Shortened Linen Lifespan? The Culprit Might Be Your Laundering Process! — Expert Tips on Scientifically Maintaining Hotel Textiles

    The cost of linen procurement represents a significant operational expense for hotels. Its usable life directly impacts the bottom line. This article provides a professional linen

care guide, offering hotel partners actionable strategies to significantly extend textile lifespan and reduce costs by optimizing washing methods.

    Many hotel managers find that newly purchased linens begin to show wear, tear, graying, or hardening after just a few months. Often, this is not a question of product quality but rather the “fatal damage” caused by incorrect washing practices.

        Industrial laundering is a complex chemical and physical process. Here are some of the most common mistakes and their solutions:

Mistake #1: Incorrect Water Temperature. Using water that is too hot or too cold for the specific stain and fabric type is ineffective. Excessively hot water can set protein-

based stains like blood, making them harder to remove and accelerating fiber degradation.

Mistake #2:Chemical Overuse. The excessive use of chlorine-based bleach severely damages cotton fibers, making them brittle and reducing their strength. Oxygen-based bleach (hydrogen peroxide) should be prioritized for daily whitening as it is far gentler on fabrics.

Mistake #3: Improper Load Sizes. Overloading (overload) or underloading (underload) the washing machines leads to uneven mechanical agitation. This results in either poorly

cleaned linens or excessive friction and wear.

Mistake #4: Incorrect Drying Procedures. Over-drying linens strips them of their natural moisture, leaving them dry, hard, brittle, and devoid of the desired soft hand feel.

Expert Recommendation:

        Hotel management should facilitate a joint meeting with their linen supplier and laundry service (in-house or external) to establish a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) tailored to the specific material composition of their textiles. Regular training for laundry staff is crucial. Furthermore, selecting linens that are specifically engineered to withstand rigorous industrial laundering is the first and most important step.

    Investing in proper laundry practices is not an expense; it’s a direct investment in reducing your operational costs and enhancing guest satisfaction through consistently high quality linens.