The Importance Of Good Laundry Practice In The Hospitality Sector

It’s a no-brainer that hygiene is one of the most important elements of running a business in the hospitality industry, playing just as important a role as customer service and food/service quality. No matter how good other aspects of your business may be, if cleanliness and hygiene is an issue, customers will notice straight away and won’t be hurrying back for more. This article explains some of the things you should be considering when it comes to cleanliness, and what’s most important to customers.

Clean linen

There are many different elements of hospitality businesses that are reliant on good hygiene practices. Food service, public areas like spas and salons, hotels and holiday parks all have one thing in common – laundry. It may not be the first thing you think of when considering what could be a risk to customers’ health, but when linen is used time and time again by various customers and even staff, there is a strong potential for illness to spread.

What risks are involved with laundry in hospitality?

Businesses in the hospitality industry tend to use items such as towels and dressing gowns en masse. They are constantly in use, picking up dust mites, dead skin, and germs along the way. Those with poor immune systems, including children and the elderly, can pick up disease and infection easily, potentially becoming ill from wearing or using contaminated linen. It is, therefore, crucial to make sure that linen is effectively washed and disinfected of any unwanted germs.

The importance of industrial-standard washing machines

Although domestic washing machines operating at lower temperatures are usually fine for everyday laundry washing in family homes, businesses that cater to customers should be maintaining a higher standard than this. Industrial and commercial washing machines operate at the optimum temperature to kill all germs and bacteria, and are built for the demands of continuous washing. They also don’t harbour bacteria and mould like domestic machines do, as they are powerful enough to kill it before it becomes a problem.

The consequences of bad hygiene

Data collected by hotel search site Trivago suggested that 78% of guests expected an ‘above average’ level of cleanliness, and that they were more likely to give a hotel a higher overall rating if it was clean. Word travels fast, and even one slip-up can tarnish your business’s reputation due to negative reviews and pictures on sites like TripAdvisor, leading to a loss of repeat business. Additionally, it can result in losing money to refunds and compensation claims, and even legal action. In summary, your laundry services are crucial to ensuring that customers are happy and healthy whilst in your care, so that you can focus on providing a great service. 

Here at Laundry Services And Supplies, we offer delivery, installation and maintenance of top-of-the-range commercial washing machines. Our trustworthy machines will ensure that you can do your job efficiently and keep customers happy, whatever your budget. To enquire about our services, don’t hesitate to get in touch.