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Looking for suggestions on how to increase the efficiency of doing laundry and cleaners time across multiple units!
Our cleaners can clean out our units in 45 minutes if they aren’t doing laundry (small 1-2 bedroom units). However, in the past they’ve been doing the full laundry cycles for bedding & towels while there and it doubles the time to 1.5 - 2 hours they have to stay on site. The issue appears to be partly due to some of our washer/dryer units being “slower” than the others (even though its brand new).
The cleaners have suggested they could go to the laundromat every 3rd turnover or something to that effect, and we can keep all spare linens in a shared space they can access. I thought this was a good solution, but we haven’t priced that option out yet.
Another idea I came up with is to convert 1 bay of my two car garage into a mini-commercial laundry and linen storage location because its central to our AirBNB units. This way we can manage our inventory and also not have to depend on Washer/Dryers in each unit that we own.
Thanks all for suggestions, and sharing any personal solutions that you’ve found that are working for you!
Nope! The goal would be for the cleaning service to do each of those items and be self-suffient. The only thing we would do is manage inventory. I think the idea was that if I can save 1 hour each turnover, that the time could be better spent centralizing those tasks and only doing them once every 3rd or so turnover. I’m not sure though, maybe its a wash (no pun intended) in the long run…
I’d recommend either the garage option or have the cleaners do a rotational deep clean at the units during the down time at each unit. Basically have a list of every possible deep cleaning thing that doesn’t get done in a normal clean or maybe gets done less deep (dusting instead of polishing for example, or wipe down of blinds instead of cleaning each slat meticulously) and have them start at the top and just go down the list each time they are waiting on laundry. They can pick back up at whatever point they left off the next time. By the time they finish the list the first thing on the list will certainly need doing again.
You didn’t mention is this a crew or just an individual? I have 3 sets of washer/dryers I utilize ( in separate units) and they all have different wash/dryer times so I can relate with the frustration. Also load amounts will change the dry time. Are the units close to each that they can work on another unit while waiting on the laundry? Communal laundry service sounds good like but you will still need to sit and wait for the laundry to be done and then there is the travel time from each unit and then if you have to go back to get or exchange an item then there is that time also. Also the cost of set up of communal laundry would be huge and if it could be extremely more expensive if you have to replace or install drainage that would handle the water load. You would have the cost of washer/dryers, electrical installation, running new plumbing, hot water heaters (unless you wash strictly in cold water) etc etc… So would this save money or time probably not but then of course that would be your decision. Honestly 1.5- 2 hours per unit is well within the range of what I would expect to do a correct and proper cleaning job even with 2 people. Even if you do a communal wash every 3rd turn, the laundry is going to sit and possibly get ruined by possible staining, musty (wet towels) etc. which would not be cost effective because you would have to replace these items continually.
It’s clear from his post that they have doubles or even triples of everything now. It’s just a matter of when everything gets washed. Do you wash every turnover or every third turnover or…?
Thanks all for the feedback. I haven’t looked at a linen service, but that sounds like a good option. I’ll have to see if that is cost effective.
We do have 3 sets for each unit, but its more of a matter of whether we pay the cleaning team for an extra hour each time they are there for the laundry, or do we “save” that time from the turnovers and do all the laundry at once offsite somewhere.
Thanks Cindy for your response, I thought that was really helpful. I’ll have to run the numbers, but my gut feeling is you are probably right that it isn’t worth the investment required to execute on my garage plan.
I have the same problem. There’s no laundromat nearby. I am trying to hire someone just do the laundry for me, this person will be deliver washed and folded sheets when the cleaners there cleaning, exchange the dirty sheet to wash. I pay $40 per wash and delivery. Just talked to someone and going to start next week and see how it will work out.
My only 5 year old set takes a min of one hour for a wash on cold. So I found a “speed wash” setting and now use that instead. But it still takes forever to wash and dry two kings, one queen and two twins.
