On-Campus Laundry 101:
Do your washers and dryers make the grade?
Whether your campus is home to hundreds or thousands of students, there’s at least one thing each of them has in common, and that’s dirty laundry. From the incoming freshman learning to wash clothes for the first time to the student who waited all semester to clean everything they own – it’s no surprise that on-campus laundry rooms have to be up to the task, day after day.
But creating a reliable laundry room goes beyond just maintaining equipment. Incorporating technology, and finding the right route operator also play a role in making the most out of your on-campus laundry.
That’s why we sat down with Trey Northrup, Whirlpool Corporation’s General Manager of Commercial Laundry, to talk about some of the things you can do to optimize the performance of your laundry room.
Laundry, like most industries, depends on cutting-edge technology to thrive. Machine capabilities continue to advance – online tools, connectivity, and technology now play major roles in the way commercial laundry operations run. Most newer products have software capabilities that can provide more control and remote access to the laundry room.
Property managers now have the ability to adjust machine pricing or provide refunds, receive notifications for maintenance issues and machine productivity, update system software, and streamline payment options for users. Some products can even let students know what machines are available for use through smartphone apps.
Tools like these help to decrease machine downtime with more intuitive service notifications, and give students a more dependable, user-friendly laundry option.
From suggestions on the design of your laundry room, to choosing, installing, and maintaining the right products, to recommendations on the best floor layout, route operators can be a valuable resource for any campus laundry room manager.
Also, regardless of leasing or purchasing, you want someone who is familiar with properties similar to yours, and offers energy-efficient equipment. If you’re not performing maintenance in-house, you’ll want a route operator who has the capacity to service your campus in a timely manner. Having a machine out of service is not ideal for students, and is not helping your property generate revenue.