NATIONAL REPORT— The Computer Age is in full swing, extending now to produce more automated washers and dryers, and hoteliers are jumping on the bandwagon. When hoteliers are in the market for a new washer or dryer, they are looking for two things, name brands and cost, according to Daniel Steines, regional manager at Trans Inns, a hotel owner and/or operator of 16 hotels throughout Michigan. But cost is not confined to just the cost of the actual unit as most would expect. The cost factor can really be broken into two areas: the standard cost of the unit and the amount of money the unit will save the hotelier on labor and unit replacement based on the functions it offers. “We wash everyday,” said Steines. “If a 90-room hotel is sold out on a typical day we’ll do between eight to 10 loads.” Because of these issues and concerns greater amounts of new-age technology is being pumped into the latest models. “Most of the hotels are looking for more sophisticated equipment with high extract, simplicity of use and high amounts of computerization,” said Jerry Snyder, president of J & J Laundry Services, which designs, installs, sells and services laundry equipment for hotels, motels and extended-living facilities. “Because of labor expenses, they need to have a system that will allow for a higher level of production.” In order to get loads done quicker and in a more cost-effective manner, washers are coming equipped with more cycles and functions. “Newer machines have pre-set cycles for different materials,” said Steines. “There might be one for linens and one for towels. Also, there are a variety of cycles to choose from.” “The newer machines also have features that will allow the machine to start up by itself in the morning at 7 a.m., for example, so that by the time the person comes in at 8 a.m., the load is ready to go,” added Snyder. “Wear and tear on materials is also an important consideration. Older machines had slower drags that cut into the shelf life of the items being washed.” The latest models have solved this problem via an added soft-mode cycle, according to Snyder In fact, most of Snyder’s units can allow for the programming of up to 99 different cycles. “The technology has been around for 12 to 15 years. However, because it’s cheaper to computerize things today the cost is going down on the equipment and more hotels are now investing as a result,” he said. So although the level of technology has steadily increased, the cost has actually decreased over the years. The average price of a 65-pound machine is around $7,000 today, Snyder said. This is a benefit to the hotelier as labor costs rise. “These machines are great because minimum wage increases will always go on and this cuts labor,” Snyder said. “Also, if a hotel wants to maintain good help, it has to be prepared to pay. Everything is getting more expensive, which is why hoteliers are going with high-tech machines.” And dryers are following suite with new reversing action built in. “Now we have reversing dryers that dry quicker,” said Snyder. “It’s a three-phase unit that goes three minutes in one direction, stops, goes three minutes in the other direction, stops, and reverses again. It shifts the load around to allow it to aerate more.” This machine allows linens and towels to last longer. In the end, Snyder expected similar technological advances to continue that will make way for even more automated machines as time goes by.
