Commercial laundry service professionals take a lot of pride in our work because we know that our business isn’t just about clean linens, it’s about guest satisfaction. Like any business, we have trade secrets for what we do, including keeping hotel linens bright, white and stain-free.
From stain prevention methods to proper staff training, there are steps any property can and should take in the battle against stains. Because marks can mar not just your linens but your guests’ experience.
Here are some of our stain fighting secrets from commercial laundry service professionals.
Stop Stains Before They Start
The best way to fight stains, of course, is to prevent them. Two small steps can have big results in stopping some of the toughest stains before they have a chance to form.
First, give staff an ample supply of their own eco-friendly cleaning cloths, from housekeeping, to maintenance to facilities. If they have their own cloths, they won’t turn to your precious guest towels to sop up wine or wipe down greasy equipment.
For guests, providing disposable makeup remover cloths will keep cosmetics in the garbage and away from your luxury sheets.
Properly Prepare Your Staff
Staff training and preparation are also great secret weapons in the fight against stains. Start by providing housekeeping staff with disposable gloves so their hands never come into contact with soiled linens.
Also make sure staff are trained to look for stains that need to be specially treated. Close inspection should be part of your hotel housekeeping checklist, along with spot checks to make sure the proper steps are taken.
Once stains that require extra attention are identified, have a process in place for how the material should be handled. For instance, have a different colored bag that alerts staff in your on premise laundry or commercial laundry service provider that special treatment is needed.
Treat Stains Before They Go Into the Washer
The process for setting aside some soiled linens is to ensure that stains are properly treated before they go into the washer.
Commercial laundry equipment and detergents are powerful, but they can’t remove every stain, especially tough ones that have gone through the laundry process and allowed to set.
The Right Detergent
In the old days, laundry detergent manufacturers relied on phosphates for their stain fighting punch. That was great for cleaning laundry but not-so-great for the environment. Phosphates are known to cause dangerous “algae blooms” in water systems that deprive aquatic life of oxygen and cause dead zones.
Today, environmentally friendly commercial laundry detergents and products are available that are 100 percent biodegradable, free of NPE, phosphate, EDTA, NTA and aromatic solvents, all without sacrificing effectiveness.
Look for cleaning products that are good for linens, good for guests and good for the environment.
Know When It’s Time to Say Goodbye
You’ve invested so much time and money in finding the perfect hotel sheets, towels and table linens that it can be hard to part with them. But no matter how expensive your linens or effective your laundry system, no textiles are meant to last forever, especially if stains or damage have taken their toll.
There are steps you can take to lengthen the life of your linens, including outsourcing to a commercial laundry service that has the right equipment on hand to be gentle and effective.
Commercial laundry service professionals take stain fighting seriously because our clients rely on us to do so. With a few important changes, your property can do battle just like the pros.
{{cta(‘d023df5e-9bec-4f38-97d2-98acff84ce4d’)}}