For a large-scale commercial laundry service, one of the first steps in handling laundry for hotels is sorting.
Trained staff sort each property’s linens by hand, not only separating items by type but also ensuring that non-linen items don’t make it into the high-tech hotel laundry equipment.
What kind of non-linen items? You might be surprised. Here’s a quick rundown of actual items recovered while sorting laundry for hotels.
Glassware is a Given
One of the most common items found tangled in with sheets and towels is glassware, including everything from water tumblers to wine glasses.
If guests can drink out of it, chances are it’s ended up in the dirty linen bins. And that includes the occasional beer bottle.
Fortunately, staff catch these items before they’re subjected to tunnel washer technology – and before the tunnel washers are subjected to them.
Unmentionables
This one doesn’t really require any elaboration.
Keepsakes Accidentally Not Kept
Occasionally, items with high monetary or emotional value are found during sorting, including a personalized prayer pillow that was eventually returned to a grateful guest.
Miscellaneous
If you’re reading this list and thinking that none of these items could possibly have come from your property because your housekeeping staff is so meticulous about bundling linens, remember this: Sorting personnel have also come across a mop and broom in the laundry.
These incidents serve as a cautionary tale about the importance of staff training, a detailed hotel housekeeping checklist and a room-turning routine that’s manageable for staff to follow.
What Happens to All of It
So what happens to all of these discarded items? At the right large hotel laundry service, protocols are in place to have them bagged, labeled and returned to the property.
What’s the most unusual item ever found in your laundry for hotels?
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