Commercial laundry costs are one of the most persistent challenges for professional laundry operators. While clients abound and profits run high, seemingly unseen costs continually threaten the prosperity enjoyed by every operator.
For businesses entering the industry, what are the operational costs that can be expected? How can these be managed?
Given our extensive work with commercial laundries around the world, our blog this week takes a look at some of the most common laundry costs. Continue reading to find out what these are!
Utility costs
Unsurprisingly, one of the largest contributors to commercial laundry costs is the expenditure on utilities. This is especially significant where certain clients – hospitals and healthcare facilities impose stringent processing standards. Here, linen is required to be processed at certain temperatures and undergo a specific number of wash cycles – all of which consume a significant amount of gas, electricity, and water.
The tracking of utility usage is an obvious place to start in order to control these costs. Measuring utility usage makes it easier to make data-driven choices that cut down on consumption without compromising the quality of service.
With regard to electricity and heating, sourcing power from more renewable sources is a strategic way to cut down on utility costs. Given the growing affordability of solar panel systems and other types of solutions, reducing electricity bills is now just a smart investment away.
Labour costs
Labour is another significant area in which laundry costs mount up.
While most of the intensive work is undertaken by washers and dryers, humans are still needed to perform the rest – folding, loading, and delivering.
For larger operations, these costs can increase during peak hours and should be proportional to the textiles being processed. Despite this, however, labour costs in the commercial laundry industry, while unavoidable, are fairly predictable – especially once shifts are finalised and slotted in.
Maintenance costs
Other laundry costs that can prove significant are maintenance costs. Given that businesses in this sector rely heavily on washer, dryer and finishing equipment, regular maintenance is necessary, both to maintain the quality of service and to remain cost-efficient.
This is especially significant when considering that fact that these machines are often in constant operation throughout the day! Even high-end systems, which are built to meet the high demands imposed on commercial laundries, can take a hit if they’re forced to operate constantly without maintenance.
Many operators believe that maintenance is best left for when machines suffer some kind of damage or interruption. This, however, can prove to be very costly given that repair charges will be stacked on top. Being proactive about maintenance is effective in keeping costs low and ensuring a longer machine lifespan.
Key takeaways
When it comes to minimising laundry costs, staying ahead of industry trends and best practices is usually a good way of cutting down on expenditure.
As noted above, by moving toward renewable power sources, investing in energy-saving washers and dryers, and tracking resource usage patterns – perhaps through a comprehensive laundry production management system – reducing expenditure to enjoy greater profits is easier than ever!
How else can I cut down on commercial laundry costs?
To find out more tips on reducing commercial laundry costs head to the Bundle Laundry blog today!