That new shipment of luxury hotel bedding and fluffy towels you got could be with you for just a few washing cycles or until a ripe old age, and much of their lifespan depends on your hotel laundry practices.
While some loss is inevitable – it’s towel souvenir season, after all – there are things you can do to keep linens out of the rag pile as long as possible.
These hotel laundry hacks will help you extend linen life and get the most out of the investment you’ve made in sheets and towels worthy of your property.
Stop Stains in Their Tracks
Nothing will doom linens to the rag pile faster than a stain that’s been baked in by the hotel laundry process. But not every stain is a linen killer, and some can be stopped if you catch them in time.
That means it’s worth it to have a hotel housekeeping checklist that includes keeping an eye out for stains and separating them for special treatment, whether you’re running an on-premise laundry operation or you outsource.
If you have your own laundry room, staff there should be your second line of defense for spotting stains before they hit the washers and dryers.
Give it a Rest
One of the most effective ways to extend linen life is to let items rest properly between uses. Pulling your luxury hotel sheets and towels out of the dryer or ironer and immediately sending them back into guest rooms puts too much stress their fibers and shortens their life cycle.
Linens need time to cool and regroup after the high heat and rigors of the hotel laundry process. And the only way to ensure that they get the time off that they need is to have enough pars on hand. The recommended number is four: one in the guest room + one in storage waiting to be used + one in the laundry room + one dirty that’s leaving the guest room.
Step Up Your Storage
Not only does your linen need to rest after it’s been laundered, it needs a good place to do it. Think of it this way: If you want your linens to pamper your guests, you’re going to need to pamper your linens just a bit, especially if you want to extend their lifespan.
Tips for proper linen storage, include:
- Making sure storage areas are climate- and temperature-controlled
- Storing linens away from chemicals that could spill and cause damage
- Ensuring pool towels aren’t left outside in the rain or high heat
- Keeping storage closets and pantries locked at all times
- Having visible security features in place as a deterrent to theft, such as surveillance cameras or staff
Outsource Your Laundry
All of the hotel laundry hacks above apply whether you have on-property laundry (OPL) or outsource, but you’ll boost your linen-extending efforts exponentially by partnering with a commercial laundry service.
The hotel laundry professionals at a service will have the high-tech equipment and practices in place to keep your linens with you for the long haul. Their sorting staff will be on the lookout for stains, and they’ll have treatment systems in place to deal with the most stubborn.
Outsourcing your hotel laundry also saves money, natural resources, space and time, so you aren’t just benefitting your linens, your whole property wins.
Fountain of Youth
Good hotel laundry practices aren’t exactly the same as finding the linen fountain of youth, but they’re a step in the right direction. By protecting your investment, you can extend the linen lifespan and keep your operations running smoothly.
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