Labor is often one of the biggest expenses involved in operating an on-premise laundry. Employees have to sort, load, transfer, unload, fold, and distribute laundry, and the more volume a business handles, the more time those tasks can take. The right commercial laundry equipment can help reduce laundry labor costs by allowing employees to process more laundry in less time.
For businesses such as hotels, senior living communities, healthcare facilities, gyms, restaurants, and other operations that handle laundry every day, even small improvements in productivity can add up.
The goal isn't necessarily to eliminate labor. It is to make better use of the employees you already have.
How Much Labor Does Commercial Laundry Require?
The amount of labor required depends heavily on the type and volume of laundry a business handles. A small business processing a few loads a day may only need employees to spend a limited amount of time managing laundry. A hotel, healthcare facility, or large fitness center may process hundreds or thousands of pounds of laundry and require dedicated laundry staff.
Employees may be responsible for:
- Sorting Soiled Laundry
- Loading And Unloading Washers
- Transferring Loads to Dryers
- Folding Clean Laundry
- Sorting Finished Items
- Stocking Linens and Towels
- Cleaning the Laundry Area
- Monitoring Equipment
When equipment is slow, undersized, inefficient, or frequently out of service, employees can spend even more time completing these tasks. That is where equipment selection becomes an important part of labor management.
Can Larger-Capacity Machines Reduce Labor?
Yes, when the equipment is properly sized for the operation.
Consider a facility that needs to wash 300 pounds of towels. If its equipment can only handle relatively small loads, employees may need to run several separate cycles. A larger commercial washer could potentially process more laundry per cycle, reducing the number of loads employees need to manage.
The same principle applies to dryers.
However, bigger isn't automatically better. Equipment should be sized according to the facility's actual laundry volume and workflow. An oversized machine that is consistently underloaded isn't necessarily an efficient investment.
The goal is to find the right commercial laundry equipment mix for the operation.
How Does Faster Extraction Save Labor?
One of the less obvious ways a commercial washer can improve labor efficiency is through high-speed extraction. During the final spin cycle, a washer removes water from the laundry. Higher extraction speeds can remove more moisture before the load reaches the dryer. That means the dryer has less work to do.
T&L's commercial washer materials note that high-extract equipment can significantly shorten drying times while increasing the amount of laundry an employee can process per hour.
Shorter drying times mean employees don't have to wait as long for loads to finish before moving on to the next step. Over the course of a busy laundry day, those minutes can add up.
What About Programmable Wash Cycles?
Modern commercial machines can also reduce the amount of hands-on attention required from employees. Programmable controls allow businesses to establish specific cycles for different types of laundry.
For example, a facility might have different programs for:
- Towels
- Bed Linens
- Staff Uniforms
- Cleaning Cloths
- Delicate Fabrics
- Heavily Soiled Items
Once the appropriate program is established, employees don't have to manually determine every setting for every load. This creates more consistency while simplifying the process for staff. It can also help prevent mistakes that lead to rewashing, which costs additional time, water, energy, detergent, and labor.
Can Better Equipment Reduce Laundry Handling?
Absolutely. Every time an employee has to touch or move a load, there is an opportunity to improve the workflow. A well-planned laundry operation should make it easy for employees to move laundry from one stage to the next:
Sort → Wash → Extract → Dry → Fold → Store
If employees have to carry heavy laundry across the room, wait for available machines, or repeatedly move loads between inefficiently placed machines, productivity suffers. That is why equipment selection and laundry room design should be considered together.
T&L helps businesses plan laundry layouts as part of the equipment-selection process, allowing the equipment, utilities, work areas, and employee workflow to work together.
What About Automated Folding?
For high-volume operations, folding can become one of the most labor-intensive parts of the laundry process. Even after washing and drying have been completed, someone still has to fold towels, linens, and other items.
For facilities processing large quantities of towels, automated folding equipment can reduce the amount of manual work required. T&L's TOLON towel folder information specifically highlights reduced manual labor, increased throughput, and more consistent folding as potential benefits of automation.
Not every business needs automated folding equipment. A smaller operation may not generate enough volume to justify it. But for a high-volume laundry facility, automation can be worth considering when labor demands continue to increase.
Can Equipment Reduce Overtime?
It can, particularly when slow laundry processes are forcing employees to stay late or adding extra shifts.
Imagine a laundry facility that regularly finishes its final loads at the end of an employee's scheduled shift. If dryers take longer than necessary or equipment frequently sits idle, employees may need additional time to finish the day's work.
Improving throughput can help the facility process the same amount of laundry within normal operating hours. That doesn't mean new equipment automatically eliminates overtime. Staffing levels, laundry volume, operating schedules, and workflow all matter.
But equipment that allows employees to process more laundry per hour can give managers more flexibility when scheduling staff.
What Features Should Businesses Look For?
If reducing labor is one of the goals of an equipment upgrade, businesses should look beyond the purchase price.
Useful features may include:
- High-Speed Extraction: Removes more moisture before drying and can shorten dryer times.
- Programmable Controls: Allows employees to select consistent cycles without manually adjusting every setting.
- Large-Capacity Equipment: Can reduce the number of individual loads when properly matched to laundry volume.
- Automatic Chemical Dispensing: Helps ensure consistent chemical use while reducing manual measuring.
- Efficient Dryers: Can shorten drying times and keep laundry moving through the operation.
- Reliable Equipment: Reduces the staff time lost when machines are frequently unavailable.
- Automation Options: Folding and other automated processes can reduce repetitive manual tasks in high-volume facilities.
The right combination will depend on the business.
Should You Buy New Equipment Just to Reduce Labor?
Not necessarily. An equipment upgrade should be evaluated as a complete investment rather than based on labor savings alone.
Businesses should consider:
Equipment Cost + Installation + Utilities + Maintenance + Labor + Downtime
An older machine may appear less expensive because it is already paid for, but if it requires more labor, uses more utilities, takes longer to process loads, or experiences frequent breakdowns, the true operating cost may be much higher.
On the other hand, a new machine isn't automatically a good investment simply because it has newer technology. The question is whether the improvement in productivity and operating efficiency justifies the investment. That is where calculating the potential return on investment can help.
Don't Forget the People Operating the Equipment
Even the most efficient commercial laundry equipment can't compensate for a poorly designed process. Employees should understand how to properly load machines, select cycles, transfer laundry, clean equipment, and identify potential problems.
Simple procedures can prevent unnecessary rework and help employees move laundry through the facility consistently.
Training also becomes especially important when new equipment is installed. Staff should know how the new machines work and understand which features are intended to improve productivity.
The Best Way to Reduce Laundry Labor Costs
Reducing laundry labor costs isn't necessarily about having fewer employees. It is about getting more productive work out of the hours you're already paying for.
The right equipment can help by processing larger loads, shortening drying times, simplifying machine operation, reducing manual handling, and keeping laundry moving through the facility.
But equipment is only one piece of the puzzle.
Businesses should also look at laundry room layout, staffing, procedures, maintenance, and overall workflow. When those pieces work together, employees can spend less time waiting, carrying, sorting, and redoing work and more time getting laundry where it needs to go.
T&L Equipment Sales Co., Inc. works with businesses throughout North Carolina and South Carolina to help plan, select, install, and maintain commercial laundry equipment. Their approach goes beyond simply selling machines, which makes equipment planning particularly valuable for businesses trying to improve productivity and control operating costs.
Common Questions About Reducing Laundry Labor Costs
What is the best way to reduce commercial laundry labor costs?
Start by identifying where employees spend the most time. Larger properly sized equipment, faster extraction, shorter drying times, better workflow, programmable cycles, and automation can all improve productivity.
Does faster laundry equipment reduce labor costs?
It can. Faster processing allows employees to complete more laundry during the same amount of working time, potentially reducing overtime and the number of labor hours required per pound.
Can automation reduce laundry staffing needs?
Automation can reduce the amount of manual work required, particularly in high-volume operations. Whether it can reduce staffing depends on the facility's laundry volume and existing workflow.
Is commercial laundry equipment worth the investment?
It can be when the equipment improves productivity, lowers utility expenses, reduces downtime, or decreases the labor required to process each load. Businesses should calculate the expected long-term return rather than looking only at the purchase price.
