Tips for Protecting Your Linen Investment

The appearance and cleanliness of towels and bedding can make a big impact on overall guest satisfaction, so it is important to ensure your laundry practices deliver the best results. A recent P&G Professional™ consumer survey revealed that 89 percent of respondents equate soft, bright whites to clean towels and bedding. When linens and towels are perceived as dingy, guests will often complain to the front desk or may even ask to switch rooms.

In a cost-conscious economic environment, hoteliers are under pressure to find efficient and effective practices that can help maximize program performance. While linen appearance is a priority for hotel operators, reducing operational costs is also imperative.  

 The following on-premise laundry tips can help protect linen investments and improve cleaning results:

• Keep linen inventory levels up to help extend linen life.

  Inventory levels that are too low result in linens being washed too frequently, causing fading and wear and tear at a more rapid pace.

• Use energy-saving equipment and features.

  Create a routine plan to ensure equipment is running at optimum levels, and remember that preventative maintenance is a must.

• Empower employees.

  Labor accounts for nearly half of laundry operational costs. Employee training does not start and end with the hire. Effective, continual education on following proper procedures can be the key to achieving productivity and results that keep guests feeling comfortable in an away-from-home environment.

• Ensure wash conditions are ideal.

  Help keep rewash rates below five percent by making sure wash time and temperature are always set correctly.

• Load linens and fill water properly.

  Under filling or over filling can reduce cleaning efficacy.

• Select the right detergents.

  Linen replacement has been shown to represent as much as 22 percent of laundry operational costs. Linen life can be extended by using a phosphate-free, near-neutral pH laundry detergent, such as Tide Professional^® which helps maintain fiber strength and longevity.

• Do things right the first time.

  This will help avoid rework and repeated use of products for cleaning the same linen multiple times, which results in faster wear and tear, greater linen replacement needs, and, ultimately, costs.

Establishing effective laundry procedures and using the latest innovations, such as the advanced Tide Professional Laundry System, will help hoteliers reduce wear and tear on linens, save on labor costs, and keep guests happy by providing bright, white and fresh towels and bedding.