How Can We Save Money And Improve Service Levels By Maintaining Hotel Linens?

The linens used in hotels have a certain lifespan, so in addition to normal washing of cotton fabrics, hotel laundry rooms must also maintain cotton fabrics to extend their service life and reduce their damage rate. If used beyond the expiration date, the linen will be seriously damaged, and putting it back into use will affect the hotel's service quality.

 

 

• The number of washes for cotton fabrics is approximately

Cotton sheets and pillowcases 130 to 150 times;

 

Blended (35% cotton): 180 to 220 times;

 

Towels: 100 to 110 times;

 

Tablecloths and mouth cloths: 120 to 130 times.

 

• Damage caused by washing

1. Wrong feeding time during washing

Do not feed materials when there is insufficient water in the industrial washing machine. Pay special attention to bleaching chemicals. This will easily cause the detergent to concentrate on parts of the linen and cause damage to the linen.

 

2. Improper use of bleach

Laundry rooms should use bleaching detergents with caution, especially bleaching powder (chlorine bleach). If used at an improper temperature, at a concentration that is too high, or with too much residue after washing, it will cause discoloration or even holes in the linen.

 

3. Misuse of detergent

The detergents in the laundry room are all chemical products, which require certain knowledge, responsibility, and correct use. Otherwise, the detergents may be mixed incorrectly or even the wrong ingredients may be added, which will also lead to this result.

 

 

• Machine and human reasons?

1. The drum of the industrial washing machine has burrs or some parts are not smooth. During the washing process, the linen is likely to be scratched or worn, which manifests as yarn pulling or broken yarn, and then small holes appear and gradually expand.

 

2. The sorting work before washing is not careful so some sharp or hard debris is mixed in, causing damage during washing;

 

3. When loading or unloading the machine before and after washing, excessive force or sharp objects puncture or scratch it;

 

4. When washing and dehydrating, the uniformity is not good or the high-strength dehydration time is too long, and mechanical force causes tearing;

 

5. The washing time is too short, the number of times is too small, the washing agent remains or the washing procedure is defective, and residual alkali, residual chlorine, etc. are not neutralized and removed;

 

6. The linen is stained with corrosive chemicals. Some of the various cleaning supplies used in hotels are corrosive, especially some strong acidic detergents, which have a great impact on cotton fabrics. If the server accidentally touches the cotton fabrics with these detergents when collecting or cleaning the room, if it is not cleaned immediately, it will also cause local damage to the linen and reduce its firmness.

 

7. The quality of the linen itself and the storage environment. We must protect cotton fabrics from moisture; the warehouse should be well-ventilated; and the edges of warehouse shelves should be smooth. We should protect the linen room from insect and rodent damage.

 

 

• Detailed damage to linen

(1) Pure cotton:

1. Break a small hole;

2. Cracked edges and corners;

3. The folded edge falls off.

4. Thin and easy to break;

5. The color becomes turbid;

6. The softness of the towel is reduced.

 

(2) Blended fabric (polyester and cotton):

1. The color becomes turbid;

2. The cotton part falls off.

3. Loss of elasticity;

4. Cracked edges and corners;

5. The folded edge falls off.

When one of the above situations occurs, we should replace the linen in time, considering the cause. Control the loss of linen and extend its service life.

 

 

• How to extend the service life of linen?

 

1. Use detergents correctly, master reasonable feeding time and temperature, understand the basic characteristics and usage methods of detergents, use dechlorinating agents to remove excess residual chlorine in a timely manner, and use neutralizing agents to neutralize residual alkali;

 

2. Avoid direct contact of cotton fabrics with strongly acidic or corrosive chemicals;

 

3. Carry out the sorting work before washing, including the sorting of linen types and the separation of debris;

 

4. Be careful during the collection and transportation of linen to prevent secondary contamination and accidental tearing.

 

5. Avoid "fatigue use," that is, washing multiple times on the same day. Doing this every day will accelerate the shortening of the life of the linen. We should give it sufficient rest time, at least more than 24 hours-that is, after washing, rest for one day and use it again the next day;

 

6. Check the machine frequently to prevent secondary pollution and human damage. The loading amount during washing should be appropriate (80%–85%). Too much or too little will affect the cleanliness and wear of the linen.

 

7. Before washing, the machine should be emptied and checked to see if there is any sharp or iron debris remaining in the drum of the machine.

 

8. Do a good job of classifying old and new linens. Natural damage and abnormal damage to old linens should be treated separately. The length of the dehydration time of new and old linens should also be different depending on their strength.

 

 

• Clever use of linen residual value

1. Change uniforms;

 

2. Modify tablecloths, bed sheets, etc., so that large area linens can be changed into smaller ones for continued use;

 

3. Sewing and mending some items that are more expensive and can be reused with minor modifications;

 

4. Transform damaged linens into other work cloths, such as work cloths for chefs, rags for cleaning, etc.;

 

5. Use damaged linens with good appearance as cover cloth when planning sanitation;

 

6. Use the damaged sheets as a protective cover after cleaning the carpet.