The post LuxeLinen launches first-in-SA linen service appeared first on fanute.
]]>Hotel beds have always been the epitome of comfort, and one feature that turns a simple bed into a real slumber experience is its sheets – crisp, cool and clean, and of the highest quality. Now, imagine receiving a delivery of hotel quality linen and towels directly to your front door. LuxeLinen is a linen concierge service based in Cape Town which delivers a freshly laundered set of linen and towels direct to your home, every week.
There’s a reason we live in Cape Town, it’s the lifestyle!
In our high-pressure world we want as much time as possible for the things we love, such as spending time with family or friends, exercising on the mountain or lazing at the beach. We use home meal kits to reduce our grocery shopping and cooking time, ride hailing services keep us on the move without our own car, and on-demand cleaning and gardening services are commonplace. So why spend unnecessary time washing, drying and ironing your linen on washday?
As a supplier of linen to Cape Town hotels and AirBnBs, quality is of the utmost importance to the LuxeLinen team. The linen and towels are high threadcount, 100% cotton and as luxurious as anything you’ll find in 4 and 5* hotels. Each linen package includes all the essentials for a fresh start to your week: duvet cover, fitted sheet, 2 pillowcases, 2 bath towels, a hand towel and bathmat. Delivery is contactless and there’s an optional add-on of 3-layer reusable face masks.
LuxeLinen is an extension of parent company fanute’s successful hospitality service, which delivers over 8 000 bed sets per month to Cape Town hosts. Owner Charl de Beer is confident that many in Cape Town will be keen to utilise the service: “Whether you’re a busy professional who doesn’t want to spend time on laundry, an on-the-go parent, or if you just want that hotel turn-down feeling at home, LuxeLinen is the perfect solution,” says Charl.
In the current hyper-aware world of cleanliness and sanitisation, LuxeLinen offers a superior clean compared with domestic washing machines. “We can guarantee disinfection using an industrial combination of chemicals and temperature which domestic laundry cannot, because domestic laundry machines are simply not equipped to maintain the required water temperatures for long enough,” says Charl. This has benefits for those who are ill or recovering, who suffer from allergies, or who have sensitive skin easily affected by detergent residue. And of course there is COVID-19, a virus that is quite simple to destroy in an industrial laundry environment.
LuxeLinen is the latest first-to-market service to be offered by fanute. “We originally started fanute because we wanted to deliver innovative laundry and textile solutions that would help to streamline the lives of our customers and offer significant and demonstrable sustainability benefits,” says Charl.
“We started with a linen rental service targeted specifically to the growing Cape Town short-term lettings market, offering fast turnaround deliveries of freshly laundered hotel-quality linen to our hospitality clients. As Cape Town approached Day Zero, we then invested in near-waterless laundry systems that reduce the amount of water and energy used in every wash by 80%, and in 2019 we combined textile rental with on-site laundry processing to provide a sustainable garment rental solution for Agri-processing companies. Now that we’ve seen a need for luxury, hotel-quality linen in the residential sector, we’re bringing these solutions to market, fully enabled by technology, to make the washday a thing of the past.”
The service costs R85 per bed per week and includes delivery. Currently, LuxeLinen is only available in the Cape Town CBD and City Bowl, and the high-density Atlantic Seaboard, but will be expanding as customer interest grows.
How does LuxeLinen work?
For more information, contact Charl de Beer at LuxeLinen on 071 681 1165 or at charl@fanute.co.za or visit https://fanute.co.za/luxe-linen/
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]]>The post Earth Day 2019-WE DON’T HAVE TIME appeared first on fanute.
]]>from the Earth Day Network
Generally speaking, humans have demonstrated over and over a remarkable ability to cooperate in a crisis. The tragic fire at the beloved Notre Dame’s Cathedral was a case in point. Firemen and even members of the public rushed into the inferno, while millions of people around the world paced in front of their TV sets, wanting to jump in an help, anxiously waiting for the fire to be put out, and breathing a collective sigh of relief that there was hope for its survival. Donors rushed in behind first responders, generating a billion euros in financial support to rebuild within 24 hours.
Humans have also aligned themselves around seemingly perpetual, slow burning crises to advance social and civil rights issues. Togher with governments, people have established a number of functioning democracies, have mostly abolished slavery, and in a remarkable show of global support, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change opened for signature on Earth Day on April 22, 2016. The Climate Agreement was a reminder of what can happen with the planets of science, people’s movements, bureaucracies, and economic interests come into alignment around a crisis.
Yet despite that global consensus, the world’s annual carbon emissions reached an all-time high last year; a year that was the fourth hottest on record and saw massive wildfires, continued Antarctic ice mass loss, astonishing accelerating species losses, and a harrowing IPCC report warning humanity that going above the Paris lower limit of 1.5 °C global warming will have catastrophic consequences. The slow burning climate crises has turned into its own massive inferno. The quantifiable impacts of climate change’s environmental destruction are orders of magnitude greater that any single storm, fire, flood. These impacts have been documented by legions of physicians, epidemiologists, chemists, climatologists, conservation biologists, economists, and other experts. But they are politically inconsequential.
Scientists and environmentalists have been the first responders, but we have been overwhelmed with fires, both literal and figurative, and slow government action, lacking coordination, funding, and most important determination. Worse, some government leaders are backing away from commitments and will be remembered for centuries in the future–Nero-like puppets, playing fiddles built with fossil fuel money.
In the meantime, public support for the environment remains broad-based but it has been remarkably mild-mannered in the face of the acceleration of climate change. Although our planet faces major tipping points on climate change, ocean acidification, fresh water depletion, topsoil loss, toxic chemicals, antibiotic-resistant diseases, and an epidemic of extinction, the environment is not a top-tier political issue. Anywhere! Most people do voice care about the environment. But very few of them vote for candidates primarily based on their environmental stances. Politicians know they can shred environmental safeguards without suffering political consequences. The very enormity of environmental threats produces self-defeating responses: (1) flat-out denial; (2) a sense of personal impotence; or (3) paralysis. We pay attention to problems where we can identify the victims and where our actions appear likely to make a difference.
Faced with this lack of urgency, a consensus has developed that only an authentic, broad based, tactical, coordinated and diverse citizen action campaign will be effective. On the ground organizing and social media are the tools that should be wielded against anti-environmental or uncommitted corporations and spiritless or purchased politicians. In raising the stakes, the movement will focus on demonstrating that the failure to support policies and technologies that solve the climate crises will have consequences. The goal of our strategy is to intensify support for environmental values to the point where it will produce sweeping consequences.
Behind the scenes a new social and political movement is growing, aided by a coordinated environmental coalition along with high school kids, faith groups, mayors, and investors who are standing up to politicians and corporations that put profits above people and the planet. This network and the platforms that we will use will focus on elections, consumer campaigns, and corporate governance and decision-making processes. Our goals are to mobilize a huge, diverse, intense movement in the recognition that the crisis is urgent and that we don’t have time.
Earth Day 2019 is a great day to launch this global initiative. It is the people’s day, the one inspired by 20 million boots on the ground in 1970. The world is mobilizing again, tapping into the power of a conscious, concerned, and coordinated global citizenry to meet a crisis that can’t wait another minute.
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]]>The post How Green Rankings Benefit Hotels appeared first on fanute.
]]>Within the hospitality industry, many companies large and small are beginning to aggressively pursue green rankings and certifications for their hotel locations. Why? The answer is threefold:
TripAdvisor, one of the most popular hotel search websites recognizes that conscientious travelers want to stay at conscientious hotels, so they’ve started creating their own ranking system.
They’ve developed the GreenLeaders Program to recognize hotels and B&Bs that engage in environmentally-friendly practices. GreenLeader properties are eligible for one of four badge levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum based on the answers they provide on TripAdvisor’s Green Practices survey. All participating hotels and B&Bs must meet a minimum set of requirements to even be considered for the program.
These eco-friendly luxury hotels from Design Hotels
have partnered with EarthCheck, a world leading sustainability benchmarking and certification provider in the hospitality arena to incorporate new sustainability practices.
All of these efforts by the hospitality industry to go green are just the beginning of a movement to change the way they do things for the betterment of the universe.
Now, let’s look at the top reasons the hospitality industry is going green in more detail.
One of the key focuses of green technology is resource efficiency. These technologies reduce resource consumption, saving hotels money in the long run.
For example, replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with longer-lasting high-efficiency bulbs is a popular way for hotels to reduce their energy bills. A standard fluorescent bulb uses 60 watts of power, while an LED light might use 6-8 watts of power to generate the same amount of light (800 lumens).
Did you know the typical amount of energy used by 30 standard incandescent bulbs each year is 3,285 kWh? If your energy rate was 10 cents per kilowatt hour, then that would mean those bulbs cost you $328.50 just to keep the lights on.
On the other hand, the same number of LED lights would only consume about 329 kWh of energy over the course of a year. This would mean that at the same energy rate of 10 cents per kilowatt hour, operating the LED lights would only cost $32.90 a year, a tenth the expense.
As an added bonus, your hotel wouldn’t have to replace its lights nearly as often, since LED lights last an average of 50,000 hours to an incandescent bulb’s meager 1,200 hours. That means you would have to pay for parts and labor to replace an incandescent light 41 times before you would have to buy a replacement LED light and have housekeeping replace it.
In short, many green technologies can actually become self-funding by reducing your hotel’s operating costs.
In fact, the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia was able to reduce the water consumption of their laundry operation by nearly 80%, and their heating utility and chemical use by half after making the switch to a low-water laundry system. They drastically cut the cost of their laundry operation, without making guests reuse dirty towels or linens.
There are many other examples of green technologies that help to conserve energy costs, such as water saving laundry systems—which use up to 80% less water, up to 50% less energy, and provide a superior clean that leaves laundry softer for longer.
Other green technologies that help save money are solar panels that can be used to lessen your dependence on outside energy, and automated systems that can shut off electronic devices in a room when there are no guests present, such as the ones used by the LEED Gold-certified Aria Resort and Casino on Las Vegas Boulevard.
As was mentioned earlier, consumers are becoming more and more aware of how important it is to protect the environment. Many hotel guests want to stay in a “green” hotel, as it allows them to know that they’re helping to protect the environment.
Millennials are increasingly expecting the destination resorts they patronize to be environmentally conscious—without paying an additional price.
According to Scott Lee, a designer of Ritz-Carlton and Auberge properties, millennials are inclined to stay at destination hotels that are both environmentally and culturally sustainable. “How do we preserve a place, yet share it with the world?” is a question he seeks to answer to appeal to the environmentally concerned consumer.
This presents a unique opportunity for hotels. Green efforts, more often than not, save hotels money in the long term. So an investment in being more environmentally friendly not only results in more customers, but more savings as well. More revenue at less cost, it’s a win-win for green hotels.
Having a green certification allows hotels to draw these ecologically-minded guests to their locations. This can help to differentiate your brand from less eco-friendly hotels. By going green, you’re opening your hotel to an entire segment of the population that you might never have had access to otherwise, helping you grow your brand.
Even among less eco-conscious travelers, the good PR that comes with earning a place on green company ranking lists such as the one published by Newsweek can never hurt.
Market demand for green services isn’t the only factor that contributes to the decision to go green.
As the public becomes more sensitive to the Earth’s environment, policymakers also take notice, passing new laws and regulations designed to limit pollution. In some cases, however, new regulations may be passed to contend with a specific emergency.
For example, in California, the population has been living with a severe drought for several years. This drought eventually became so severe that the Governor added new permanent statewide water use restrictions this year and penalties for violators. The laws will phase in gradually. By 2022, the indoor use limit becomes 55 gallons per day per person. By 2030, it drops to 50.
By employing green technologies and methods, hoteliers can be better prepared for any new upcoming environmental restrictions that may come in the future.
The hotel industry is responsible for about 15% of the total water use in commercial and institutional buildings in the U.S. Hotels in the U.S. use an average of 25 gallons of water per room, per day for laundry alone. That’s more than 2 million gallons of water per month if you assume a 65% occupancy.
What all these numbers amount to is that the hotel industry has an incredible opportunity to actually make a difference in the fight for water conservation without sacrificing profits or the quality of the guest experience. If that’s not a reason to go green, we don’t know what is.
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]]>The post 15 Organizations Tackling the Global Water Crisis appeared first on fanute.
]]>Thankfully, there are many government, non-profit, and even business organizations all over the world that are working to raise awareness about this critical issue. Today, we honor a few of these entities by making a list of organizations that have made significant contributions to water conservation efforts: whether by raising awareness, creating new standards for water efficiency, or making sizeable cuts to their own water use.
While we wish we could recognize every organization that has made a contribution to water conservation efforts, there are far too many noteworthy organizations to fit into one blog post. So, here is our list of top organizations worthy of respect for their efforts to address the world’s water issues:
Focused on bringing clean water to the “663 million people on the planet who don’t have clean water,” charity: water invites visitors to their website to follow them on their daily journey. Carry 80 pounds of water in yellow fuel cans. Dig with their children in sand for water. Line up at a well and wait eight hours for a turn
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations
Rather than simply taking donations, Charity: Water gets people to start their own campaigns to raise money for clean water. The organization’s website walks you through a simple process of picking an activity and creating a page, promoting your campaign for clean water, and monitoring your donated funds after the fact.
By getting people involved and thinking about how to make a difference, charity: water is doing more than just providing clean water to those in need, they are helping to change the way people think about water and not take this precious resource for granted.
From its beginnings in 1974, the Clean Water Fund has worked to promote advocacy of clean, safe water and air, as well as a reduction in pollution in the home, community, and the workplace. The Fund’s programs are designed to “build on and complement those of Clean Water Action… which has helped develop, pass, strengthen and defend the [American] nation’s major water and toxics laws such as the Clean Water Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Superfund and others.”
The Global Water Challenge, or GWC, is a group that “connect organizations across sectors to solve our world’s most pressing water challenges through access to sustainable clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).” This organization works to educate others about how to engage in sustainability programs that last to increase the success rate of WASH projects.
GWC was instrumental to the establishment of the SustainableWASH.org site, coordinating with several other water sustainability awareness groups to help create a hub for people to discuss sustainable water initiatives.
Where many of the other organizations on this list deal primarily with helping individual communities access clean water, Global Water Leaders is focused on producing results by collaborating with the owners/CEOs of water utility companies and other agencies. Through educating these businesses and getting them to think from a global perspective, Global Water Leaders is helping to create change in the way that water is managed.
While not the only company to enact water-conservation efforts (their direct competitor, Coca Cola, has made similar efforts), PepsiCo has managed to make significant reductions in their water consumption in an industry that is absolutely reliant upon water resources. PepsiCo’s conservation efforts earned them a Stockholm Industry Water Prize in 2012.
Access to safe water is at the heart of PepsiCo’s global water strategy, in which we aim to enable long-term, sustainable water security for our business and others who depend on water availability. The company has invested more than $40 million in safe water access solutions with strategic partners as part of its goal to support a total of 25 million people with safe water access by 2025.
A Laureate of the Stockholm water prize, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) headquartered in Sri Lanka has worked tirelessly to produce research to give the rest of the world a useable knowledge base from which to understand water availability.
Research such as IWMI’s “Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture” is invaluable in helping others create actionable plans for water conservation efforts in various regions of the world. On top of this, IWMI leads efforts to conserve water, including pushing for urban agricultural practices.
As both a contributor to research and the implementation of water-conserving methods, IWMI is definitely noteworthy as helping address the world’s water issues.
One of the largest environmental organizations in North America, the Nature Conservancy is dedicated to protecting both land and water resources for the good of people and nature. With more than a million members, the Nature Conservancy is actively “protecting rivers, lakes and natural lands in 30 countries and all 50 states.”
By protecting these natural resources, the Nature Conservancy is helping ensure that they will be there for future generations, earning them a place on this list.
Founded in 1991, the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI, for short) is a policy institute centered in Stockholm, Sweden that performs research, helps build institutional capacity, and provides advisory services regarding water resources.
Each year, SIWI holds a “World Water Week in Stockholm” event, where they award prizes to organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to water conservation. These awards include the:
By working to help guide policy and educate others, as well as working to recognize the efforts of others, SIWI has more than earned a place on this list.
UN-Water coordinates the efforts of United Nations entities and international organizations working on water and sanitation issues. Over 30 UN organizations carry out water and sanitation programmes, reflecting the fact that water issues run through all of the UN’s main focus areas. UN-Water’s role is to coordinate so that the UN family ‘delivers as one’ in response to water related challenges.
One of UN-Water’s key objectives is to provide coherent and reliable data and information on key water trends and management issues. During past decades, several initiatives, mechanisms and programmes, both within and outside the United Nations family, have been collecting information on the various components of the water cycle. On World Water Day, UN-Water releases the World Water Development Report focusing on the same topic as the campaign.
The Water Project is an organization that is helping communities in sub-Saharan Africa gain access to clean drinking water. By helping communities to dig wells, dams, build rain-catching equipment, filter surface water, and improve sanitation & hygiene practices, the Water Project helps to improve the quality of life for these communities.
As the world’s largest multilateral source of financing for water in developing countries, the World Bank is working closely with partners to achieve “A Water-Secure World for All,” by investing in water solutions that enable universal access, promote water security, and build resilient societies.
The World Bank’s water portfolio currently covers 170 projects worth US$26.7 billion in lending and technical expertise. Around 70% of lending is for services such as water supply and sanitation and irrigation projects. In addition, projects with a water sector-related component managed by other global practices of the World Bank total approximately $10 billion, meaning the Bank’s total water-related investments are $37 billion.
While money alone won’t solve the problem, contributions from the World Bank can help provide vital infrastructure for communities to give them access to clean, safe drinking water. For this reason, the World Bank makes the list for top organizations addressing the world’s water issues.
The World Resources Institute (WRI) works to protect the climate, establish clean power systems, reduce the impact of food industries on the environment, prevent deforestation, create a water-secure future, and improve quality of life in cities.
While they work on a variety of environmental and humanitarian issues, their work on creating water risk maps will help others better plan water conservation and distribution efforts to minimize water shortages in the future.
Established in 1996, the World Water Council is an international organization that works to “promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues… to facilitate the efficient conservation, protection, development, planning, management and use of water.”
To this end, the Council has helped facilitate numerous dialogues on the subject of water conservation amongst nations, such as the “Water for Food and Environment” and the “Water and Climate” dialogues. By raising awareness and pushing governments to act on water conservation issues, the World Water Council is a major force behind water conservation efforts.
When you think of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), water conservancy might not be your first thought. However as an extension of their efforts to preserve wildlife and animal habitats, the WWF works extensively to promote water conservation efforts.
As a part of their efforts to protect and conserve water resources, the WWF works with multiple governments who share freshwater resources and protects river sources to keep clean water available to as many people as possible without damaging water sources.
Water.org is a non-profit organization that operates in several different regions of the world, including Africa, Central America, and Southeast Asia. This group operates by securing funding for local water projects and working with local partners in each region rather than tying themselves to any one partner organization, helping them stay flexible and cost-effective.
One of Water.org’s central tenets is the concept of community ownership of any water project(s). As they state on their website, “for a project to be truly successful, communities must be viewed and must view themselves as the owners of the project.” To this end, Water.org strives to make sure that the communities involved are engaged at every level of their respective projects from planning all the way to financing and maintenance.
As we mentioned earlier, there are many organizations out there who are deserving of mention for their efforts to address the world’s water issues. While we can’t cover them all here, even in brief as we have done for the ones in this list, it is our hope that these examples will inspire you to find ways to conserve water in your own home or business.
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]]>The post How Hotel Laundry Impacts the Environment and What You Can Do to Change That appeared first on fanute.
]]>There are also studies that show people who take small actions toward environmental living in their own lives are less inclined to support larger, more widespread actions.
This phenomenon isn’t limited to individuals. Even in an industry like hospitality, where we know there is a large amount of waste and a calculable impact on the environment, it’s hard to know what sort of difference a single hotel can make—and that can discourage owners and managers from taking action.
There are, however, some very compelling reasons to make that change in your hotel laundry operation and to believe that change will impact the industry overall.
The Numbers on Hotel Laundry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the commercial and institutional sector is responsible for about 17% of U.S. fresh water withdrawals. Hotels and other lodgings are responsible for about 15% of that usage.
While hotels certainly use that water for more than laundry, laundry does account for about 16% of a hotel’s water usage—the same percentage as landscaping, which is often one of the first things cut during a water shortage.
But how much water is that really?
On average, U.S. hotels use 25 gallons of water per room per day for laundry. There are about 4,926,543 hotel rooms in the U.S. alone. They’re not all full all the time, of course, so if we assume an average of 65% occupancy, that’s 2,401,689,713 gallons of water each month.
And that’s just in the U.S.
What Individual Hotels Can Do to Support Conservation
Even small changes can have a measurable impact on the amount of water your hotel is using on a daily basis. The American Hotel and Lodging Association estimates even just asking guests to reuse towels can reduce the number of loads of laundry washed by 17%.
But there’s so much more hotels can do to promote water conservation. By updating your laundry room to near-waterless washers, a single hotel can save hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each year (not to mention quite a lot of money).
That’s a measurable change, and just from one hotel.
Sourced from Hydrofinity.
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]]>The post Utility Incentive Programs Your Hotel Should Take Advantage Of appeared first on fanute.
]]>There are a number of incentive programs available for businesses willing to make the effort to “go green,” including hotels. Before making utility-saving upgrades to your property, be sure to look into these, and other programs that may be available in your region.
Utility Incentive Programs
Because of state regulations in utilities, incentives and rebates will vary by company and by region. Contact your utility provider or click the image at the bottom of this post to learn more and find out if your property is eligible.
Liberty Utilities offers an on-site facility assessment to identify natural gas energy efficiency opportunities and will report back to your hotel on recommended measures, next steps in implementing the recommendations, and procedures for securing energy efficiency incentives and rebates. This is available in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Texas.
National Grid offers electricity incentives and rebates in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Upstate New York, as well as natural gas incentives in all those areas plus New York City and Long Island.
Pacific Gas and Electric Company in California has several different programs, each managed by an energy-efficiency implementation specialist. If you purchase an approved energy-efficient product, you can fill out a rebate application and wait for your check.
Hydrofinity Customers Can Save Thousands
In addition to saving thousands of dollars each year on water and energy costs, Hydrofinity customers have been offered more than $500,000 in energy reduction incentives. Hydrofinity technology is proven to reduce water usage in hotel laundry operations by up to 80%, and energy usage by up to 50%.
Sourced from Hydrofinity.
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]]>The post Tips for Running a Successful Laundry Business appeared first on fanute.
]]>Whether you’re running a small neighborhood dry cleaner or a large commercial laundry operation, here are a few tips to help you find success in the industry.
Look for Innovative Ways to Increase Service Offerings
Expanding your customer base can be difficult in a business that depends heavily on location. Even if you have an incredibly efficient pick-up and delivery service, your customers are likely still within a certain geographic radius of your facility—leaving you with a pretty finite number of potential customers.
Obviously the first answer to that problem is to open more locations, but that’s not always possible or prudent. Expanding service offerings, however, can be a cost-effective way to both increase revenue from current customers and attract new business. Extra services could include:
Find something that you can add without extending your staff or your budget too far and see how it works for you. If the service is high quality, you’ll impress your customer base and create opportunities for new acquisition.
Be Over-Prepared
Nothing can ruin a solid revenue stream in the world of commercial laundry like an extended period of down-time because of equipment or supply issues.
In the laundry industry, it’s always better to be over-prepared, so be sure that your equipment is up-to-date on maintenance and your supply closet is never close to empty. Keep track of when machine warranties run out and look for local repair resources that could help you out in a pinch. In short: Do everything you can to avoid down-time.
Don’t Let Utility Costs Get in the Way
According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, water costs represent more than 50% of total operating costs in the typical commercial laundry. With energy costs on top of that, utilities can be a huge—even prohibitive—expense for launderers.
Limiting water and energy usage even slightly can be a game-changer for commercial laundry businesses. Limiting water usage by up to 80% and energy usage by up to 50% can save you thousands of dollars each year.
Sourced from Hydrofinity.
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]]>The post Luxury Without Waste: How to Achieve Hotel Laundry Sustainability appeared first on fanute.
]]>Yet both luxury and sustainability are key selling points for hotels in today’s market. Guests want to make environmentally responsible lodging decisions, but still expect cleanliness, comfort and that certain feeling of indulgence that only comes from staying at a place where everything’s taken care of for you.
Laundry and Hotel Luxury
Linens and towels are a huge piece of creating that luxury feeling for your guests, whether you’re running a high-end boutique hotel or an affordable business travel property. In an online survey, respondents were almost unanimous when asked if towel quality is important to their overall satisfaction with a hotel stay. A whopping 94% said it is, and 73% said towel quality impacts their decision to return to a hotel.
In the same survey, one third of respondents said they would write a negative review of a hotel online if they were not satisfied with the towels.
Reviews are incredibly important to your hotel’s reputation. In another recent survey, 90% of those polled said that ratings on a review site played an essential role in their booking decision. The cleanliness of a hotel room is almost always featured in online reviews, and linens are typically among a guest’s first concerns in that area.
Hotel Laundry Sustainability
In addition to being incredibly important to your guests’ overall experience and satisfaction, traditional hotel laundry operations are one of the most wasteful divisions within a property—particularly when it comes to water and energy use. And so hotel laundry is often a core issue in the struggle between sustainability and luxury.
But it doesn’t have to be.
With Hydrofinity near-waterless laundry systems, your hotel can reduce water usage in your laundry operations by up to 80%, and energy usage by up to 50%, while still achieving a superior level of clean on your towels and linens. The Hydrofinity system is also gentle on fabrics, helping you maintain the luxurious feeling of your linens longer and avoid high replacement costs.
Sourced from Hydrofinity.
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]]>The post 3 Ways Commercial Laundry Service is Changing for the Better appeared first on fanute.
]]>Comprehensive Energy and Water Solutions
While attention to utility usage within the commercial laundry industry isn’t exactly new, there is an increased interest in finding comprehensive solutions to power and water use in order to minimize launderers’ impact on the environment and—realistically—to cope with the very real possibility of shortages.
In the U.S., the California drought has been a cautionary tale for commercial launderers and others in the hospitality field. Mandatory water reductions have put real stress on local businesses over the last few years. Savvy business owners adapted to the situation by implementing long-term water-saving technologies, and in doing so set an example for the rest of the industry.
The reality is that doing the bare minimum to save water and energy isn’t enough anymore, and commercial laundry services are now seeking strategic, long-term solutions—and that’s a very good change.
Increased Focus on the Customer Experience
How do commercial laundry services stay competitive in today’s market? By focusing on the details and offering a superior customer experience, from start to finish. Today’s consumers have an incredible field of options when it comes to purchasing laundry services, and the industry has noticed.
Whether through increased options, business updates centered around convenience—pick up, delivery, extended hours, etc.—or use of a gentler wash and fewer harsh chemicals to improve the quality of their wash, more and more commercial launderers are distinguishing themselves by working to provide that extra level of service to customers. That’s the kind of competition that drives the entire industry to improve.
Better Business Intelligence
One of the greatest things about recent updates in laundry technology is that nearly everything can be measured. Quantifying water and energy usage in laundry used to be nearly impossible, but now we have washing machines with software that can measure water use (both hot and cold) as well as electricity and chemical data for your entire laundry operation.
With that kind of business intelligence, it’s much easier to calculate expenses, find potential savings, and build a better laundry operation.
Sourced from Hydrofinity.
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