speaks about linen process improvements, linen management, and cost-reduction programs for healthcare operations.

During the webinar sponsored by the Association for Linen Management, Williams stressed the many rewards of taking a regular inventory and touched on a few challenges a laundry facility faces during the process.

Your Inventory Involves What?

The major items that most healthcare laundry facilities count during an inventory are adult patient linen, nursery/pediatric linen, surgical linen, surgical apparel, other staff apparel, pillows, mops and napery. Each facility will need to determine what is important to count, and it isn’t necessary to count everything at the same time. For instance, Williams says, some facilities will count the adult patient linens and the nursery linens, then tally the surgical linen and apparel at a different time.

Where to Conduct an Inventory

Determining where linen is kept is a necessary step before beginning an inventory. Healthcare facilities will need to count linens in patient rooms as well as in ancillary departments. This involves linens on the beds, on the patients and staff, exchange carts, utility carts, in bathrooms, drawers, closets, exam room, cabinets, stretchers, and even on chairs and windowsills.

Staff may again be an issue when determining where linens are stored. In some cases, Williams says, facilities will do what is called a bed-standard method of counting. “Staff members know the actual standard of what is put on a bed, (and) they then take that times the number of beds in a unit,” she says. “And they still take a quick walk-through to see what extras are in the rooms.”

A linen room count and the laundry count need to be conducted as accurately and efficiently as possible. The laundry will be the largest, and it is the most important to get right, Williams says.

Remember to include off-site locations such as clinics. And while many facilities no longer utilize a storeroom, include that location—if applicable—in an inventory.

Who Conducts an Inventory

Where many healthcare facilities ask their nursing staff, including personal care aides, to conduct linen inventories, only 10% of the webinar participants indicated they utilize this population. The majority of participants—40%—use linen distribution or environmental services staff. The more people involved, the better, according to Williams. She says many inventories are conducted by a combination of nursing staff and environmental services staff.

Another possibility is to use laundry personnel, which 30% of webinar participants acknowledged they do. This demographic will be crucial in counting linens in the laundry areas as well as picking up soiled linens and marking them as counted or uncounted.

The use of temporary personnel to help with inventorying is another possibility, but the training required could deter this practice.

The Process of Inventorying

Williams suggests that a 30-day plan be put into place before an inventory. Preparations include identifying the areas and products to count, identifying the facility and areas within a facility that will be involved, and identifying the staff responsible for the counting and recording of linens.

Lists, instructions, forms, signs and schedules are imperative when communicating with staff about an upcoming inventory and while an inventory is being conducted. Education, such as in-service meetings and training, will be another key to success.

Before an inventory begins, the staff involved will need to communicate the date and time of the project, present the procedures to any involved personnel, and communicate with off-site laundries and with customers or patients. A list of names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses is important to communication before, during and after an inventory.

Inventory Day Arrives

Williams provided a list of inventory day events, including sending final communications to all units involved. Collect and pick up all soiled linens in bulk carts and mark as “uncounted,” and verify that these steps have been completed. Close laundry chutes during the inventory.

When the count begins on each unit, teams of two—one to count and the second to record the results—are recommended.

It would be a good idea, Williams says, to establish an “Inventory Central,” or a place, person, or phone extension that those involved in the task can contact for questions and concerns.

When an inventory is complete, either collect the forms or have them returned to Inventory Central. At that time, it would be a good idea to review the forms to confirm numbers and that any comments can be understood. Tabulate results.

Remove signs, and be sure to communicate the cut-off point with all involved. Lastly, Williams recommends an enthusiastic show of appreciation to all those who helped with the inventory.

After the Inventory

When an inventory has been successfully completed, it is time to generate statistics and results; generate the total inventory and the inventory dollar value; calculate replacement or depletion rates; and calculate mysterious disappearance.

Share the results with management, with the nursing staff and with other staff members. And most importantly, Williams says, take action on the results.

“Assess your inventory needs by comparing your inventory with your demand,” she says, “and adjust linen orders accordingly. Retrieve any ‘dead’ or hoarded inventory and review security measures.

“Today, we’re in a budget crunch, and we really need to protect our linen assets.”

Click here for Part 1.

NEW YORK – Manufacturers of laundry machinery, textiles and chemicals reported renewed interest in their products from the hotel industry at the 96th annual International Hotel, Motel+Restaurant Show (IHMRS) here in November.

Exhibitors at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on Manhattan’s West Side expressed satisfaction with increased foot traffic at the show. Attendance peaked at 23,953, up 2,800 from the previous year, including managers and executives from major hotel chains and independent properties, according to show management.

The increase in show attendance may reflect a rebound not only in New York’s economy, but also in the hotel and motel industry, following three years of recession.

There were indications at the show that the hotel industry is beginning to increase demand for on-premise laundry machinery.

“There are many pockets of pent-up demand now because spending had declined during the recession,” says Craig Madson, national account sales manager for Alliance Laundry Systems, manufacturer of laundry machinery that includes the UniMac brand.

Other manufacturers of laundry machinery echoed that view.

“It’s been a great show for us,” says Thomas Kindy, regional sales director for Chicago Dryer Co., which shared booth space with Pellerin Milnor. “People in the hotel industry have ignored their needs for the last couple of years because of the recession. Now they’re starting to make purchases again and trying to reduce operating costs in their laundries through automation. There’s been a lot of action.”

Chicago® exhibited its Comet Executive Ironer and Air Express Small-Piece Folder. Milnor exhibited a 300-G-force washer-extractor; a 60-pound-capacity washer; and a 35-pound-capacity cabinet-style washer with EP-Express control.

Although floor traffic didn’t measure up to its level of five years ago, it was still much improved from where it was in the depths of the recession, according to Joseph Leo, sales manager for equipment distributor PAC Industries. The show generated strong foot traffic in particular on the first day, he adds.

Dick Ruel, national sales manager for Maytag Commercial Laundry, described the level of interest from the hotel industry as “fantastic.”

“Sunday [Nov. 13] was the best day we have seen in several years,” says Ruel. “People who are building hotels are interested in cost savings and control for their laundry operations. The interest has been so strong that we can’t keep up with it. There’s been a real steady growth in demand for laundry machinery among hotels and institutions.”

Some manufacturers of laundry machinery suggested that it was still important for them to have a presence at the show, even if attendance figures had not quite rebounded to match those of halcyon days.

“It’s important for us to be here for the exposure to the industry,” says Pamela Simonetti, director of marketing for G.A. Braun.

Next Thursday: The show provided manufacturers an opportunity to tailor their products to the hotel industry...

An AmericanLaundryNews.com exclusive.

CHICAGO — A government manager seeking help for himself and his organization contacted me the other day. Because of recent drastic budget cuts and subsequent mandatory furloughs for employees (i.e., about 22 days of unpaid leave each year), this organization clearly needs to make major adjustments to its structure and processes and essentially recreate itself so it can operate successfully under a revised mission.

I was astonished to learn from this person that the organization is already taking many steps to begin addressing its challenges.

Concurrent with steps to obtain assistance in handling the business aspects, it is providing a program to support its employees’ personal concerns. Specifically, it has scheduled a series of workshops open to all employees that addresses a number of issues of concern to them in these challenging times.

Topics include making your family No. 1 in your life, how to manage resources, understanding credit scores, reducing stress, and communicating with your kids. Clearly, this organization understands that employees who are worried about personal issues at home cannot possibly perform at optimal levels at work.

Why does placing a high priority on employees’ personal concerns make good business sense? A concept called direct perceived organizational support provides a compelling answer.

Employees who perceive a high level of organizational support and honesty believe that senior management really cares about their personal well-being. Research demonstrates that such individuals reciprocate by performing at a higher level, by being more forgiving of organizational missteps, and by going above and beyond what is required in their jobs.

So, in addition to responding to their employees’ concerns in a very human way, this organization has made an intelligent business move that will serve it well long after the economy has recovered.

Employees who have not had a raise or bonus in years due to economic conditions find it difficult to understand why certain employees travel all the time, or why capital investments are made that never gain any cost benefit. It’s not that the aforementioned are not required, but management should be able to communicate these issues before employees start asking the difficult questions.

Let me point out one issue that can certainly damage the morale of an organization. When a workplace announcement is made, the last thing that employees want to hear about is the achievement of someone in the higher echelon of their organization.

Employees do make the difference, no matter what type of organization you work in. The workforce needs to hear or read about what they—you know, the folks in the trenches making the everyday sacrifices—have done.

Surround yourself with talent and you will achieve success. And make sure your organization is assisting your employees in becoming fully successful.

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

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

One of the great things that should be done is having a weekly staff meeting. First of all, “weekly” staff meetings don’t happen 52 times a year. You have seven major holidays, vacations, some passes around budgeting time, and a few high-profile customer plant visits that take precedent.

So, these “weekly” staff meetings are more like 38 or 39 times a year, but when lead properly, they are a time for bonding.

The facilitator needs to make sure he/she is in charge to prevent a donnybrook amongst the pugilists defending their home turf. This open forum often leads to every member of the group seeing others’ needs, and makes for a more palatable final resolution. This helps with morale.

Another wonderful idea is having “inside/outside” days. Have the plant supervisor ride a route that is having problems with a plant-related issue. Have a district service manager sort the route that has faded garments labels. This will lead to constructive criticism rather than finger pointing. The DSM will now say, “You are right, these labels are too hard to read, and it needs to be addressed” rather than “The stupid plant is mis-tying all of my garments and screwing things up.”

When you are facilitating such meetings, you can see the benefits. Trouble spots will emerge before you, allowing a more cohesive team-building effort in which everyone has buy-in and is rooting for the success of the team.

Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry: Phil Jones, Sheraton Vistana Resort, Orlando, Fla.

There are several ways to improve your team-building skills. One is by challenging yourself to read at least one new book per month. I always choose a book by a successful leader in some field such as business or sports. You will find valuable pieces of information on how to build and maintain a team from those who have done it. Try to take away at least one or two principles from each book.

Look at how you might implement those practices in your organization and then share what you propose to the team. Ask many questions and get 100% involvement in the changes. Your team must be able to provide open feedback on the processes—including having the ability to change or stop a process if it does not work.

We make our associates feel like they are business owners with an equal say in the operation, and have open discussions in our morning meetings on how processes are working.

Another way to improve team-building skills is to benchmark with other organizations that have successful teams. We take our management team on field trips to visit other laundries or some of our vendors to see teamwork in action. It is one thing to talk about how teams operate, but it is quite another to see it up close.

Just as I take one or two principles from the books I read, I ask my team to do the same after our visits. They are responsible for coming up with suggestions for improving our team and then implementing those changes.

Holding regular team meetings is an important way to gauge if trouble is brewing within your organization. A change in the level of engagement during meetings can be an indicator that something is off-center.

Your team becomes quieter or doesn’t respond the same way as in the past may be a warning sign. If your team has gotten quieter or doesn’t respond in the same way it has been, that may be a warning sign. If your team no longer asks questions or makes suggestions during the meetings, or there are side conversations going on, those could be signs of unrest that you need to address quickly. There is nothing wrong with openly asking what’s going on and what you can do.

Equipment/Supplies Distribution: Russ Arbuckle, Wholesale Commercial Laundry Equipment SE, Southside, Ala.

As in any labor-intensive endeavor, your people play a key role in just about every aspect of your successful business. In most cases, there will be many different types of people, personalities and even cultures. Blending this potpourri into a productive, cohesive unit is, in my mind, one of the most difficult business tasks.

Repairing or even replacing malfunctioning equipment, upgrading/updating processes and operations, or even revamping complete infrastructure, while difficult, does not involve the one thing that can make or break productivity—the clash of individual personalities.

Building a successful team is not something that can just be learned from a book.

Understanding the individuals and how each meshes with other team members is critical to maintaining morale and, subsequently, production.

It is important for human resources, supervisory staff and even owners to understand the individuals who make up the team. They need to be aware of things that can create dissension.

Understanding the personalities can make it easier to determine which are right for which tasks and put like-minded individuals together on specific jobs.

Management must be vigilant in watching for signs of tension, or even hostility, among team members. These signs can come in many forms, and it is up to you and your staff to learn to recognize them early on so that you can intervene immediately.

By not allowing these tensions to fester, your chances of “keeping the peace” and preventing loss of production are much greater.

Promoting team spirit helps to keep personalities cohesive as they all strive toward the same goals. Defining these goals, as well as introducing direct benefits for achieving them, helps to keep the spirit alive and well.

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

An AmericanLaundryNews.com exclusive.

CHICAGO — Several key factors contribute to the success of any organization, and one of the major deciding elements is creativity.

Organizations that will survive into the future will not be those with the most revenue, but those that apply creativity from the grass roots level, the workforce. If a leader is going to leave anything to an organization after he or she departs, it should be a group of individuals who take steps to achieve and promote a creative environment.

The behavior of its leaders will make an organization accountable or not. Without the promotion of creativity, long-term organizational success can never be achieved, a sobering statistical truth.

If things are going well in your organization, if employees are invested in their work, then your organization is headed in the right direction.

Employees must be able to contribute ideas freely and without fear of losing their jobs, and their leaders must be able to listen (if you haven’t already, take a look at last month’s column, Listen Up!).

If management devotes as much time to promoting ideas as trying to figure out how to survive, then your organization is on the right track. On the other hand, if your workforce isn’t called to be involved in the life of the organization and thinks it’s a terrible place to work, there’s a good chance this is the fault of its leaders.

Leadership behavior is the single most important factor in determining whether employees who work for the organization will ever truly be creative. The capital resources, the best distribution systems, the best products don’t demonstrate creativity. No, it is demonstrated by the leaders’ ability to stimulate fair and open communication. None of it makes any difference if leaders don’t support the employees’ ability to suggest improvement.

To solve any challenges, your organization should tackle them from the bottom up. Employees see things that leaders take for granted.

If you consider yourself a leader, take a look in the mirror and ask yourself, “I wonder what the employees think of what I am doing now. What do they think of what I approved or endorsed?” You may be surprised by the answers. Simply put, implementing ideas coming from the workforce is instrumental to the success—short-term and long-term—of any organization.

Only one future is likely for the company that fails to develop ideas or approach problem solving from the grass roots level: eventual collapse.

The odds of creating a break-through product idea that will meet the organization’s marketplace objectives are statistically 1 in 100. On average, fewer than 25% of product proposals become a reality if the ideas come from the top down. Product ideas stimulated from the ground up have a greater chance of success. This creative balance also goes a long way in boosting morale.

Most new-product ideas are merely line extensions. By evaluating new ideas negatively and failing to envision the actual concept, organizations become skilled at making versions of someone else’s initiative. Consumer views of these efforts are dim at best, and the product will languish. But, if the consumer knows where the idea came from—the grass roots level, I hope—then the product has a greater chance of success.

When workers are encouraged to be creative, organizations reap the benefits. This represents true teamwork, with the coach and team being on the same playing field. Leaders need to be on the field, not in the press box.