If you run a hotel, you will understand just how hectic life can get, and there are lots of tasks which need to be dealt with on a daily basis. However, despite it being a very demanding career choice, seeing how satisfied and happy your visitors are is extremely rewarding.

Ensuring that your hotel is a clean and pleasant place to stay is one of the most important things which you need to consider, and there are many things which can contribute to this. Making sure that all bed linen is clean and crisp is, without a doubt, imperative, and linen which isn’t up to scratch could land your hotel with a very bad reputation.

In addition to ensuring that linen is spotlessly clean, you also need to ensure that it is crease free. However clean your linen may be, the crumpled look is never the most attractive, and can make even the most beautifully decorated room look untidy.

Attempting to iron mountains of bed linen using a standard iron and ironing board isn’t the most time or cost efficient option though, so you need to invest in flatwork ironers.

Flatwork ironers are essential items of commercial laundry equipment, and make easy work of ironing large items of bed linen.

Once you’ve invested in a flatwork ironer for your hotel you will wonder how you ever managed without one.

Although it might only seem like yesterday that university students broke up for the summer, university holidays have a tendency to pass extremely quickly, and before you know it you will once again be graced with their presence.

Whether you run a launderette on campus or a privately owned launderette in a student residential area, there’s no time like the present to start thinking about improving or upgrading your launderette in preparation for the new semester.

With just over a month to go until students old and new begin to arrive, you should have just enough time to make any preparations or upgrades- provided you act quickly.

Giving the walls in your launderette a fresh lick of paint is a quick and easy way of refreshing its look, although you also need to think about whether the commercial laundry equipment is fit for purpose.

With the majority of students keeping a close eye on their student loan balance, it goes without saying that you will want to provide them with a top quality and cost effective service- and if your commercial laundry equipment isn’t up to scratch you certainly won’t be giving them this.

There is some very affordable state-of-the-art modern commercial laundry equipment available at the moment, which will make you a firm favourite with the local student population.

It’s not just homeowners who can find themselves short on space, and many businesses are also struggling to house all of their essential equipment and products under one roof.

Modern launderettes are certainly no exception to this rule, and many launderette owners are constantly looking for new ways of updating their commercial laundry equipment, modernising the environment and generally making the whole laundry experience as pleasant as possible for customers.

If space isn’t at a premium in your launderette, yet you are in desperate need of new equipment, you may be wondering just how on earth you are going to achieve this without moving premises. There is an effective solution to this problem though- in the form of stackable laundry equipment.

Whether you’re looking for new washing machines or tumble dryers, there will be a stackable option to suit. Stackable commercial laundry equipment can offer the same high standard of washing or drying as standard models- although they take up a fraction of the space.

The compact design of stackable equipment means that you can house two pieces of equipment using the floor space of just one- which makes it an extremely cost effective and space efficient solution.

Now that the schools have broken up and we’re firmly in the summer holiday season, B&B’s up and down the country are putting the finishing touches to preparations which will help them to cope with what will hopefully be a busy and profitable summer season.

Many more families are opting to holiday in the UK rather than splash out on a pricey foreign holiday, and with cost saving at the forefront of their minds, B&B’s are likely to be the accommodation of choice for an increasing number of people.

If you run a B&B, there’s no doubt that you will have experienced how difficult it can be to get all of your bed linen washed and dried on time so that you can prepare for your next guests. Relying on the weather in the hope that you can dry linen outside is never the best course of action in the UK, so investing in commercial laundry equipment such as tumble dryers is the quickest route to dry linen.

Commercial tumble dryers are available in many different styles and sizes, so you should find it relatively easy to find one which suits the needs of your business.

Keep your B&B business booming with a little help from commercial laundry equipment.

It goes without saying that every effort needs to be made to ensure that care homes are as clean and comfortable as possible so that residents really can feel at home.

When you manage a care home, there are many very important factors which need to be taken into consideration in order to keep residents and their relatives are happy- one of which is cleanliness.

Although there have been some care home horror stories in the press- many of which centre around horrendous hygiene conditions, it’s fair to say that these are very few and far between, and the vast majority of residencies tick all the boxes.

In addition to ensuring that hygiene standards are met as far as rooms and the residents themselves are concerned, care home personnel also need to ensure that clothing and linen is kept as clean as possible, and that cross contamination is avoided.

There are some great items of commercial laundry equipment which can assist with this- one of which is barrier washers.

Barrier washers ensure that soiled linen is kept separate- which helps to prevent the spread of bacteria and germs.

This highly useful commercial laundry equipment can go a long way in helping you comply with health and safety regulations and helping to keep residents 100% happy.

Businesses in a wide range of different sectors are constantly looking for ways to cut down on running costs without compromising the quality of service offered to customers, and luckily there are several effective ways of achieving this.

Many businesses dread energy bills dropping through the letterbox- especially those who use large electrical items on a very regular basis.

Establishments such as hotels and hostels often find that their gas and electricity bills are extremely high- due to having to frequently wash and dry big and bulky items of bedding i.e. duvets and pillows.

Even through the use of the very best modern commercial laundry equipment, drying these items can take a significant amount of time, and for this reason, those who face this problem should think about arming themselves with a hydro extractor.

Hydro extractors eliminate excess water far more quickly than even the speediest spin, and not only will this help to slash energy bills, bedding will also stay looking fantastic for much longer.

A hydro extractor is the perfect way to cut down on the time and money spent on laundry- making it a fantastic choice for many commercial businesses nowadays.

Businesses in many different industries are finding themselves in a constant battle with their competitors, and every customer really does count in the current economic situation.

Even though we’re now firmly in the summer holiday season, hotels in many resorts up and down the country are still finding it difficult to get those all important bookings- especially those located in resorts where competition is fierce.

There are many aspects which contribute to the success (or failure) of hotels- and customer service and the overall quality of the accommodation is of extreme importance.

Customers always expect the very highest standards, and this is certainly no different when it comes to a hotel stay. This is why it’s extremely important to pay attention to even the smallest of details- even the linen.

Nobody wants to check in to their hotel to be greeted with crumpled and scruffy-looking bed sheets, and they can make even the most otherwise immaculately presented room look untidy. For this reason, hotels should invest in commercial ironers, to ensure that all linen looks as pristine as possible.

This useful commercial laundry equipment will help to give you a head start against your competitors- and will have visitors returning time and time again.

Although businesses in just about every sector are constantly looking for ways to cut costs, this doesn’t mean that that customers or clients have to suffer- and this is as true as ever when it comes to launderettes.

People look to their local launderette to get all types of clothing and linen clean and dry, and those who don’t own a domestic washing machine or tumble dryer really do rely heavily on their launderette.

Even though the economic forecast might not be the best, this doesn’t mean that customers should suffer, and if you own or run a launderette, now is the perfect time to give it a little facelift- which will benefit both you and your customers.

If the commercial laundry equipment which you’re using is less than modern, you definitely need to invest in some newer models. You’ll be amazed at the features which the hi-tech laundry equipment which is available today boasts, and it is also extremely affordable.

Whilst there’s no doubt that the commercial laundry equipment is the most important aspect, you can also transform your laundry beyond recognition by giving walls a lick of paint, and generally making the trip to your launderette a lot more pleasurable by adding comfy seating and even drinks facilities.

Give your launderette and facelift, and you will definitely have customers coming back for more.

The recent announcement that VAT is set to increase to 20% has left many people wondering just how they’re going to cope. With the UK just coming out of a recession, and times still very hard for the majority of the population, these latest proposals from the coalition government have shocked many.

Thankfully, the proposed VAT increases won’t come into effect immediately, so there’s adequate time to prepare. As most people will be desperately seeking areas in which they can cut down, if you own or run a launderette, why not give your customers a little helping hand?

If your launderette is still equipped with old commercial laundry equipment which has seen far better days, you seriously need to think about upgrading.

It goes without saying that both you and your customers will want commercial laundry equipment that can produce the best cleaning results in minimum time- and old equipment just can’t offer this
New modern laundry equipment has the ability to thoroughly clean laundry in a speedy manner, and many washing machines and tumble dryers also boast energy saving features. Upgrading could help to cut down on your energy bills- which means that you can pass savings and special offers on to your loyal customers.

Give your customers (and your business) a helping hand during these difficult times.

Users of a laundry service provided by Suffolk County Council have been left in a state of confusion over conflicting reports regarding its future.

The service, which uses commercial laundry equipment to cater to the laundry needs of many of the region’s elderly and disabled residents, was thought to have been set for the chop after service users’ next of kin and carers received correspondence that the service would no longer continue.

However, Suffolk County Council now appear to have backtracked on these claims- which has to led to many people wondering what exactly is going on.

Bill Hawthorne, whose elderly mother-in-law relies on the service, spoke out about his fears- which are no doubt mirrored by many others. He said:

"She's chronically disabled and there's no way we can cope if we lose the service.

"There's no way we can do that amount of laundry at home. Both my wife and I are pensioners and we've got our own health problems.

"It's just mind-boggling and stressing us out.”

"We realise this may be an unsettling time for those in receipt of this service, but we will be working closely with everyone involved to ensure that an alternative service is in place to meet the ongoing need.”

Although launderettes are still very popular, in order to keep those loyal customers coming through the door you need to bear in mind that over the years, laundry needs have changed significantly.

This is why you need to make sure that you do everything in your power to ensure that your customers are getting a service which is efficient and fully suits their requirements.

If the commercial laundry equipment in your launderette has seen better days and is no longer performing to the best of its ability, there’s no time like the present to upgrade your equipment- you’ll be shocked at just how much of a difference it can make.

The hi-tech commercial laundry equipment which is on the market today offers much quicker, thorough cleaning and drying than the machines of yesteryear- and your customers will certainly notice the difference.

If you don’t upgrade the equipment in your launderette, you’re putting yourself at serious risk of losing scores of important customers- and who wants to risk a decline in business in today’s tough economic climate?

Invest in new commercial laundry equipment, and not only will your launderette be brought right into 2010, business is also likely to experience a healthy boost.

A couple from Redland, who gave a rundown launderette a major makeover just a matter of months ago, have received recognition for all of their efforts and were last week awarded the Environmental and Heritage Award.

Tony and Phyllis Knaggs, a local husband and wife duo, received the award from the Chippenham Civic Society, after they managed to transform the Harris Launderette from a derelict haunt for troublesome local youths into an amazing modern launderette, where the residents can use state-of-the-art commercial laundry equipment.

The Knaggs spent a great deal of time and effort on giving the launderette an overhaul, and it is now considered one of the best launderettes in the area. Ever modest, the couple say that they were overwhelmed to receive the award, which was presented to them at a special ceremony last week.

Tony Knaggs explained:

“We had no idea it was coming. One of the ladies from the Civic Society invited us to the presentation night and we were very pleased and surprised when we won an award.
“They said we brought back a facility which was lacking in Chippenham, and the fact that it was totally modernised was excellent.”

One of the questions we commonly ask when doing our laundry is “how much detergent should I use?” If you use powder detergents, it can be really messy. Whereas, if you use liquid detergents in ready to use capsules, you can get through a box in only a matter of days. So what can you use instead?

For those larger establishments that have to do a sizable quantity of laundry on a regular basis, an excellent solution is to use an auto dosing system. The auto dosing system will insert the right amount of solution into the wash every time. Meaning that you don’t have to insert it manually – saving time. And also making sure the correct dose is added – saving money.

Auto dosing virtually eliminates the mess seen by manually filling the machines. And because the system can be completely automated this also saves on manpower and hence the system can be effectively controlled and hence large monetary savings can be made by the organisation.

In brief here is what an auto-dosing system can do for you:

•    Less mess
•    Less contact with hazardous detergents
•    Efficient use of detergents
•    Uses the right amount of detergent every time

It can be easy to see that by using the right system, such as an auto-doing system, you can save time and money and hence run your business more effectively.

When it comes to doing the laundry, if there’s one thing that many people are guilty of, it’s forgetting to check the washing instructions on clothing.

Just bundling all of your whites or colours in together and hoping for the best is a recipe for disaster, and not only could your clothes end up coming out of the wash significantly smaller than when they went in, they might not be being washed thoroughly enough.

Most modern washing machines have an extensive range of programs which are suitable for different types of fabric and different levels of soiling. This means that if you’re just washing everything on a standard 30° setting, you’re probably not getting the most out of your washing machine.

If you’re not up to speed with what all the symbols on clothing labels mean, you can find simple guides on the internet, and you may be shocked at just how much damage you could potentially have been inflicting on your laundry!

Understanding and checking labels is also imperative when you’re using the commercial laundry equipment at the local launderette, as the settings are likely to be completely different to those on domestic machines.

Check your labels and leave your laundry unscathed!

If you’ve started to notice that your clothes don’t seem to be coming out of the washing machine looking as clean and crisp as they used, yet to can’t afford to splash out hundreds of pounds on a new model at the moment, you should definitely track down your nearest launderette.

Launderettes have come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, and the commercial laundry equipment that is present in many launderettes today is extremely modern and of the highest possible quality.

Taking all of your laundry down to your local launderette can be doubly beneficial - as you can leave your laundry to wash and dry in the safe hands of launderette staff and maybe pop into town for a spot of shopping.

Whilst your old clothes are spinning away in the launderette, there’s nothing stopping you from treating yourself to a couple of new pieces! You can rest safe in the knowledge that your purchases will stay looking new for as long as possible when you’re washing them in the best commercial laundry equipment in the business.

Take a trip to your local launderette- and treat your clothes and treat yourself.

There are many different industries which have to deal with large amounts of laundry on a daily basis, and unless the correct commercial laundry equipment is used, tackling it can feel like an absolute nightmare.

Hotels, restaurants, care homes, nurseries and hospitals are just some of the places which need to wash and dry mountains of linen every day, and without the correct equipment, getting this linen clean, dry and ironed can be a very time consuming task.

Trying to iron large items of bed and restaurant linen using a standard iron and ironing board is certainly nobody’s idea of fun, and this is why it’s extremely important to invest in commercial ironers.

Commercial ironers make light work of ironing substantial quantities of large items of linen, and many of the fantastic models available at the moment can iron, fold and stack your laundry in the most pristine manner possible.

Most commercial ironers have been designed in a way which makes them incredibly simple to use, which further adds to their time saving qualities.

With such functional commercial laundry equipment so readily available, the days of spending hours at the ironing board can be well and truly banished.

A laundry NVQ course is looking to be a surprise success, with more than 100 people applying to achieve a qualification in Laundry Operations.

The course, which is being jointly run by East Berkshire Technology Centre and the Laundry Technology Centre, runs over a period of 16 weeks, and in addition to those already signed up, many more are set to join.

The Laundry Operations course aims to arm students with all of the necessary skills required to work in a modern launderette- which is vital with so many different models of commercial laundry equipment currently in use in launderettes up and down the country.

East Berkshire Technology Centre is working closely with 10 launderettes in the area who wish to train their staff to the highest standards possible.

Students attend the course 1 day a week, and are trained on their employer’s premises- giving them full hands on experience with all of the commercial laundry equipment which they will be working with on a regular basis.

Another major bonus of the course is that it can be specially adapted to meet the requirements of different launderettes- making it much more relevant and more valuable to students and employers alike.

Christine Robinson, Laundry HR Director at one of the region’s launderettes, praised the course and said:

“We believe the Laundry Operations NVQ courses are a good way of making training and development accessible to all levels of staff.”

For those with large families, dealing with the laundry can feel like a never-ending task, and can take up a large proportion of any parent’s time.

Domestic washing machines and tumble dryers can only handle a limited amount of washing, so if your household produces a lot of dirty laundry, it’s likely that these appliances are barely ever switched off!

With energy prices constantly on the rise, handling so much laundry on a regular basis can have a huge impact on the state of your household bills, and nobody wants a nasty shock when these bills land on the doorstep!

However, there is a quick and easy way of cutting down on the amount of time and money that you spend on doing your laundry- and that is paying a visit to the launderette.

There is some extremely modern commercial laundry equipment available for use in launderettes today, which will get all of your laundry clean and fresh in no time at all.

As commercial laundry equipment is designed to deal with large volumes, the time spent dealing with laundry will be significantly reduced, as will your energy bills- making it the perfect all round solution.

There’s nothing like a weekend away with the family to escape the norm and relieve boredom. Wherever in the country you’re located, you don’t have to travel far to get away from it all, relax and prepare yourself for another hectic week ahead.

However, one thing that most people certainly don’t look forward to after a refreshing break is having to deal with mountains of washing! Even after just a couple of days away, it’s amazing just how much laundry you’ve managed to amass- particularly if you also have children.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend the next week dealing with all of this dirty clothing- and a quick trip down to your local launderette is all it takes.

The modern commercial laundry equipment in many launderettes today mean that your laundry can be washed and dried in next to no time at all. Not only does this save you time, it also means that you don’t have to worry about running up a huge electricity bill in trying to deal with it all by yourself!

Commercial laundry equipment is specifically designed to deal with large volumes of laundry- taking a huge load off your mind in the process!

Results of a recent survey have shown that the average modern mum spends around five months of their life dealing with laundry tasks- which probably won’t come as a surprise to many.

According to the study, around 26 minutes is spent before and after the washing machine is in operation- which is spent on sorting items out and hanging them out to dry.

If that’s not bad enough, just under an hour a week is spent ironing- and that’s just for the average sized family. Those with a bigger brood spend considerably more on these tasks during their little ones’ 18 years of childhood.

However, it seems that these timescales could be reduced with a little more attention- as over half of people surveyed put the washing machine on the incorrect setting three times or more over the course of the past year- meaning that laundry was washed for longer than necessary.

A spokesman for the company who carried out the survey quipped:

“All mums will tell you they spend their entire life doing the laundry and they're right, it is a staggering amount of time.
“Carrying out tasks like pulling tissues out of pockets, pairing up socks, looking under beds or behind doors for underwear take up a large chunk of their life.”

Launderettes are most certainly not a thing of the past, and they are still extremely popular with those from all walks of life.

Most towns still have at least one launderette, and business is booming for many. If you’ve never taken a trip down to your local launderette then you could be seriously missing out, as there are ways in which you could really benefit.

Slash your energy bills

If you have a large family (or are simply just lucky enough to have an extremely large collection of clothes!), there’s a high possibility that your washing machine is constantly in use. If this is the case, it’s a dead cert that your electricity bill will be suffering. So, if you don’t want to dread that bill falling through your letterbox anymore, take control of your costs and head down to the launderette.

Get top quality cleaning

The commercial laundry equipment available in many launderettes today will give your clothes a whole new lease of life, and can even remove stubborn stains that your old washing machine struggles with.

Deal with large loads quickly

Domestic washing machines can generally only handle small loads, so washing lots of items can be very time consuming. However, commercial laundry equipment allows you to wash large loads in just one go- so you save time AND money.

Take a trip to your local launderette- you’ll be surprised at just what it can offer!

The use of commercial laundry equipment in launderettes is still as popular as ever, and no more so than in Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton Homes currently operate 16 local launderettes, which are used by many of the city’s residents.

However, in order to keep launderettes stocked up with the latest hi-tech commercial laundry equipment, Wolverhampton Homes has recently informed user’s of the launderettes that prices are set to rise slightly.

Due to the high levels of service offered by the launderettes though, it looks as though the price changes won’t come up against too much opposition, and Wolverhampton Home’s Director of Housing, Mark Henderson, reassured launderette users that the prices were still extremely competitive when he explained:

“The increase to the cost of tokens is the first in five years. It is important that the charges cover the cost of the service, so that tenants and leaseholders pay fairly for the services they receive. We know tenants and leaseholders’ value the launderette service and we thank them for understanding why we have to increase the cost.”

Washing your laundry at your local launderette is generally a simple and safe task, and 99.9% of the time you leave the launderette with all of the items that you arrived with. However, this wasn’t the case in Wrexham recently, when a laundry thief happened to strike!

Elisha Jones of Wrexham was recently ordered to pay out a total of £200 plus £28 compensation after she was caught on CCTV stealing laundry from a local launderette.

Jones was spotted stealing items of clothing from the commercial laundry equipment, by shoving them into a refuse bag.

Prosecutors told the court:

“It was 11am on Tuesday, February 9, and the victim put items in the dryer.
“Her drying had been taken out of the machine and items were missing.
“The defendant was seen on CCTV placing items into a black binbag.”

“This was a mean offence that you have stolen items from someone who has put items in a launderette.”