When investing in commercial laundry equipment for your business, you want to get the most out of your machinery. The good news is that most commercial laundry equipment can last between 10-15 years. However, in order to get the most out of your machinery proper and routine maintenance are critical..
The leading manufacturer of Speed Queen, Huebsch, and UniMac – Alliance Laundry Systems – designs, engineers, and tests their washer extractors and tumble dryers to withstand the most demanding commercial applications. Whether your industry calls for vended or on-premise laundry equipment, Alliance prides itself on using high-quality materials to ensure maximum performance. They use heavy-duty metal parts instead of plastic to ensure your equipment stands the test of time. Alliance’s efforts on durability and high-quality machinery will be for naught if you are not proactive when it comes to maintaining your equipment. Let’s get started on ways you can extend the life of your commercial laundry equipment.
1. Understand and Maintain Your Equipment
Proper ongoing maintenance is one of the most important things you can do to increase your washer or dryer’s longevity.
Each machine comes with an owner’s manual, which describes how to use the machine and when to get replacement parts. The guide will also cover utility recommendations and required maintenance and service needs.
You’ll also find your machine’s warranty in the owner’s manual. Huebsch and Speed Queen commercial laundry equipment includes a 5-year limited warranty on all parts and a 10-year warranty on seals and bearings.
We recommend reading through the manual, setting calendar alerts, and saving important dates to keep your washers and dryers in tip-top shape.
You can also set up regular maintenance and inspections with our laundry technicians. Our technicians can spot potential issues before they become costly repairs and replacements, saving your business money. Our service area includes New York, New Jersey, Fairfield County in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and New Castle County in Delaware.
2. Regularly Clean Your Laundry Machines
Another way to extend the life of your commercial laundry equipment is by following a regular cleaning schedule.
Keeping your commercial laundry equipment clean will prevent soil, debris, bacteria, and viruses from accumulating. These things can cause corrosion and build-up, decreasing the washer and dryer’s lifespan.
Wiping down your washer’s interior multiple times a day will prevent mold and mildew from building up and causing foul odors. Thaddeus McDaniel, General Manager at Metropolitan, recommends “regularly clean the drain, drain valve, and drain hose at the rear of your machine. This will help prevent a stale, foul odor of stagnant water from greeting your customers and keep the water flow clear of clogs.”
It is generally recommended you also wipe around the outside of your washers as well to prevent any staining from laundry detergent left behind. Laundromats or other laundry facilities are always encouraged to keep the doors to the washers ajar at the end of each day. This will allow fresh air to circulate throughout the machine.
Another important recommendation is to wipe out the detergent compartments and lids multiple times a day. This particular maintenance will remove any soap buildup and reduce mold growth. This simple habit can prevent you from repeatedly replacing your soap compartment lids.
When it comes to your tumble dryers, removing any lint that has accumulated is a very, if not one of the most important practices when it comes to caring for your laundry equipment. This practice will help prevent lint buildup and potential fire hazards.
McDaniel always encourages customers to “listen to your equipment. A faint thump in your dryer could mean a damaged or worn roller. When rollers are worn and need to be replaced, they no longer support the dryer basket and that puts a strain on the trunnion and bearings of the basket. Uneven and worn rollers wear at the basket rim and over time will separate the basket rim, scrape the front panel, and destroy the front gasket”. Remember to listen to your machinery so you avoid making expensive repairs.
Customers like to see well-maintained washers and tumblers when they come into your store. A quick trick to clean your commercial washers is to run a hot, empty cycle with white vinegar. The vinegar will remove soap residue and naturally disinfect the machine. White vinegar contains acetic acid, which can kill bacteria and viruses and remove foul odors.
3. Educate Your Staff
Educating your staff to properly use your machinery can help extend your equipment’s lifespan and minimize downtime, repairs, or replacements. Whether your equipment is designed for vended laundry or an on-premise laundry room, training your staff is crucial.
Under or overloading the machines, improper cycle selection, and incorrect detergent usage are common mistakes attendants make. However, by training your staff, you can eliminate mistakes so you get the best quality wash out of each load of laundry. With the latest advancements in our technology, each piece of machinery features intuitive controls that make starting a load of laundry as simple as possible.
McDaniel suggests “teaching your staff how to identify problems, such as leaky inlet valves or broken door locks.” While our machinery is engineered with forensic warning features, educating your staff to pick up on changes in your equipment is a proactive way to reduce downtime on machines.
Here are a few good reminders for your customers so they get the best out of their laundry cycles:
- Don’t overload or underload the washing machine or dryer.
- Use the recommended amount of detergent.
- Normal capacity loads are ½ cup per load
- Large capacity loads are ¾ to 1 cup per load
- Front-load machines use ⅓ cup per load
- Don’t force coins into the payment slots.
It’s always a good idea to provide ongoing employee training to help them do their best work. This helps keep minor issues from becoming big problems.
4. Have a Reliable Repair Service Team on Call
Let our service department know when your commercial laundry equipment fails, or a specific part needs to be replaced. We offer genuine parts for Huebsch and Speed Queen vended laundry equipment & UniMac on-premise laundry equipment.
Out of order machines means lost revenue. Quickly repairing commercial laundry equipment can increase your laundry business’s overall efficiency and profitability. Therefore, fixing the machines as soon as possible should be a top priority.
Naturally, over time your equipment will show signs of wear. Machinery failure can be the result of improper or misuse, age of equipment, or a combination of both. Let the team at Metropolitan Laundry Machinery Sales Inc. extend the life span of your commercial laundry equipment. Our team of trained parts and service technicians understands pushing your machinery past its capacity of use can put your business at risk. Therefore, our service department wants to assure you we can help diagnose mechanical issues and come up with a plan to repair or replace all necessary parts so your machines are back up and running quickly.
Call us today at 1 (866) 448-7135 to find the perfect commercial laundry equipment for your business, or to request parts and/or maintenance from our service team!
