Laundry: In-house or send out?

There are many, many different factors to consider when deciding whether or not to process laundry in-house or send it out. Whether you’re a hotel, healthcare facility, fitness center, salon, spa, athletic facility or simply any place that has laundry- it is often a difficult decision and depends largely on the unique needs of each operation. We at Sani Wash have consulted with countless clients on which option would be best for them. We’ve helped build laundries from scratch, transitioned people from in-house to out- and then helped them transition right back in! We address and calculate a very long list of factors when helping our clients make this decision (often at no charge), but let’s explore some of the major pros and cons of each option…

In-House: We find, typically, if a location has enough space to operate a laundry in-house with sufficient capacity for maximum occupancy and reasonable expansion- they will. The numbers usually make sense, and this goes, of course, for those with a current laundry (that may or may not need a little love), but also for those looking to build a laundry room from scratch. There are very reasonable ways to purchase and/or finance washers, dryers, ironers and other laundry machines and equipment. It doesn’t have to all be out of pocket, all at once. Also, one of the biggest “pros” is having control! With in-house control, you can forget about trucks missing delivery days/times, getting other people’s laundry back with yours, not getting all your (expensive) laundry back, and various other headaches. There are other great benefits such as more control over the chemicals being used/purchased, custom designed wash programs specific to your textiles, less on-hand back-up linen is necessary, ability to increase or decrease labor shifts and various other expenses that fluctuate depending on occupancy- all of which ultimately affect your overall costs to process laundry! We eventually see a savings in almost every single case when clients make the choice to process their own laundry as opposed to sending it out.

Send Out: What if you cannot, or simply do not want to, do your own laundry in-house? They aren’t easy to find, but there actually are fantastic laundry service providers that do great work, are honest, keep to a schedule and deliver the goods as you want them to. They’re not cheap, but they’re out there! If you need help finding one, just reach out to us at Sani Wash and we’ll help point you in the right direction. Now let’s discuss why you may decide to send your laundry out.  If you simply don’t have the room for an in-house laundry, it’s a pretty easy choice to make. Some buildings, such as many here in Manhattan, were built a very long time ago, with small basements, and no clue they’d end up with the height and number of rooms they’ve got now. Good luck squeezing 4, 5 or 10 washers and dryers through narrow doorways and hallways into a usable space in the basement- and it’s usually less than ideal to take space away from revenue generating areas on upper floors. Even if you’ve got the space to build a laundry, you may not want to deal with the responsibility of owning and maintaining equipment, additional labor, water heating and treatment, and various other aspects of running a laundry. Perhaps your business strategy is one that involves an exit in the near future, and waiting a few years for an investment in building a laundry to pay for itself isn’t an option. These reasons are understandable, and may lead you to choose to send your laundry out. If you’ve got the space, and it’s simply about a return on investment and which option would be better for your bottom line- it’s strongly suggested that you consult with an industry professional (like Sani Wash), so a full audit, cost analysis and projections can be provided. This allows you to make the most educated, and best, decision possible according to your unique situation and needs.

Let Sani Wash Help! Whether you’ve made a decision or are just starting the process, don’t worry, you don’t have to do it alone. Sani Wash helps clients by asking the questions, coming up with the ideas and offering the solutions they may not have otherwise considered. It’s the creative flexibility and years of experience that result in our edge, which our clients continue to benefit from. It doesn’t matter if it’s in-house or out, we can help you make the right choices and achieve the best results for your laundry needs.