For businesses such as hotels, motels, spas, gyms, hairdressers, and linen hire services, towels are an essential part of daily operations. Not only is it important to ensure that your towels are clean and fresh for customers, but that they’re available when needed. That’s why when it comes to laundering towels, efficiency is key.
Sort the Towels by Colour & Fabric Type
Many businesses save themselves the hassle of sorting towels by sticking to the same colour and fabric type across the towel range. However, it should also be mentioned that towels should be washed separately from other linens for the same reasons – to optimise efficiency from specific wash cycles and to care for the linen, by maintaining colours and preventing lint and other debris from getting trapped in the fibres. Towels come in a range of materials, from cotton to microfiber, and each requires different care. If you don’t have a towel cycle setup on your washer already, speak with your laundry equipment supplier to set one up for you. Sorting towels by fabric type helps prevent damage and ensures that each towel is cleaned effectively. Proper care of towels is crucial to their longevity and effectiveness, so it’s important to follow a few best practices to ensure your towels remain soft and absorbent.
Choose Easy to Care for Fabrics
Cotton towels are the most common type of towel, and they are durable and absorbent. They can be washed in hot water and dried on high heat. Other fabrics may not be as durable, such as microfiber towels, which require more care to maintain their softness and absorbency. Since hot water is the best for killing bacteria and removing stains, cotton towels are a popular choice for many businesses.
Pre-Treat Stains
It’s best practice to treat stains as soon as possible. This will make it easier to get the stain out and will avoid the stain from transferring to other items. Pre-treatment can involve the use of a stain remover or soaking in a solution of warm water and detergent. Attending to the stain first thing will save time in the long run.
Use High-Quality Washers and Dryers
Investing in high-quality commercial laundry equipment can make a big difference in the efficiency of your laundering process. If you’ve consulted with a laundry expert when you purchased the equipment, they should be the most suitable machines and the right capacity for the laundry you are processing. Tip: The biggest machine isn’t always the best choice. If your laundry volume doesn’t meet the capacity it could mean waiting for a full load, ultimately decreasing your efficiency.
Avoid Overloading the Machine
Overloading the washing machine is a common mistake that not only damages towels but can lead to poor cleaning results, including detergent build-up. Towels need space to move around in the machine to allow for proper agitation and cleaning. Overloading the machine can cause towels to become tangled and matted, which can affect their absorbency and softness over time. It’s important to load the washing machine appropriately and avoid overfilling it, otherwise, you may find yourself needing to rewash the load. Sign up to our laundry education, free for all our customers, to learn laundry best practices.
Dry Towels Properly
Drying towels properly is just as important as washing them. They need to be dried properly to ensure their cleanliness and avoid musty odours, however, it is crucial that they are not overdried. Over-drying towels will waste resources, and time, and cause them to become rough, affecting their absorbency and softness. Be sure to remove towels from the dryer as soon as they are dry or take advantage of ‘over-dry’ technology features on your dryer if available, it could save your business thousands of dollars every year.
Automated Equipment
If your laundry processes a high volume of towels daily, then an automated folder will significantly increase laundry efficiency. A folder such as the Chicago Skyline Mini Folder will fly through a load of towels, folding them neatly and stacking them, ready to be stored on shelves or in storage bins. Automated folders can also fold other linen items, such as blankets, further increasing your laundry’s efficiency.
Monitor Towel Quality
Lastly, it’s important to monitor the quality of your towels regularly. Regular checks can help you identify any issues with the quality of your towels and address them promptly. For instance, if you may notice that your towels are becoming less absorbent, which could mean that you may need to adjust your washing and drying methods or replace them.
Summary
In conclusion, laundering towels in an on-premise laundry requires attention to detail and a commitment to efficiency. By following the above tips, you can ensure that your towels are always clean and fresh while minimising the time and resources it takes to do so.
The Chicago Dryer Brand
Chicago Dryer have been in operation for over 100 years. Today, the Chicago line is the world’s widest range of separating, feeding, ironing, folding and linen handling equipment for laundries of all sizes. Whether you need to finish millions of pounds of linen per year, or just a few hundred pounds per week, Chicago has the solution that’s right for you.
Your Commercial Laundry Experts
You can rely on Aqualogic to get the best wash results in your laundry and ensure that your commercial washing machines perform at their best every time. We are experts in the set up and maintenance of commercial laundries, and we can help you to determine what options are best for you. For more information on our comprehensive range of equipment and services, contact us online today or call 1300 222 119.
