What Is the Difference Between Commercial and Home Laundry?
With the average Brit doing around 13,000 laundry loads in their lifetime and the fact that there are more than 67 million UK residents, there sure are lots of washes taking place every day around the country! Those stats also don’t consider the visitors to the UK, who also add to the laundry footprint via home and commercial washing methods.
As a professional laundry service, we often get quizzed on the fastest way to do your laundry. The answer we always give is via a commercially set-up laundry provider, which we will explore in more detail during this article.
If you have become confused about what services are available to freshen your items due to the various company types around, keep reading so we can iron out the confusion for you!
What Do We Mean by Commercial and Home Laundry?
Let’s start by confirming what we mean by commercial and home laundry.
The term commercial laundry can refer to two different things. Our official definition for what is commercial laundry is any washing or dry-cleaning that is completed for businesses. Most commonly, this includes sectors such as hospitality, care, and education, but the services can be used by any corporate clients required to complete laundry.
You may also see the term commercial laundry referring to a professional service provider who uses industrial machines to carry out home laundry for clients. This is where confusion arises for many people. Love2Laundry is a laundry service provider that uses commercial washing equipment for businesses and households, meaning we cover both aspects of what the name reflects.
Home laundry refers to any laundry that is produced by a household. This includes all clothing and household items such as bedding, towels, and even curtains. Home laundry doesn’t mean cleaning has to be done in the household, as there is the option to do that or send items to a professional laundry provider such as Love2Laundry.
Hopefully, that clears up the terminology for you!
What Are the Differences Between Home Laundry and Commercial Services?
Aside from the definitions of what commercial and home laundry refer to, there are other differences to consider. If you are considering the variations between commercial and home laundry processes and equipment, the following factors will interest you.
Durability
Machines and equipment used in commercial laundry settings are designed to last longer and be used more often. Even though domestic machines are predicted to last around ten years, it is not uncommon for people to experience engineering faults, which can put a massive strain on the household.
Commercial laundry providers use different equipment that works more efficiently and lasts longer, meaning that even a large hotel’s worth of bedding is no match for the tools on hand.
Speed
Have you ever wanted to know how long a hotel laundry service takes as they always seem to be able to produce clean items in record time? The key to the rapid service is that commercial services use equipment which works much more efficiently than household versions.
The cycle time for commercial machines is much quicker than household machines, with loads only taking around 30 minutes to complete. Typically, home cycles can take at least an hour to finish. Drying time can be much the same as in the household, but another time saving is also experienced when finishing the items. Industrial steamers and pressing tools mean items can be treated quickly with better results than if cleaned at home.
Cost
Buying a commercial machine costs much more than a household version, but you are getting much more machinery for your money.
Another cost difference appears when you consider running prices. Commercial machines are designed to work efficiently for large loads and over continuous usage, making them much cheaper to run. They use water and electricity more sustainably and process items faster, meaning fewer utilities are needed to produce a clean load.
Functions
The last difference is the amount of functions on commercial and household machines.
Typically, commercial laundry equipment has more functionality as it is designed to treat more complex issues than household tools. This is one of the reasons that commercial laundry produces better results than home washing, with more chances of hard-to-treat stains being removed on the first attempt.
Can Commercial Laundry Services Complete Home Laundry?
While all commercial laundry services are technically set up to facilitate home laundry items, not all providers offer this service. That is one of the factors that makes us unique at Love2Laundry as we offer a plethora of laundry solutions for both commercial and household consumers.
How Can Businesses Benefit From Commercial Laundry Services?
As well as the benefits derived from the differences outlined above, there are other advantages for commercial customers looking to outsource their laundry.
One of the main reasons is that dry-cleaning linen is safe, so commercial providers offer the best way to keep laundry items in great condition. We always say that if dry cleaning or laundering linen is done, it must be done carefully and professionally, as things can go wrong quickly. Commercial providers ensure items last longer and are ready in record time for use.
Outsourcing laundry is also a great way to keep operations moving, even if staff are short of time or unavailable to carry out essential tasks. Businesses can keep their customers and guests happy no matter the impacts they are dealing with.
Business clients also tend to benefit from other services commercial laundry providers offer, such as linen hire. In fact, as one of the best linen services, we support many corporate clients with other laundry services every day. We also offer a hotel affiliate programme, which offers more benefits to corporate clients within the hospitality sector.
What Are The Benefits of Laundry Services For Home Customers?
There are also many additional benefits for household clients who want to use commercial laundry services.
As well as having a backup plan should a washing machine break, outsourcing laundry saves time and money for utilities and purchasing equipment. Dry-cleaned clothes also last longer, as well as items that have been treated professionally. Commercial laundry services also treat hard-to-clean areas, such as removing armpit stains or treating embedded dirt.
How Does the Love2Laundry Service Work?
Whether you are a household client wanting to say goodbye to the growing laundry pile or a corporate client wanting to stay on top of laundry, we have a solution that works for everyone! Our simple laundry services can be booked using the following steps:
- All clients start by confirming their booking which includes choosing the service they require.
- A collection and return time plus location is then required which is available at any time with some same-day options available if needed.
- Our team then collects the items and takes them to our commercial-ready washing warehouse, which contains state-of-the-art equipment. This means we can clean large items in huge quantities in much less time than it would have taken to process in standard machines.Items are then dry-cleaned and finished, ready to be returned to the client.
- All items are then delivered back to the customer ready to put away and use immediately.
Customers can book in advance or at short-notice as we understand that sometimes things happen that are outside of your control. At Love2Laundry, our main goal is to be flexible to different needs as we know there is nothing worse than running out of an item that you need and having it sat in a pile or dirty items!
Click the link to find a Love2Laundry collection and delivery service near you or contact our team should you have any questions.
Whether you require commercial laundry as a business or household items as a residential client, we can help you out!
