Tips for Maintaining Hotel Washing Machines

Here are a few tips from our experts for maintaining commercial laundry equipment, more specifically washing machines used in hotels. Keeping your commercial washing machine in good condition will help save money in repair and replacement costs, especially if you have multiple pieces of equipment.

Washer-Extractor:

·         Check the door lock and door seal daily for proper operation.
·         Wipe the door seal clean weekly.
·         Inspect the water inlet valve hose connections daily.
·         Allow the interior to dry by leaving the door open at the end of each day.
·         Check the drain discharge line to ensure proper drain operation.

Washers (Front- and Top-Load):

·         To avoid that "musty odor," let the washer drum dry by leaving the door open when not in use.
·         Every year, check the fill hose filter screens for debris or damage. Clean and/or replace the filters as needed.
·         Each month, check all of the hoses to each machine for signs of cracks, blisters, or significant wear. Replace worn or torn hoses immediately.

Keeping all of the parts of your hotel washing machine properly maintained helps reduce repair and replacement costs down the road. (Notes: if repairs are needed, we can help locate laundry parts). Also, though a hotel may have multiple machines, there is nothing worse than losing a machine and slowing down the process.

If your hotel also has self-serve coin laundry equipment, follow these same tips to keep them up and running!

If you have additional questions about maintaining your commercial washing machine, contact us today.

Commercial Washer Extract Speeds

Spin, extract speed, G-force -- what does all that mean to your business? Those words are crucial in having a more efficient commercial laundry production, reducing utility costs, and reducing your impact on the environment. Today I want to touch on the first two benefits.

I’ve been in the commercial laundry and dry cleaning business for almost 30 years now. I remember when utility expense hardly impacted the bottom line, perhaps because our volume was so high that we operated full force all day. But with the change in fabrics and dress style, volume isn’t what it used to be. And as a result, many of us may need to consider making changes to improve efficiencies. One way to do that is by updating our commercial washers.

Today’s commercial washers are in one word – impressive. They offer options that can fit any situation and budget. They have extract speeds, which is really the key to production and energy savings, anywhere from 90 to 450 G-force. Of course the higher the G-force, the higher their cost. But in evaluating washers, you must consider the long-term payback in both production time and utility savings. For example, a 100-G extract machine’s all cotton load will require around 39 minutes to dry in correctly matched dryer to washer while a 450-G extract soft mount washer, the load will dry in around 27 minutes. Those 12 minutes per load, over the course of a day, can make a huge difference in pounds per shift, per person and so on.

There is so much to discuss in relation to the latest in commercial washers and extract speeds. Look forward to future posts where we will examine more closely how these savings work and a bonus benefit – longer linen life due to reduced drying times.

Is Something Slowing You Down?

I’m sure you pay close attention to your production equipment – washing and dry cleaning machines, pressing equipment, etc.  But do you go as far as to check the fill times on those machines?  Why is fill time important?  Well it can hold up your production process and in turn cost you money.

Washing Machines – Fill times will vary based on incoming water pipe size and the size of the machine itself.  But if your machine seems to be filling slowly check for clogged hose screens and drain valves that aren’t properly sealed.  Both are simple to do but instructions do vary a bit depending on the brand of machine you have.  Be sure to consult the owner’s manual and follow all the safety procedures before starting.

Dry Cleaning Machines – Cycle times can vary depending on these simple factors.  First, make sure all pump strainers are clean.  Second, ensure that the level float switches are working properly to ensure proper fill levels.  Finally, make sure that the filter and spin disk is clean to allow solvent to flow freely without added back pressure from solid build up.

Refrigeration and Steam Coils – Cleaning these should be part of your annual maintenance plan.  If they are not cleaned, air flow will be restricted, dry time will increase, and the wheel will hold a solvent odor.  Coils are actually easily cleaned by simply removing quick fittings and then wiping down with coil cleaner from a refrigeration supply business.  Make sure before you remove these coils that you have new gaskets and proper waste containers to dispose of the lint, acid, and rinse water.

So bottom line – watch the time it takes for you to process a load.  It may tell you if something in your plant is slowing you down.