It was the property’s biggest whodunit: What in the world was damaging their hotel linen supply?
Their luxury hotel bedding was going prematurely gray and even robust par level management couldn’t keep up with the flow of towels to the rag pile.
So what was damaging the hotel linen supply? You may be surprised.
It Wasn’t the On Property Laundry
The first step in solving any crime is to eliminate suspects. In this particular case, the hotel very smartly partnered with a commercial laundry service, ruling out on property laundry machines as the source of the damage.
It Wasn’t the Laundry Service
That left the most obvious suspect as their hotel linen laundry service. Surely something about the company’s sorting process or high-tech commercial laundry machines was amiss. Open and shut case.
Except for just one thing: Linens were already damaged when they arrived at the laundry plant.
And That Left…
Because a new set of dirty linens had already sustained damage by the time it got to the laundry, that left just one suspect: The hardworking housekeeping staff.
How could this happen?
Because staff were so diligent about turning rooms quickly and efficiently, and so careful about the use of property resources, they never mentioned that they didn’t have enough rags or cleaning supplies to do their jobs.
So they made do with what was in front of them: the hotel linen supply. Those fluffy guest towels that management spent so much time choosing were being subjected to the chemicals used to clean rooms and tossed in with sheets, robes and pool towels, dooming them to an early death in the rag pile.
So Then What?
The good news is that once the problem was identified, several solutions could be put in place, including a focus on training in housekeeping.
For properties in a similar situation, some steps to consider:
- Make sure staff have enough rags on hand at all times.
- Add a rag inventory to your hotel housekeeping checklist so staff know when they’re about to run out.
- Include in your housekeeping training the proper care of your hotel linen supply.
Case Closed
After the detective work was done, training saved the day, as it often does. All in a day’s work.
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