Childcare centres will quite often have a high volume of laundry from the daily activities involved in caring for young ones. In the past – and still happening today – this laundry is often done in domestic washers and dryers; however, this is a problem for two reasons.
Firstly, domestic washers and dryers are not made to handle the volume of laundry going through them every single day. These machines quickly start breaking down from the stress, leaving the centre to replace them more frequently.
Secondly, domestic washers and dryers by function do not achieve disinfection, they simply ‘clean’ the laundry. Disinfection can only be achieved thermally under the right conditions or chemically.
With the childcare industry becoming more regulated, we are seeing more centres wanting to meet the Australian standards in the laundry. These standards can only be achieved using commercial and industrial equipment.
What equipment is best?
Depending on the load and capacity requirements, there are a couple of equipment options that will work.
The first option is to go with a commercial washer and dryer utilising ozone disinfection. This is the most environmentally friendly way to disinfect. Additionally, commercial equipment is much more sturdy and durable than their domestic counterparts, allowing for more capacity.
The second option is to go with industrial grade washers and dryers. Industrial washers have built in heating elements which will reach the required temperature and hold it for the specified amount of time to achieve thermal disinfection. Industrial washers also come in larger drum capacities compared to commercial, allowing for more to be completed in a shorter time frame.
Which option is best?
The best option depends on the requirements of the childcare facility. Industrial equipment requires a lot more space in the laundry than commercial equipment, so if the facility is limited on space, a commercial option with the ozone unit would be more suitable.
The volume of laundry the facility goes through each day also needs to be taken into consideration. Industrial washers range from 10kg right up to 50kg; larger facilities with more to process will benefit from industrial size equipment in this case.
Existing facilities should be looking towards their current daily requirements and what equipment is currently being used to know their best solution. New builds should put consideration into their laundry capabilities as much as the rest of the facility to make sure their needs will be met.
I need more support or advise, what should I do?
Laundry Solutions Australia has been in the industry for over 35 years. We have provided laundry equipment for several childcare centres throughout the region with exceptional results. We can provide advice for existing facilities wishing to upgrade their current solution as well as laundry layout support for new childcare facilities.
