Trimming unnecessary expenses is always at the top of a hotelier’s priority list, which contributes greatly to the “green” trend catching on so heavily. In that sense, it’s understandable why becoming “environmentally friendly” met with such dissent in the trend’s early stages. With respect to energy management, it seemed at first concerning and counterintuitive in many ways — consumers aptly did not want to be told to buy all new equipment when their old appliances were working just fine.

Luckily, technology advanced begetting more efficient machinery just as budgets started getting tighter when the economy went into a recession. Coupled with labor expenses, energy management is a concept on top of mind for almost all hotel operators. Therefore, they are even more keen to taking into account equipment and practices that will provide the greatest return over the longest period of time.

Running a Tight Ship

Some of the best ways to keep costs down in the laundry room is by making sure to maximize both labor and energy. While energy management can make laundry operations less of a burden on a hotel’s overall bottom line, labor still costs 50 to 60 cents on every dollar spent. Linen replacement is also a large expense, and the “bedding wars” trend that caught on several years ago led to upgrades in that regard — another significant line item.

However, some simple products and practices can have a heavy impact on both labor and linen replacement, according to Steve Hietpas, national sales manager at Maytag Commercial Laundry.

Pellerin Milnor Corp.’s 30022 V6J, with a 60-lb. capacity, 150 G’s, and a 593 RPM final extract.

“Upgrading to higher spin-speed washers is one of biggest steps to reducing energy usage, as these washers remove more water in the final spin than low G-force washers,” says Hietpas. “High-speed soft mount washers with high G-force remove much more water than older bolt down machines that may offer only 80 G-force. Also, soft-mount machines do not need to be bolted to the floor. That means a facility wishing to upgrade from slow-spin machines can replace them with high-speed soft-mount machines without having to replace the existing floor.  That can also save a day or two during the installation process as well.”

Washer technology also has developed machines that reduce process times and water and sewer costs. “The breakthrough specifically involves the best use of industrial washer cylinder design with high MAF (mechanical action factor), and generous perforations in the cylinder drum coupled with microprocessor controls to develop a previously undiscovered ‘sweet spot’ processing speed,” says Terry Satchwell, vice president of strategic accounts for Pellerin Milnor Corporation.

At the same time, some simple rules for a housekeeping staff can keep costs down. “The first, and easiest, step in reducing energy use in the laundry is ensuring machines are processing a full load each time the start button is pushed,” says Kim Shady, vice president of distributor sales for UniMac. “For instance, laundry managers can use the guideline of one 60-pound load per four rooms occupied for a limited service hotel with no restaurant. If there were 50 rooms occupied yesterday, the laundry should run 13 loads today.”

Hanging Costs Out to Dry

Though labor accounts for most of the overall laundry costs, dryers account for 70 percent of the remaining utility costs. As Hietpas mentions, the higher G-force washers remove more water in the final spin than their low G-force predecessors, making for shorter dry cycles.

“Reducing dry times means that a facility will be burning less gas in the dryers as well, and it also can reduce the amount of time the employees spend doing laundry,” Hietpas says. “It also impacts linen replacement. Most of the damage to linens occurs in the dryers when linens are tumbling in 160 to 180 degree temperatures for anywhere from 25 to 50 minutes.”

A Maytag® Commercial Laundry Energy Advantage™ Drying Tumbler, available in 30-, 50- and 75-lb. capacities.

Saving on natural gas costs comes by keeping hot air inside the dryer, thus creating airflow pushing hot air through the laundry. “Efficient drying is the paramount concern, and it’s not always the case that the highest BTU dryer is the best one,” says Alex Cane, special projects manager at Equipment Marketers in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “A more efficient laundry operation will use fewer utilities or, more appropriately, use the utilities more efficiently. The easiest way to cut energy costs in these operations is to use equipment that was designed with these factors in mind.”

Another common mistake is overdrying. Housekeeping staff should be trained to understand the best usage of a tumbler’s “automatic dryness” levels to avoid this issue.

“Also, don’t be fooled into thinking that because your old drying tumbler hasn’t been giving you problems, you shouldn’t replace it. Often an upgrade can have a significant positive impact on utility costs,” says Shady. “Efficiency doesn’t just happen; laundry managers must be active in installing quality equipment and employing procedures to achieve it.”