Over the past year, energy, logistics, and raw material prices have increased with rising oil prices. The laundry industry is facing increasing cost challenges. In Hong Kong, the price of industrial diesel was about HK$6 per liter at the end of February. The figure surged to HK$17.5 in early April. This caused an increase of over 190%. In Singapore, laundry owners also faced a 40% increase in fuel costs. Material prices have increased by 10%-15%. A laundry shop in Jersey, UK, stated that its gas costs accounted for around 40% of the total operating expenses. Only a 5% increase in gas prices has caused a big impact.
Facing such significant cost pressure, some operators choose to pass increased costs on to customers. They raise laundry service prices. However, this method can be highly risky in the price-sensitive laundry market. The president of the Singapore Self-Service Laundry Association noted that a 17% increase in electricity cost can be considerable. During this difficult period, everyone is facing living cost pressure. Thus, we will not raise prices for now.
Another owner who operates six laundromats said that they did not increase the price over the past 14 years. Residents are quite sensitive to washing and drying prices. Spending a few more dollars every week can be a burden for some families. Blindly raising service prices can cause existing customer loss. Laundry shops may struggle to survive in the highly competitive market. Therefore, how can laundry shops reduce washing costs through refined management? This article will introduce key strategies from the following aspects.
Invest in Advanced Equipment
Replacing energy-efficient equipment can effectively reduce laundry processing costs. Take the Kingstar commercial washer as an example. Its advanced built-in technology can optimize resource utilization. This can reduce energy costs by up to 40%. Chemicals can be precisely dosed by chemical dispensers, not relying on staff experience. This can effectively save chemical costs.
A higher extraction force cannot be overlooked. A traditional 100 G washer can only remove around 28% of moisture from garments. But a high-G washer can achieve better extraction performance. This can significantly lower the drying time and energy consumption of each batch of garments. For example, a Kingstar 400 G washer and a smart dryer with moisture sensing systems can reduce drying costs and shorten the washing and drying cycle.
Besides, the control interfaces of modern commercial laundry equipment are increasingly intelligent. Kingstar washers use a full-color touchscreen design. The interface is simple and clear, as easy as using a mobile phone. Intuitive touchscreen control and preset programs make staff training easier. The equipment operating training used to take around a week, but now only takes a few hours. Laundry shops no longer rely on experienced technicians. New employees can quickly learn to operate after standardized training. This can lower labor costs while reducing losses caused by improper operations.
Sort Garments
Equipment upgrades can control costs. Sorting garments is another important step of operational management. Precise sorting can significantly improve washing efficiency and reduce energy consumption and rewash rate.
- Sorting by color
It is a basic step. Garments (white, light-colored, dark, and bright-colored) should be washed separately. This can reduce dye transfer.
- Sorting by fabrics
This is a critical step. Textiles (cotton, linen, silk, wool, synthetic fibers, and blended fabrics) have different fiber characteristics. Kingstar industrial washers are designed for various garments. They can set different washing parameters (temperature, time, and mechanical action). Proper sorting can enable automatic washing.
- Sorting by soil level
It can improve resource distribution. Regular washing programs are for slightly soiled garments. Wash formulas should be enhanced for heavily soiled garments. Dedicated programs can remove stubborn stains.
Proper sorting can improve washing quality. It can also reduce costs. Bulk processing similar garments can effectively reduce the rewash rate. For example, a commercial laundry shop can use advanced sorting and washing formulas. This helps reduce the rewash rate from 25% to below 3%. The batch processing time is also reduced from nearly one hour to 37 minutes. Each rewash can cause additional water, electricity, chemical, and labor consumption. Proper garment sorting can reduce these costs.
Optimize Operational Processes & Digital Management
Besides equipment and sorting, laundry shops can develop more cost-saving opportunities at the operational management level.
Precise chemical dosing is more likely to be overlooked. Traditional manual operations cannot precisely control the dosage. It can also lead to rewash caused by chemical waste or insufficient dosing. An automatic dosing system can achieve accurate dosing to prevent waste at the source.
Conclusion
Laundry operators can not change the rising energy and chemical costs. But how to meet these challenges is within their control. Blindly raising prices seems to be a simple but risky method. In the price-sensitive market, laundry shops may permanently lose these customers. However, laundry shops can take other measures, including investing in energy-efficient equipment, improving equipment performance, simplifying staff training, properly sorting garments, and precisely dosing chemicals. Thus, they can systematically lower operating costs without reducing service quality.
As a laundry operator in Singapore says, “We are in the service industry. We should give priority to customers.” Facing rising cost pressure, truly clever operators do not raise service prices, but improve operating efficiency. They can improve their sustainable competitiveness with fewer resources and more refined management. This is not only about the survival of one laundry shop, but about the sustainable development in the rapidly changing industry.
Q&A
Q1: What is the residual moisture content after garments are processed by a 400 G industrial washer?
A1: It depends on the garment fabrics. The moisture content of cotton garments is around 47%. Cotton fabrics have strong absorbency. Polyester fibers have poor absorbency. Their residual moisture content is only 25%-35%.
Q2: Can a 500 G washer achieve better extraction performance?
A2: High G-force can improve extraction performance. But actually, when the value exceeds 400 G, fabric wear and machine component wear can increase significantly. Not all fabrics are suitable for high extraction force. Besides, if the G-force exceeds 400 G, the moisture reduction performance after washing cannot be guaranteed.
Q3: How can laundry shops choose equipment for upgrades?
A3: The store should make a decision based on the laundry volume. For an overall upgrade, it can choose advanced laundry equipment (such as wet cleaning machines, dryers with moisture sensing systems, and form finishers).
