Anyone who works in commercial laundry understands the need for a great design. In any type of commercial setting, the laundry room is used a lot, if not constantly.
The location and the laundry area way are designed to go easing the workload, saving time, and cutting costs. It might not seem like it is important, but it really is.
Benefits of Proper Laundry System Design
Any area that is used consistently needs to be designed specifically for that purpose. Laundry areas are no exception.
Location
Your laundry facilities in your commercial space should be in the basement or the main floor. This is better so the vibrations or the noise and odors will not bother the guest or residence.
It needs to be accessible for the carts, so not too far away from the rest of the facilities, yet not too close as to disrupt the rest of the workers and their individual areas.
Plus, the flooring needs to be sturdy enough to handle the weight of the machines, like concrete. It is much easier to accommodate for drainage and exhaust. It should be away from the kitchen area, guests, dining, and other common areas.
You do need the laundry area to be against an external wall. This saves in the need for extra ventilation, fans, or complicated systems to bring in the fresh air. The area needs to be fitted out with a power supply, ventilation, drainage, airflow, and ease of use and access to it.
Space
Your laundry area needs a room for sorting, cleaning, and storing the laundry. You want to avoid cross-contamination so soiled laundry should be sorted away from the washing and drying area. The clean laundry needs to be stored away from the sorting room, as well.
The design of the rooms also needs to be able to accommodate getting the machines in and out. There needs to be a wide enough doorway in case you need to remove older machines and bring in new ones.
This might seem obvious but some commercial facilities bring in equipment first, before finishing off the door frames or windows. Then, only too late do they realize they can’t get the old washing machine out without taking the wall with it.
Once the pace for the machines is covered, you need to consider tables, storage for cleaning supplies, like detergent, bleach, and fabric softeners, and places to keep the clean laundry.
Tables and carts or trollies used for folding and retrieving clean laundry from the dryer or transporting wet laundry to the dryer should be mobile. They also need to be able to fit through the doorways.
All detergents and all should be kept where they are used, close to the washing machines. They should have their own space to avoid getting spilled or keep them where the sorting happens. Shelves should be mobile, as well, and made of stainless steel.
Machines
You need to consider the types of machines you will be using. Top loading machines require different space than front-loading machines. You need space for the doors to open and for a person to be able to maneuver their way around to get the laundry in without discomfort or dropping it.
There needs to be easy access from the washers to the dryers. The people working in there need to be able to get around the room, around the machines, and around each other.
You need enough space to keep the clean laundry from coming in contact with the incoming dirty laundry. This may not all work out in scheduling, so you need to have adequate space for all.
Ask, Don’t Guess
Getting a great deal on some commercial laundry equipment from a bankruptcy sale might seem like you are saving money, but it will cost you a lot more down the road if they don’t fit your space.
Contact the professionals at RJ Kool to find out about getting the proper equipment and the design you need for a better working laundry system. Doing things right the first time saves you a lot of time, money, and aggravation.
