Providing crisp, clean sheets, linens and fluffy towel for guests is something every hotel should take pride in. A guest’s night in accommodation is influenced by the quality of the sleeping experience.

When it comes to going green with laundry and linen, this doesn’t have to impact negatively on guest comfort. We’ve put together some tips and suggestions on how to go green with your textiles.

Cut down and green up

Image by © hometolife.co.za

Cutting down on daily changing of towels and linens has become one of the easiest conservation efforts to implement. Instead of having bed linens and bath towels washed and replaced on a daily basis, guests are given the choice of reusing them.

A little sign in the bathroom above the towel rack can inform them of laundry policies and that they have the choice to request a sheet change anytime they need it.

This can cut down on the establishment’s laundry expenses – detergent, water, electricity and work hours – by at least a third.

Make smart choices

Switch to a greener laundry detergent. This is detergent that doesn’t contain dangerous chemicals – substances that can be harmful for guest health and environmental health, as it’s flushed down the drain.

There are alternatives to chlorine bleach that are just as effective and green-friendly detergents are bio-degradable, which means that the grey water that is a by-product of laundry can be recycled in other parts of the hotel. It can be used to wash cars and clean outside areas.

Eliminating harsh chemicals from the laundry process also has an improvement on the life-cycle of hotel textiles. Bed sheets, towels and other linen last much longer, as the harsh chemicals used in cleaning them often break down the fibres in the cleaning process.

Buying a better quality textile, with a higher thread count also means that the linens last longer. Donating old linens and towels to charities and shelters is a good way to ensure that nothing goes to waste.

Re-think your laundry processes

Image by © www.rainharvest.co.za

Instead of a plastic bag in the closet for guests to leave their dirties in for easy transport to the laundry, try reusable nylon bags.

If your washing machines are on the aged side, consider replacing them with energy- and water-efficient machines. The savings on the hotel’s water and electricity bill will mean that these machines will pay for themselves, instead of becoming an operational expense. Using a shorter wash cycle, when linens aren’t very dirty or stained, can also add to energy and water savings.

Washing stained towels and sheets as soon as possible after they’re stained, can also save time and energy. A dried-in stain can sometimes require 3-4 wash cycles in a conventional washer before it comes out clean. Making stained laundry a wash priority can prevent excessive wastage of water, detergent and electricity.

Rethink your laundry equipment

A laundry system that’s designed to wash everything in cold water can still have clean, bright and sanitary results. Because it’s not necessary to heat water to wash, the energy savings are tremendous.

Laundry systems like this are successful because they deliver a constant dose of cleansing ozone to the washing machines – which means clean, fresh laundry, without having a hot, humid and steamy laundry room.

Greening up a hotel’s laundry doesn’t have to be as drastic as replacing all the machinery, in order for it to be effective. Even the simplest steps taken to reuse and reduce linen consumption will have a discernible effect. Both on the operational efficiency of the laundry and the operational costs budget. What’s good for the numbers is also good for the environment – so every little bit helps!