Making the Right Play—Five Reasons Why On-Premise Laundry Equipment Makes Sense for School Athletic Departments
Grass, mud, sweat, blood—these are just a few of the stubborn stains athletic departments on the high school or college level contend with daily, depending on the number of sports represented at the school. In fact, if you research “most stubborn stains,” school athletic programs rank in the top five of a Google search.
Not only do clean uniforms contribute to school spirit, but dirty uniforms can also harbor bacteria (and bad smells!), so proper laundering helps promote the safety and well-being of the athletes. From gymnastics to football, or soccer to swimming, the laundry demands are as diverse as the sports themselves.
This diversity and the special demands of laundry generated during practice or athletic competition is best served by on-premises laundry equipment at a high school or college sports department. It is also the most cost-effective solution in the long term.
In this blog, we will dive into the unique challenges faced by high school and college athletic departments when it comes to tackling stubborn stains on athletic uniforms. From understanding the nature of these stains to implementing effective cleaning strategies, we’ll explore how investing in quality laundry equipment and adopting best practices can make a significant difference in maintaining the integrity and cleanliness of athletic attire and will pay dividends over time.
Advanced Laundry Equipment the Best Move for Athletic Departments
Just as athletes rely on top-tier equipment to excel in their respective sports, athletic departments require high-quality laundry equipment to meet the unique demands of uniform care. Upgrading to advanced commercial laundry machines – rather than those engineered for less-stringent home use – offers a myriad of benefits that directly impact the cleanliness, efficiency and overall functionality of athletic laundry facilities.
- Faster Turnaround Times: On-premise commercial laundries enable faster processing of athletic uniforms, ensuring that clean gear is readily available for practices, games and competitions. With shorter cycle times and increased capacity, athletic departments can streamline their laundry operations and minimize wait times.
- Superior Stain Removal: Modern commercial laundry machines are equipped with specialized features and wash cycles designed to tackle stubborn stains effectively. Industrial chemicals used on commercial machines can be more effective than detergent used on residential machines. Whether it’s grass, mud or sweat, these machines employ advanced technologies to penetrate deep into fabric fibers and remove even the toughest stains without compromising garment integrity.
- Energy Efficiency: Upgrading to energy-efficient laundry equipment not only reduces utility costs but also aligns with sustainability initiatives embraced by many educational institutions. Advanced machines optimize water and energy consumption, minimizing environmental impact while maximizing cost savings for athletic departments.
- Enhanced Hygiene Standards: Maintaining stringent hygiene standards is paramount within athletic departments to safeguard the health and well-being of athletes. Commercial laundry equipment equipped with advanced disinfection technologies, such as ozone or steam, effectively eliminates bacteria, viruses and odors, ensuring that uniforms are thoroughly sanitized after each wash cycle.
- Extended Equipment Lifespan: Investing in quality laundry equipment translates to long-term durability and reliability, simply because the total cost of ownership is less for industrial laundry equipment. Commercial machines built with robust components and innovative engineering withstand the rigors of daily use, reducing maintenance costs and downtime associated with equipment failures.
Invest in a Game Changer for your School’s Athletic Department
Any investment in laundry equipment for school athletic departments pays dividends beyond the control it supplies to organizations to manage their own cleaning schedules; it represents a strategic financial decision with long-term implications. Outsourcing the laundry duties does have some drawbacks.
While outsourcing may provide immediate cost savings in terms of the initial equipment purchase and ongoing maintenance, the long-term costs can add up over time. Outsourcing fees, including per-pound charges or service contracts, may become more expensive than owning equipment, especially as laundry volumes increase.
Reliance on external laundry service providers also introduces a level of dependency. Institutions have less control over the quality and timing of laundry services. Issues such as delays can impact an athletic schedule. Outsourcing could result in inconsistencies in cleaning standards, and the shipment back and forth can prove to be a complex logistical challenge, with implications for an institution’s sustainability goals as well.
School athletic departments can find the best service, selection and experience working with a local commercial laundry equipment supplier like the H-M Company. We serve multiple counties in Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky and count numerous school athletic departments among our customers.
Maintenance duties are minimal, since we also offer service and parts with a rapid response time for repairs. And our leasing and finance programs can help make any initial capital outlay so much easier.
For high school and college athletic departments, maintaining pristine uniforms isn’t just a matter of aesthetics, but also a reflection of institutional excellence and a commitment to the school athletes’ well-being.
By investing in the right selection of commercial laundry equipment, athletic departments can uphold cleanliness standards, control the timing and provide athletes with the clean, fresh gear they need to succeed. With the right equipment and strategies in place, grass, mud and sweat stains are no match for the dedication and professionalism of modern athletic departments equipped with on-premises laundry equipment.
