It may cost €10,000 to get a super model out of bed…  Well it may cost a lot more to keep her there!  If you run a hotel you know all about linen costs.

Bed linen, towels and table cloths are also one of the major expenditures for hospitals and nursing homes. Most organisations outsource the entire operation or else purchase the linen and wash them in house.

Outsourcing the operation to a specialist is very attractive, as the hotel just has to bag dirty linen for collection and use the clean linen provided. Hotel managers however generally have a nagging feeling that staff could wash and prepare linen during quite times and don’t want to waste this recourse.

We generally recommend a third option….. Outsource the bed linen and wash the towels. The problem with an in-house laundry is not the washing and drying, it’s the pressing and ironing. Customers need clean freshly pressed sheets on their beds. If it is not done right it looks terrible and in order to do it right you need special equipment and trained staff.

We have reviewed linen for many organisations and are always surprised that about half the spend is on towels! These include: bath towels, hand towels, bath mats, kitchen cloths etc. If towels are taken out of a hot drier and folded immediately, ironing should not be necessary.

You should be aiming for total linen savings of 20% over 5 years. This saving factors in costs for washer, drier, towels and consumables. It does not factor in extra labour costs as we assume existing staff can complete the additional work during quite times.