Have you ever reserved a hotel room only to discover it was filthy on the inside? Maybe you went to take a shower and saw the towels were stained or smelled of mildew. If you have, that experience probably soured the rest of your trip experience.

That is a fitting example of why, for hotel owners and managers, ensuring that your guests feel a maximum level of comfort with the sanitation of your linens is crucial to keeping them happy and encouraging repeat business. Continue reading to learn more about the impact of clean hotel linens on guest satisfaction.

Why Guest Satisfaction Is So Important

Customer satisfaction measures how successfully you meet your customers’ requirements and expectations. The goal of every business is to satisfy their customers’ needs and demands while still being profitable. For hotels, focusing on guest satisfaction is crucial in remaining competitive and delivering the highest quality service imaginable.

People Remember Long After They’ve Left

The happiness of each guest doesn’t stop becoming important the moment they finish their transaction and services. Guests will remember their hotel experiences—both exceptional and horrible—for a long time. From the first impression to the last, you’re creating a memory of your hotel they’ll reference the next time they’re choosing a one or making recommendations to their friends and family.

Help Keep Guests Coming Back

Another reason guest satisfaction is so important is because it’s much more cost-effective to keep current and former customers rather than trying to attract new ones. When people are content, they will keep coming back repeatedly, and that tremendously raises your return on your first investments to get them through the door of your hotel. Focusing on doing everything possible to increase their sense of happiness once they’re inside—rather than working hard to get them there in the first place—can pay off in spades.

How Clean Linens Impact Satisfaction

Every hotel needs to put out fresh towels, tablecloths, sheets, and much more every day to keep guests happy. When people see soiled, stained, or otherwise contaminated linens, the overall guest experience is permanently lowered.

Linens in Rooms

You must be supplying clean, fresh towels and sheets for every room every day. No one wants to try and fall asleep in bed only to discover their pillow reeks and is covered with coffee stains, for instance. When people notice they are getting clean linens, they will appreciate the service your hotel is providing. This goes a long way toward giving a great hygiene impression of their rooms.

Guests Going Poolside

Any hotels that have pools know how essential it is to have a constant supply of towels. You need to have a great laundry team and laundry equipment that can keep up with the demands of your guests as they come to and from your pool and hot tub. The towels will keep them dry, and prevent slips and the formation of puddles inside the lobby and corridors. Everyone will appreciate being able to grab a towel when they need one, and they’ll be especially happy when those towels appear immaculate.

Dining Experience

At the very least, many hotels will offer complimentary breakfast to all their guests with either a spread such as donuts and coffee or a full breakfast buffet including eggs and bacon. The tables holding these food items can get messy quickly, and guests will notice stained and soiled tablecloths. Changing dirty tablecloths for clean ones will ensure people are satisfied with the care you take around hygiene and their food.

This attention to detail also applies to any hotel restaurants that may use tablecloths, reusable napkins, and more. The guest experience can hinge on having spotless linens that add to the atmosphere. Clean linens can comfort them, and reassure them that they’re in a sanitary environment.

Best Ways for Hotels To Provide Clean Linens

Maintaining a constant flow of clean hotel linens, including sheets, tablecloths, towels, and comforters is a big challenge for even small hotels due to the number of guests that arrive year in and year out. Issues such as food waste from room service meals, spilled coffee, daily towel usage, and room turnover make it challenging to keep up with the demands for clean linens. Luckily, as long as a hotel has the right game plan—including a well-trained staff, storage space, and proper equipment—they should be able to rise and meet this challenge head-on with minimal issues or even none at all.

Well-Trained Staff

Guest satisfaction is crucial to the hotel industry’s success. You need to have the right policies in place so every employee, regardless of their position, understands your expectations for hygiene and will immediately attend to any soiled linens they come across. Thus, ensuring every employee’s performance meets the highest quality standards is essential—from the cleaners who change the bedspreads and bring fresh towels to the laundry workers who wash the linens. Emphasis must be placed on the proper way to wash fabrics to ensure they come out spotless each time.

High-Quality Equipment

When you have the right industrial laundry equipment, you can ensure your linens come out clean and fresh after every wash. Having efficient laundry equipment means guests aren’t waiting for you to restock linens every day, and you don’t need to have as much storage space for extra linens. Superior washers and dryers will also be incredibly durable, requiring few repairs and interruptions in service so you can avoid expensive outsourcing.

The impact of clean linens on guest satisfaction cannot be overstated. People pay attention to every aspect of the hygiene standards your hotel supplies them, and inferior performance in these areas can cost you a lot of money overall. Any hotel manager or owner needs to make sure they’re investing time and energy into ensuring every guest comes away highly satisfied with the cleanliness of their linens.

When looking to give people the best laundry service possible, start with the right washer and dryers. Yamamoto offers high-quality large industrial grade washers and dryers that can meet all your cleaning demands for an affordable price. Yamamoto machines outperform mass-produced competitors in terms of cleanliness while running at a far higher efficiency. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our products.

Industrial washer and dryer combination units have a wide range of benefits for different industries, including hospitals, hotels, laundromats, and many more. A washer-dryer combination unit brings a commercial dryer and a heavy duty front-load washer/extractor into a single frame that has a similar square foot to a traditional soft-mount washer. Here are some of the many benefits of industrial washer and dryer combination units.

They Save Space

One of the most significant benefits of washer and dryer combo units is that they’re great space savers. Washer-dryer combos eliminate the need to devote an area to two separate machines. So, you can virtually double your laundry capacity. The combo unit is perfect if your business needs to save room or if you want to fit more equipment in the same space.

They Lower Utility Costs

Washer dryer combination units have grown rapidly in the dry-cleaning market because they work well as an alternative to dry-cleaning. Many times, we find that we can reduce the cost per load to a small fraction of what it costs operators in a traditional system. In regard to other on-premise settings, the industrial grade combo units come standard with the industries best programming abilities. So, each load can be customized to maximize efficiency by using less water, drying for shorter periods, and in many cases saving detergent costs.

They Lower Labor Costs

Most operators do not recognize how much time is wasted switching a load from the washer to a dryer. Say for example in a hotel that has two traditional sets of 55lb washers and compatible dryers. If both set’s run for a conservative 8 loads per day that would be 16 total loads. Typically, it takes a laundry attendant about 8-10 minutes to hear the wash cycle has finished, complete the task they are working on, and then go switch the load to a dryer and start the next step. With 16 loads/day multiplied by 8 minutes/load, that would be 128 minutes/day spent in just switching loads… Factor in a 5-day work week for 52 weeks (even though most OPL’s run every day) that 33,280 minutes or 554 labor hours… at a gross labor cost of $9.00/hour that $4,986 per year.

Most combination units are paid for in savings within the first few years!

After seeing all the benefits of industrial washer and dryer combination units, you may want to utilize one. Yamamoto offers superior industrial strength washer and dryer combination units for your business. Our units are completely customizable, made from highly durable parts, and provide a fast and efficient cleaning job. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about our products.

Suppose you work in an industry with a moderate to heavy need for laundry demands, such as hospitality. In that case, it can be pricy and time-intensive to outsource laundry services constantly. It would help if you considered bringing your laundry services in-house to serve your laundry needs better. We have produced a guide on understanding the many benefits of on-premise laundry.

Clean on Your Schedule

One of the biggest hassles when working with third-party laundry operations is that you need to schedule services based on the other company’s availability or establish a consistent routine. Having your laundry services on-site allows you to fulfill the demands of your clients and your business on an as needed basis. The occupancy and turn rates of a hotel can change depending on the season. Investing in a laundry system that operates only when you need it to can save significant costs over just a short period.

Beyond just the typical bedding, towels, napkins, aprons, tablecloths, and more can be washed and repeatedly used during a single day with an in-house laundry process. You no longer have to collect and store piles of dirty laundry over prolonged periods and worry about getting them ready for transport.

Save Money

As mentioned above, cleaning on your own schedule can help cut costs during slower times and control costs when needs exceed your typical usage rates. Rather than being forced into rush pricing or volume surcharges due to emergency needs that occur during the year, an on-premise laundry allows you to alleviate that unneeded stress by handling your linens on-site.

Control the Clean

Controlling the clean can mean many things.

The first is the most obvious—“How well are your linens getting cleaned?” Off-site centralized laundry providers certainly have the biggest, strongest, and toughest machines to process loads. But in order to keep orders together for each client, the linens are often washed in bags to keep everything together. This restricts the movement of the fabrics and prevents the flow of washing solutions, sometimes resulting in an uneven clean.

Also, due to the large volume of products going through the plant, there is less time (if any) to inspect for stains or tarnishes that could potentially result in customer service issues. Investing in on-premise laundry enables your staff to inspect loads before and after wash/dry cycles to make sure each sheet, towel, or tablecloth meets your standards.

The second control requires a little more attention—“How long will linens last?”

If you’re using an off-site centralized laundry service, cleaning contracts can vary. Some clients own their linens and just pay for the laundering service, while others pay for an all-inclusive service that provides linens and cleaning services. By utilizing on-premise laundry and owning your linens, you have the control to program machines to be gentler, wash products as needed, and inspect items more closely. This allows you to track linen replacement times and, in many cases, extend the lifespan of your linens. Considering how an industrial centralized laundry processes loads, linens are exposed to much harsher agitations, chemicals, and temperatures, which can cause premature deterioration and shorter lifespans.

Using an on-site laundry operation, you will achieve the best washing results with suitable high-quality machines that meet your demands and utilize your favorite detergent and chemical products that are best for your company. Having your own staff trained to clean your linens ensures that you get the best possible results.

Examples of Businesses That Can Benefit from On-Premise Laundry

While many businesses benefit from on-site laundry, it can be a necessity for business growth and beyond in some industries.

Hospitality

Running a hotel, bed and breakfast, or Airbnb will mean you are cleaning many linens, sheets, towels, and more. The price of outsourcing laundry services for these items will quickly add up. Hospitality is also an industry with very rigid schedules, and outsourcing services means you are at the mercy of your vendor’s timetable instead of your own.

Healthcare

Hospitals and other medical facilities often follow specific cleaning needs to ensure the safety and well-being of healthcare workers, patients, and sanitation staff. The risk of contamination from laundry can prove extremely dangerous to people’s health, which is why these facilities have such exacting standards.  With on-site washing machines, employees can efficiently and effectively handle a high number of linens while making sure each item abides by their facility’s safety standards.

Athletic Facilities

Considering the large number of equipment that needs to be cleaned on a regular basis, athletic facilities such as gyms or training centers are perfect candidates for on-premise laundries. Colleges, professional teams, and even many high schools have jerseys, towels, and band uniforms that are best cleaned via customized programs in an on-premise setting.

Investing in commercial laundry equipment may seem like a daunting, significant investment, but the many benefits of on-premise laundry will quickly add up over time. When you need high-quality on-premise laundry equipment for your business, the professionals at Yamamoto are ready to meet your needs. We offer a wide variety of washing and drying units to match your cleaning requirements. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our products.

 

If you’ve recently heard of wet cleaning and want to learn more about it, look no further. We explain what it is and how it can benefit you.

Wet cleaning is a dry cleaning alternative that uses cleaning additives that treat water so that it can be used to clean delicate fabrics like wool, silk, rayon, and leather. The term wet cleaning describes the process of washing items that are typically “dry clean only” with out the use of hash cleaning chemicals/solvents associated with traditional dry cleaning processes.

Many people do not realize that dry cleaning itself is not a dry process. Instead of submerging a fabric in water, dry cleaners will use chemicals called “solvents”. These chemicals are not benign. As more information emerges about the effect of these chemicals on the environment, the clothes, and the people who dry clean, it becomes more apparent that wet cleaning is a logical solution. So join us as we dive into wet cleaning—learn what it is and why it is beneficial.

Why Are Many Dry Cleaners Offering Wet Cleaning Options?

Wet cleaning is revolutionizing the professional clothing care industry for several reasons. First and foremost many of the solvents used in traditional dry cleaning are getting more and more expensive to use. Due to safety regulations operators have seen higher disposal costs, heightened stilling requirements, and other costly operational changes just to use specific cleaning agents. Since wet cleaning additives are typically water soluble and derived of more mild cleaning agents they don’t require any expensive licensing or special care to use. In the case of Yamamoto’s Harmony Cleaning Additive the solution is comprised of plant based oils and minerals so it is environmentally friendly and save to handle concentrated amounts.

Secondly, with the worlds attention growing towards health and safety, and since nearly everything under the sun can be learned on the internet, patrons have discovered the “secrets of dry cleaning”. Since customers are educating themselves on how their clothes are being handled the general public is steering operators towards a safer cleaning alternative. This is another reason we see dry cleaners labeling themselves are “green cleaners” and other like terms.

The biggest reasons that not all cleaners have switched are easy. First, change is not easy for everyone. When owners/managers have been handling garments for a long time using a proven process it is extremely difficult to make them rethink how to process their loads. Secondly, the machines they’ve purchased to handle their cleaning are extremely expensive, most operators want to make sure they get every dollar out of each piece of equipment they own. Lastly, there have been several attempts to make wet cleaning the best cleaning option, but since the clothes are risk being exposed to raw water, the garment risks color loss, shrinkage, bubbling, and several other damaging effects. This makes operators worry they may ruin expensive garments if something is done incorrectly. That could force them to pay damage claims or even lose a customer… Because of that, companies are actively trying to eliminate any of the “risks” associated with wet cleaning.

What Does the Future of Industrial and Professional Dry Cleaning Look Like?

For the future of professional dry cleaning it clearly is steering towards 100% wet cleaning. With advancements like Yamamoto’s Harmony Cleaning System operators rest easy knowing they can process virtually everything in their Harmony unit without the risk of damaging a garment. Due to their exclusive programming abilities the garments are NEVER exposed to raw water and the additive is emulsified prior to introducing a soiled load. This pretty much guarantees a better finish than any other brand on the market.

New to parts of North America Yamamoto is rapidly expanding into the cleaning industry because of the superior performance. Learn more about the difference here at:

The Harmony Cleaning System

In the last year, the hospitality industry has taken a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thankfully, things appear to be on the mend, but business isn’t completely back to normal just yet. Here are some reasons to upgrade your hospitality laundry during a crisis like COVID-19.

Improved Cleanliness

With a heightened sense of cleanliness and safety on the mind of many, investing in new laundry equipment can not only put your hotel in a great spot, but also put you ahead. With new equipment comes updated features that can control everything about the wash or dry cycles to very tight tolerances. With some of the newest capabilities you can be assured your linens are the cleanest they have ever been.

Improved Cost Control

As machines continue to develop, most manufacturers have really honed their efforts on ways to save operators money. Some have turned to using less expensive materials which lessens the overall lifespan of the unit. But others have focused on creating efficiencies in utilities, labor, or maintenance. For example, with Yamamoto’s WUD combo units they incorporate the highest quality materials to combat frequent breakdowns associated with other brands. They have also combined both the washer and dryer functions into a comprehensive unit. This helps save labor during a typical transfer step, square footage within the plant, and utilities based of the machine’s efficiencies.

Better Technology

Whether you’re getting laundry equipment for the first time or upgrading it, you’ll still have access to technology that will make your workflow more efficient. For instance, investing in combo units can provide your hotel with the durability it needs to handle heavy loads day after day. Commercial washer and dryer combo units from Yamamoto also come with touch screen displays, automated cleaning programs, dry-to-dry cycle options, and much more.

Hassle-Free Scheduling

As mentioned previously, adding your own laundry equipment to your hotel gives you more control over the situation during a crisis like a pandemic. This can help manage quality, production schedules, and linen lifespan through your on-premises laundry. You also avoid expensive contracts that can ultimately cost significantly more than handling your own laundry.

More Convenience

The final but certainly not least reason to upgrade your hospitality laundry during a crisis is an obvious one, as it instantly increases convenience. Hotels already have plenty to handle. Finding a way to free up labor to handle other tasks because part of your operation is automated though a Commercial washer and dryer combo helps everyone. By alleviating unnecessary stress on staff, you help employee attitude. By saving time between steps, you also save labor hours.

Every business strives for better efficiency because of how big of a positive impact it can have on operations, and laundry facilities are no different. Laundry facilities at hotels, hospitals, athletic facilities, or as part of dry cleaning are only as good as their effectiveness. Lots of activity also takes place in laundry rooms, and that can easily stir some chaos. Luckily, there are more than a few ways an industrial laundry facility can avoid common issues such as downtime, overcrowding, and more that typically hinder efficiency. Continue reading and discover several ways to improve efficiency in your industrial laundry facility ahead.

Get New Laundry Equipment

Our first point is one you might be avoiding, but sometimes it’s just necessary. Old laundry equipment could be holding back your facility in a few different ways. With new laundry equipment comes new technology, and that instantly improves efficiency thanks to state-of-the-art features it processes. A lot of reliance is put on the laundry equipment a facility uses, which is why it’s one area you should not hesitate to invest in. Updating to a new laundry machine means less maintenance, reduced downtime, lower utility bills, easier use, and so much more, which will all allow employees to do their job effectively in a timely manner no matter the working environment.

Have Enough Staff Members

Another key to improving laundry facility efficiency is having enough employees to do the job in the first place. A facility will want to strike a balance so there aren’t too many staff members in one area, but having enough staff around in a strategic manner will allow for nothing to slip through the cracks on a day-to-day basis.

Enough staff members at your laundry facility will also keep the working environment as stress-free as possible, with fewer people overwhelmed for overextending themselves on a daily basis and feeling taken advantage of. Always keeping your employees in mind is a major part of any working environment, and having efficiency in mind often leads to better results.

Train Employees

Having the employees and the equipment is just one part of the equation, because the other part is making sure proper training is put into place. Standards in place can not only reduce error, but also keep everyone on the same page and keep the work flowing in a consistent manner. Guidelines in your laundry facility also keep employees aware of how to use equipment properly and minimize any complications with the laundry machines. The equipment in a facility can only go so far because it can be easily destroyed if those who are using it don’t have the necessary knowledge to use it correctly.

Watch Soap Usage

One area where standards can make a difference comes with the amount of soap used by employees in the machines. Laundry machines encompass various elements from soaps, detergents, and more. Maintaining proper calibration and dosing prevents product waste. Even small amounts of overdosing can be extremely expensive over time. Sticking with the proper chemistry mix can also eliminate pre-mature ware on linens and save money on replacement costs.

Keep Up With Maintenance

Like any piece of machinery, you should also keep up with maintenance to ensure the laundry equipment is running at a high level. Some important pieces of maintenance to keep up with largely include cleaning. By keeping your facility’s laundry machines and areas clean, you can reduce any damage and debris that may cause issues in the future. Cleaning is a small thing you can do often that can have a large impact on the machine’s service life.

Use a 300G Extract Option

This next trick might seem like a no-brainer, and that’s going with a machine capable of at least 300G extract. Laundry can take time, but thankfully, new technology in machines can help you get through a load in less time. Taking advantage of the features available in your laundry machine can do wonders for your facility, so make sure you are aware of what they’re capable of. Extracting at such speeds cuts dry time significantly which saves on labor and energy usage.

Load Properly

As mentioned previously, doing laundry can take time, which is why you will want to be doing full loads as often as possible. Doing full loads of laundry will also reduce bills, but more importantly, it will be easier on your machine. However, you want to be careful you aren’t putting too much in your laundry machine because overloading can cause abnormal equipment wear and uneven cleaning. Again, referencing manufacturer recommendations can keep your machines in good condition. Machines also have laundry scales that can give you an idea of how much capacity they can handle.

Establish Workflow

In the laundry space itself, you will also want to make working conditions as good as possible based on its layout. Laundry machines can take up a lot of space in a room, which is why you want to make sure the space can not only handle the machines and miscellaneous equipment, but your employees as well. Good workflow can play a major factor in efficiency. Make sure laundry facility employees have enough space to work, because not having an adequate workspace can lead to problems.

Some ways your facility can establish good workflow is by having dirty laundry enter one entrance and strategically placing washers there for easy access. Dryers and ironing stations should then be where the clean laundry goes. Keeping things simple in an assembly line fashion can do a lot for a facility’s work efficiency.

Efficiency is something every business is looking to improve upon because the benefits trickle down to everyone at the workplace. So, take note of these different strategies of how to improve efficiency in your industrial laundry efficiency that can help and try to implement them into your space. You might also want to consider upgrading that laundry equipment that is holding you back—and Yamamoto has you covered. At Yamamoto, we offer soft mount commercial washers, extractors, combo units, dryers, and other laundry equipment that can instantly take efficiency to the next level at your facility.

An upgrade to something like laundry equipment can be intimidating for any company. However, we are here to quiet some of those doubts you might be having, because there truly are so many advantages of upgrading your commercial laundry equipment. Continue reading to get more insight as to why it’s time to make a change with the following reasons.

Higher Quality Equipment

When you finally make the upgrade to new laundry equipment, the first thing you will realize is why you didn’t make the move sooner. Yamamoto’s models are a cut above the rest, and the higher quality comes with a metal cast drain assembly, brass valves, the latest laundry equipment technology, and much more.

Reduce Costs

While it might not seem like it at first, another advantage of upgrading your commercial laundry equipment is that you will save money in the end. How? New equipment means new technology that doesn’t require as much water and electricity. Therefore, utility costs will decrease once you’ve upgraded your laundry setup.

Increased Efficiency

In addition to reduced costs, higher quality laundry equipment also adds efficiency in a few ways. By updating your equipment, you can reap the benefits of faster cycle times and better traffic flow patterns. More efficiency is never a bad thing, and achieving it becomes more possible than ever before with new equipment.

Less Maintenance

Costs don’t just decrease due to less water and electricity use when you get new laundry equipment, they will also go down because you won’t need as much maintenance. Maintenance is always that x-factor some don’t even consider that can sneakily bring costs up. New equipment will be more reliable and require less of that expensive maintenance. Plus, if something were to happen, you can service the equipment yourself and still save money.

Customer Satisfaction

Last but not least, going with newer equipment can also translate to customer satisfaction. Users will quickly recognize the benefits of new laundry equipment, and chance are they will enjoy less of the headaches.

Those who use the equipment should have no issues with it. Don’t feel like you must suffer while using poor laundry equipment. Instead, make a change for the better by choosing Yamamoto to get on-premise laundry equipment for your facility today!