Hotel laundry: own or outsourced?
Hotel laundry: own or outsourced?
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| ANDREI WIEDER-ILIE |
The inventory can be assured at the level of cleaning expected by the clients and in conditions of preserving the properties (low usage in time) by using professional washing and treatment technologies.
This thing can be possible using;
High performance machines
Quality materials
Qualified personal
Consultancy firms
Fulfilling the conditions above can be made with high cost investments and keep in mind that those investments they need to justify.
In the moment that somebody decides to invest in an own laundry, before all costs analyses comparing with the costs of outsourcing( when you get help from specialized laundries).Its one thing, from the costs point of view, to wash, dry, ironing 100-300kg/8 hours and another thing to process 5-15 tones/8hours. The trend of maintaining the soft inventory in Europe is to use more and more the outsourced services. Now there are several very developed companies who rent this inventory - “Textile Rental Services”. This services counts already over 90 years of experience in USA. In Europe there are several multinational companies in this business like Bardusch Textil-Mietdienste GmbH&CO.KG from Germany foundet in 1897 and more.
Leasing system has more advantages, like;
Hotel or restaurant does not invest in 3-4 sets of lingerie, these costs regarding only the textile rental firm.
The Unit does not have to replace the used linen
In a generally matter, costs of rental reported at the quality of service is low because of the volume of processed linen is very big.
The necessary of linen is assured by the rental textile firm
The specialised firm have proper storage spaces
Training of qualified workers, managing, maintainance of machines, supplieng with necessary materials becomes the problem of the specialised firm.
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The calculation you can make to se if is profitable or not to use these services has to regard the advantages above. Calculation does not have to resume to visible costs (detergents, workers, utilities) because there are also hidden ones like costs of products, maintenance of machines, the degree of occupancy, malfunctions and so on.
If still you use an own facility you should consider the size of the unit. We consider that an own laundry ( at UE standards ) do not justify for hotels under 15-20 rooms or for those with under 10-30 tables, but obviously the final decision belongs to the managers or owners.
It needs to be said that when ever you wish to outsource the laundry service its recommendable to visit the professional laundry for trying to make an evaluation of the capacity. You should watch the facilities, substances they use, cleaning of the place and the look of the unit and personal.
Till soon, in Romania you could only think about outsourcing the laundry service.
Now it has appeared Textile Leasing ( Salesianer Miextex, Image Service ).Probably there are units with big production capacity. On regular bases those units doesn’t only sheets and table cloths but also carpets, or work wear and uniforms.
If still you wish to make a investment in an own laundry we recommend:
To have spaces destined for laundry with own circuit of dirty and clean textiles and with good facilities.
To use good machines with good washing programs, good finishing and with small chances of stop because of the malfunctions.
To use real professional products – complete detergents and agents, without chlorine, and different additives who do not damage the textiles.
To work with consultancy firms from the laundry field( good advices, offer technologies, personal training and so on). This is very useful because if you buy machines, the dealers will deliver and install them, tell you how they work and that’s about it.
Andrei Wieder-Ilie
Graduated from Industrial Chemistry College from Polytechnic Institute “Traian Vuia” in Timisoara
From 1990 makes the technological and logistical support for laundries and dry cleaning units
