Owning a commercial laundry facility is a great way to get started in business without making things too complicated. However, a laundromat can’t develop a profit if the machines aren’t working properly. Follow these tricks for keeping commercial laundry machines clean and your customers happy.
Keeping Laundry Machines Clean at a Glance
- Wipe away excess moisture and lint
- Wipe off spills, scuffs, and fingerprints
- Clean out soap dispensers
- Clean out lint filters
- Periodically check for leaks
Wipe Down Machines Nightly
At least once every 24-hour cycle, make sure to wipe down the insides of your machines. This helps remove excess moisture, lint, dirt, and anything else that might cause unwanted buildup in your machines. Not to mention, it’s a good opportunity to check for any lost items that may have fallen out of pockets during the wash cycle.
Clean the Soap Dispensers
The soap dispensers in your machines can get dirty very quickly with buildup from many load cycles in a row. To avoid unsightly soap scum from filling up your machines, always wipe them out at the end of each day. This is also important for ensuring that heavily scented detergents don’t wind up in the next day’s laundry.
Check for Lint Buildup
Even though everyone knows you’re supposed to clean the lint filter between cycles, many people just don’t do it, especially if it’s not their machine. To protect your investment, clean the lint filters at least once a day and periodically check all the exhaust hoses for additional lint buildup. Not doing this can cause your machines to overheat, meaning clothes will take longer to dry, and parts of the machine could actually combust.
Wipe Down the Exterior
If people walk into your laundromat and see dirty machines, they might turn around and decide to wash their clothes somewhere else. Therefore, it’s very important to keep the outsides of your machines looking just as clean as the insides. Regularly wipe down machines to remove scuffs, detergent spills, and dirty fingerprints.
Check Hoses for Leaks
The last thing you want in your laundromat is a leak, especially one you don’t notice until it’s already started to leave a stain or grow mold. Every so often, give your machines’ hoses a quick once-over to prevent any small problems from becoming bigger issues.
Run a Cleaning Cycle
Once in a while, it’s a good idea to give individual machines a break and put them through a cleaning cycle. This will help loosen old dirt and grime and keep your machines working a lot longer.
Keeping commercial laundry machines clean is just one way to make your laundromat stand above the competition. It’s important to make sure your business leaves a good impression on customers so they’re sure to come back.