Acknowledgement

We are heartily grateful to our course teacher, Md. Ulfat Hossain, for assigning us to prepare a report on
Dealing with laundry is a fact of life for hotel, explaination in context of laundry operation. It was a wonderful
subject to work on with. Though there were some methodical and procedural limitations, finally its been ready
to submit. We remember the friends and officials from whom we got valuable suggestions to make the report
done. The following report examines the Housekeeping departments most vital part laundry operation as a fact
for hotel life.

Now, we want to submit it to our honorable teacher for his kind observation.



















Table of contents
Sl. No. Topic
1. Introduction
2 Internal laundry
3. The laundry or linens category
4. Main responsibilities of the laundry operation
i. Recycling of linen
ii. Removing marks and stains
iii. Security of linen
iv. Repairs of linen
v. Collection, sorting and counting of linen
vi. Dispatch of linen to external contractors
vii. Issuing of linen to other departments
viii. Stock and inventory
ix. Washing, drying, pressing, and storing

5. Laundry Operation Cycle:
i. Linen used/soiled
ii. Transport to linen room
iii. Counting and sorting
iv. Washing
v. Drying linen
vi. Pressing and folding
vii. Issuing Linen
viii. Storing linen

6. Defining the stages of the wash formula:
i. Flush cycle
ii. Break cycle
iii. Suds cycle
iv. Bleach cycle
v. Rinse cycle
vi. Softener cycle
vii. Sour cycle

7. Laundry agents
8. Issues to be considered
9. Conclusion
10. General recommendations







1. Introduction
Dealing with Laundry is a fact of life for hotels. Guestrooms, restaurants, banquets, fitness center and
employees all have soiled linens: towels, table cloth, uniforms and other laundry that must be cleaned. Hotels
have several choices in how they handle this. They can do the following things:
Use disposable products where possible (paper towel rather than linen, napkins, for example)
Rent clean linens from a commercial laundry
Buy their own linens from a commercial laundry
Buy their own linens and use a commercial laundry
Buy their own linens and use a centralized laundry
Buy their own linens and use an on premise laundry
Use a combination of these alternatives
Linen
Linen is an expensive item, so how it will be laundered requires serious consideration. People involved in
handling linen should have some knowledge of the process. Moreover, the Housekeeper and Linen keeper
should have a good rapport with the Laundry Manager.
Laundry
Laundry is the other department under the housekeeping department. The Laundry manager needs to report to
the Executive Housekeeper. The laundry department needs to manage the linen supply. The linen supply
include the towels such as face towel, hand towel and bath mat, bed linen pillow case and bed sheet, bathrobe
and F&B linen such as table cloth, place mat and napkins. The laundry department also provides guest laundry
service, normally included wet cleaning, dry cleaning and pressing. It is responsible in taking good care of the
staff uniform and has good inventory control.

2. Internal laundry
When considering the set up of an internal laundry the following factors would have to be considered:
Location
Space what would determine how much space you need
Accessibility
Lighting and ventilation
Staffing
Training
Equipment
Health and safety
Drainage
Operating cost
Business forecast


Control
Guest laundry
Uniforms
Supervision
Quality control procedures

3. Laundry or linens category
Linen is the most important recycled inventory item under the executive housekeepers responsibility. Next to
personnel, linen costs are the highest expense in the housekeeping department.
Fabrics are manufactured from fibers which may be woven, knitted, or bonded together in various
ways.
Different fabrics have different properties making them appropriate for use in varying situations
All fabrics are collectively called linen in hospitality jargon, even though the material may be made of fibers
other than linen.
Table: There are numerous items that fall within the laundry or linens category including:
Bedrooms Dining Bathrooms Miscellaneous
Bath linens and
towels
(ranging from 400gm
- 800 gm)
Bath robes
Bed linens
Bedspreads
Blankets
Valances
Duvets, duvet covers
Mattress covers
Table cloths
Table napkins
Linen glassware towels
Bar towels
Face towels
Hand towels
Bath towels
Bath mats
Bathrobe
Shower Curtains

Staff uniforms
Cleaning cloths
Kitchen towels
Cushion covers
Loose covers
Curtains / drapes
Blinds
Shades


4. Main responsibilities of the laundry operation:
Recycling of linen
Removing marks and stains
Security of linen
Repairs of linen
Collection, sorting and counting of linen


Dispatch of linen to external contractors
Issuing of linen to other departments
Stock and inventory
Washing, drying, pressing, and storing


At the washing stage there are particular things that need to be carried out to maintain quality and cost control.
When loading, the washing machines should not be too empty too full and the operator should do the following
things:
Ensure the correct laundry chemical is used and the right quantity for the load /weight
Ensure the wash temperature is correct
Ensure colours are not mixed
NOTE: many large machines now a days are computerized and the chemical quantity and washing
temperatures are calculated automatically.

5. Laundry Operation Cycle
Hotel laundry is divided into two operations done by two separate groups of workers. Sorting, washing and
drying towels is completed by one group of workers. Drying (except for towels) and folding is completed by
another group of workers.
Collection
Collection of linen may be done in the Linen Room, if the laundry is off-site but is usually in the laundry itself, if
the laundry is on-premises. During collection, all accessories that cannot be washed such as metal items;
epaulettes, etc. should be removed at the time of collection. Certain linen items are collected separately. For
example, kitchen uniforms or dusters are separately collected, as are butchery aprons and dusters, because
they have a specific type of soil. Likewise, in a hospital, linen from the surgical ward would be collected
separately. The linen is usually packaged in canvas bags lined with polyvinyl. Eyelets on the rim of the bag
facilitate passing a nylon cord through, which can be tightened in order to shut the opening of the bag. In some
cases elasticized net bags called skips are used to collect linen.

Transportation
Carrying the linen in canvas bags or skips is one means of transportation. Trolleys are most popular for
transportation and the collapsible wire cart can be used to transport clean as well as soiled linen. Whatever the
type of trolley, the soiled linen should not hang over the edge of the trolley, as it looks unsightly. If planned at
the construction stage, an in-built chute is used for transporting linen from the floor pantries. It is preferable to
put linen into canvas bags before dropping it down the chute so that wear and tear is reduced. However, this is
rarely done, so it must be ensured that the flooring at the base of the chute should be easy to clean.



Washing
In the laundry processing plant, the "sorting and washing" operations are typically manual material handling
tasks. These tasks pose the risk for low back pain.
Manual material handling cannot be fully eliminated but it is possible to reduce it by reorganizing the flow of
work. For example, instead of sorting towels and linen before loading them into the bins, it would be preferable
to load the laundry in the bins directly from the pile under the chute. This would eliminate handling the same
laundry twice.
Further improvements of working conditions can be achieved by reducing stressful body movements while
handling the laundry. Shortening the laundry chute (pipe) through which laundry is dropped would create more
space so that the laundry would not compress against the pipe itself. As a consequence, the sorting of the
laundry would require less pulling force. Working in the "sorting and washing" areas requires standing on a
concrete floor. Workers should wear shoes that provide good cushioning or they should use proper inserts to
lessen the stress on the feet and on the lower back, and use anti-fatigue matting if practical.
This process is designed to perform three basic functions:
removal of soil
suspension of soil
discharge of the soil from the machine to the drain






Figure: Laundry Operation Cycle Chart


Drying linen:
After washing, in most cases, the laundry is dried in large commercial dryers. Again, during this stage quality
and financial consideration must be followed, to include the following:
Machine should not be too full or too empty
Machine drying temperature should not be too hot or too cold
Drying time should be correct for the laundry load, not too short or too long

Pressing and folding:
For linen to be crisp and appear professionally laundered, the next stage is for it to be pressed. Laundries have
different ways of doing this to include the following:
Steam cabinets
Flatwork ironers
Pressing machines


Folding machines
Rolling equipment
Storing linen
After folding, the linen will be stored. The main linen room will have a stock level for all linen items to ensure
that the hotel has sufficient quantity of linen at any one time to accommodate the needs. The linen should rest
in store for at least 24 hours before being issued. This helps increase the useful life of linen and makes the linen
smoother. The linen room needs adequate ventilation, be humidity free and lockable.
Issuing Linen
Linen is issued from the linen room to housekeeping porters, room attendants and
other departments throughout the day. Most linen rooms practice some form of
control at this stage, such as employees signing for any linen types and quantities
received. The important element is tracking who has taken what linen and to which
area.
6. Defining the stages of the wash formula
Flush cycle
The purpose of the flush cycle is to loosen and suspend the soil or organic particles from the fabric.
Water levels should be programmed at a high level (12-14 inches) and water temperatures should not exceed
90-110 degrees Fahrenheit. Duration of this operation is a minimum of two minutes.
Break cycle
This cycle follows the flush and precedes the suds cycle. The purpose of this cycle is to remove present soil
through the use of alkali. This cycle removes approximately 60% of the soil. It allows detergent to work
effectively in the following suds cycle. Water level is at a low level (6-8 inches). Operation time is seven to ten
minutes and the temperature of the water is at a minimum of 150-16o degrees Fahrenheit.
Suds cycle
The suds cycle employs a detergent which is boosted with a carryover of alkali from the previous cycle
break cycle. This operation removes the remaining soil from the fabric. Water temperatures in this cycle are
150-160 degrees Fahrenheit (preferably 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Low water levels (6-8 inches) and the duration
of the cycle is seven - ten minutes).
Bleach cycle
This cycle follows the suds cycle and precedes the rinse cycles. The PH reading is this cycle should be
10.2-10.5 to ensure the best results. The function of this cycle is to remove the remaining stains and/or


soils. Water temperatures are programmed at 150-160 degrees Fahrenheit and the water level is low (6-8
inches). The time of the bleach cycle is a minimum of ten minutes.
Rinse cycle
Three rinses at duration of two minutes each are required. Water levels are programmed high (12-14 inches).
The first rinse requires water temperatures of a minimum of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Water temperature
reduction of 15 degrees Fahrenheit for each of the remaining two rinses is essential to alleviate wrinkles
and to control proper cool down. The purpose of this cycle is to reduce alkalinity and bleach from the linen.
Sour cycle
The function of this cycle is to neutralize any residual alkalinity left in the linen and eliminate possible
discoloring (yellowing of the linen when it comes in contact with heat). The sour cycle is generally the last
cycle before the extraction cycle. The PH reading should be 5.5-6.5 depending on the type of linen. Low water
level is required in the cycle and the cycle time is four - five minutes.
Softener cycle
Usually the sour cycle and the softener cycle are combined in one operation. The purpose of the softener
cycle is to impart softness to the linen and reduce static electricity. Some fabric softeners are combined in
one operation. The purpose of the softener cycle is to impart a softness to the linen and reduce static
electricity. Some fabric softeners are combined with a bacteriostat agent. These types are used mainly in
processing hospital linen.
7. Laundry agents

Water by itself is ineffective as a cleaning agent, due to a phenomenon known as surface
tension. It will remove water-soluble dirt, but has little effect on oils and grease. The addition of
a detergent reduces the surface tension, allowing the water to penetrate, wetting the garment
thoroughly so that soil is more accessible.





Detergent
Suspending Agent
The role of the suspending agent in cleaning is to hold the dirt in suspension and prevent it from
redepositing onto the surface of the article. It plays a crucial role in the laundry agent due to the amount
of time that the clothes rotate in the machine while the dirt is in suspension. The suspending agent is
carboxyl methyl cellulose.


Sequestering Agent

These act along with the suspending agent to hold dirt in suspension. They assist by holding a
greater amount of dirt in suspension thereby reducing the likelihood of redeposition.
They also have the additional ability to dissolve lime salts that are responsible for temporary
hardness in water. Sodium polyphosphates act as sequestering agents.

pH Scale for laundry agent



1 2 3 4 5 6

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

7






Other laundering agents

Alkali
Alkalis used in the wash process include
1. Washing Soda

2. Sodium Phosphate

3. Sodium Hydroxide

4. Sodium Metasilicate

Bleaches
These are used on white articles only. They remove colouring matter by their oxidizing or reducing
action. If not in liquid form, they should be dissolved in hot water in order to ensure that no
powder residue remains in the washing machine which may affect later loads. The bleaches
commonly used in the laundry process are sodium perborate and sodium hypochlorite.

Antichlors
These are agents used to neutralize the chlorine bleach and are essential particularly in the case
of polyesters. The use of chlorinated bleaches has a tendency to leave yellow deposits.

Sour
This is used only in industrial laundering in the final rinse, to neutralize any alkaline soap residues
that may be present. It brings the pH of the linen articles to a level between 5 and 6.5, which is
agreeable to the human skin.and also gets rid of yellow or brown deposits caused by residue alkali.
Acetic acid is used as the sour. In cases where there is a high iron content in the water, Oxalic acid
is used which serves a dual purpose, by also getting rid of the reddish, iron deposits. If starch is
being used, sour should be added 2 minutes before the starch to achieve a pH of 5.0 to 5.5. If a
sizing agent is being used, the ideal pH is 7.0 to 8.0 so sour is generally not used.



Fabric conditioner
A fabric conditioner or softener has surface active agents like a detergent but they do not
perform the function of cleaning. Fabric conditioners are based on cationic surface-active
agents, carrying a positive charge and create anti-static properties. A fabric conditioner is
never used on loads where starch or sizing will be used.

Blue
This is an optical brightener/ whitener, which is in fact a very fine dye, which gets bleached in
the course of time. It has a fluorescent effect by reflecting the UV rays of the sun. The laundry
blue in a powder form tends to accumulate in the weave of the fabric and causes it to turn
grey.

Starch
This is a stiffening agent used to impart a better appearance to the fabric. The use of starch has
declined due to the minimum-iron finishes on fabrics and garments and the reduced use of
cotton in favour of man-made fibres. However there are some articles that have a better feel
and drape when starched and it is particularly essential for napkin folds. Since polyesters do not
have the ability to absorb starch they are stiffened with sizing agents.
8. Issues to be considered
Length of cycle

If the cycle is too short, the linen will not be cleaned. If the cycle is too long, there will be
unnecessary wear and tear and the clothes may actually become dirtier as a result of redeposit
ion of soil.

Temperature of water

If the temperature of water is too high, it is likely to damage the linen. If the temperature is
inadequate, the chemicals will not work effectively.

Water level

Incorrect dip levels can alter the concentration of the laundry agents rendering them
ineffective. In case of a gentle action the water level is usually higher forming a protective
envelope to the delicate linen.

Type and amount of detergent and when it will be dispensed in the wash cycle

This is also a crucial factor that affects the quality of wash deciding which laundry agent should
be used is dependent on the nature of the fabric being washed. Too little detergent will result
in an incomplete cleaning process. And too much may remain as a residue after the rinse cycle
is complete. It is important that the laundry agent is introduced into the wash cycle at the
appropriate time if it is to have the required action.




Mechanical action:

This refers to the centrifugal action brought about by the movement of the drum that causes
friction between the linen articles and is radically affected by overloading or underloading as
well as the speed of the drum.
Misuse of laundry
Would you use a bath towel to clean the floor? Or clean drinking glasses with a pillow case? If
staff know that a duvet cover might typically be worth around tk 5000 or more, or a bed sheet
is worth up to tk 3000, staff will understand why the right materials need to be used for the
right job.
Share the following guidelines with staff to ensure linen is used for the purpose it was intended:
Do not use linen other than for its purpose.
Do not use linen to wedge open a door.
Report damage and stains to the head housekeeper.
Keep laundry and cleaning materials separate to avoid contamination.
Report guest misuse or damage from hair dye, fake tan or shoe polish.
Report all instances of bad practice and stock abuse to your laundry supplier.
9. Conclusion
From the above discussion it can be said that a good laundry facility ensures the following:
Careful handling of linen articles while laundering.
Correct processing and use of a suitable laundry agent.
While materials are kept white, excessive bleach is not used.
Proper counting and records maintained to avoid shortages of linen.
Speedy operations to meet with operational requirements.
Sound policies regarding damages or loss.

10. General recommendations
One of the main risk factors for repetitive motion injuries in the laundry is the repetitiveness of
the work. Incorporate different tasks to change the repetitive patterns of work. Job rotation
and team work are two options that allow workers to vary tasks.



Job rotation requires workers to move between different tasks at fixed or irregular periods of
time. Workers in the laundry cannot fully benefit from job rotation because all the tasks are
similar in nature. Still, the feeling of change reduces monotony and slows down the
development of fatigue.
In team work, workers form a team and each member of the team shares several different
tasks. The whole team is involved in the planning of the work. The team controls all aspects of
work. This improves attitude and job satisfaction, which are important factors in the prevention
of occupational injuries and diseases.

Reference
1. Housekeeping Management and Organization for Hotels and Institutions by Crete M.
Dahl
2. Hotel Housekeeping: Operations and Management by Raghubalan,, Smritee Raghubalan
3. Course Materials
4. The online journals on housekeeping management
5. en.wikipedia.org