The Laundry Edition of Clean Middle East’s Learning through Dialogue series has provided a platform for the region’s laundry market to come together and share information on how one can look at sustaining oneself. In this edition of Laundry Talks take a look at the new developments and how linen rental has been breaking the taboo that it once carried.

Roseate, Launderette offers contactless, fresh and hygienic laundry within 24 hours

Roseate Hotels & Resorts in association with Launderette is offering its patrons a nouveau, a hygienic and contactless 24 hours laundry delivery service while maintaining the same brand standards. Guests looking out for alternatives to have their laundry and couture wear processed hygienically while ensuring safe and contactless delivery are in for a respite with utmost focus on safety and hygiene practices through the recently introduced ‘Care by Roseate’ programme.

The company ensures the best state of art appliances and cleaning products are used for each wash of couture and special apparel wear but also an unparalleled experience with its new initiatives of 'Care' curated to provide the highest level of hygiene practices and safety standards.

Unilever Brazil laundry franchise deal may presage new business push

Unilever Plc (ULVR.L) is buying a chain of laundromats in Brazil to be renamed Omo, after the world’s No. 2 laundry detergent, in what the consumer goods giant said could be a precursor to other similar deals elsewhere. The acquisition of unlisted Acerte Group and its chain of 123 franchised laundromats and “express” tailors for an undisclosed sum is part of Unilever’s effort to boost its exposure to health and hygiene related areas, the Anglo-Dutch company said. “The idea is to have the largest franchise in the sector in the country within five years,” Eduardo Campanella, Unilever’s vice president of marketing in Brazil, said in an interview, adding that the company could quadruple the existing number of outlets.

Girbau’s Sapphire-linked Covid-19 disinfection package is a real gem

Girbau Global Laundry Solutions (Girbau) recently developed and released the Covid-19 Disinfection Monitoring Package (DMP), a module that works in concert with Sapphire laundry management software to monitor and verify disinfection of washed textiles. Unique in the industry, according to Girbau, the DMP was invented to address the immediate need for disinfection and hygiene within laundries across the globe. Available on all Girbau washers, the DMP is a result of Girbau’s targeted effort to help counter the Covid-19 pandemic and stop the spread of infection.

The DMP module integrates with Sapphire, Girbau’s smart, remote management software. Sapphire greatly facilitates laundry management, reporting irregularities and reducing costs and downtime. It also plays a crucial role in disinfection as it ensures compliance with the parameters necessary for proper textile sanitisation and, in addition, allows data to be stored and sent to customers. “The DMP provides new functionality that helps hotels, care homes, assisted living facilities and commercial laundries ensure their laundering processes consistently comply with world, country or organizational disinfection requirements,” said Girbau Global Marketing Director Mike Floyd.

Linen Rental: Breaking all barriers in laundry

The recent webinar that was held as part of the Laundry Edition of ‘Clean Middle East’s Learning Through Dialogue Series’ spoke about all things linen rental. But before getting into that it is important to note that while there are many crucial factors and cost centers when it comes to operating a laundry and linen service, without textiles and linens, there is no service! And if the textile product doesn’t last long as it is used and processed, customer satisfaction could drop and linen costs will increase. Hence, getting the right textile for a property, especially a hotel, is important.

However, buying high-quality linen cannot always be feasible for a property. Hence, came the practice of renting linen. A trend that has been doing its rounds for a few years now in the region is linen rental and it has to an extent helped laundries provide long sustainable service to hotels. And post lockdown, most hotels are finding linen rental as a sustainable option as well. Omeir Zahid, the CEO, and Founder of Whirlloop reintroduced the concept of linen rental and how it could be the answer hotels are looking for post the lockdown.

Linen rental may have been accepted internationally but in the region, it was not until a few years ago, that the market opened up to the concept. Those who have tried and tested the concept swear by it, and now most major laundries provide this as a feasible option for their clients in the hospitality and healthcare industry. Omeir touched upon the fact that the stigma of renting out linen is slowly leaving the region and people are realizing how sustainable it is for the hotels. While he did remove certain misconceptions surrounding linen rental, Omeir also mentioned how rental companies like his, are not compromising on the safety and hygiene aspects of the linen before it reaches the property.

The webinar also spoke at large about the pros & cons of the rental market, and at the same time discussing the technological options that are there to keep track of the linen that is rented out to the properties and serviced at the laundries. While sustainability has been the keyword of the season, Omeir also says that like everything even linen has a shelf life. He mentions how it is important to look out for the signs when rental companies need to buy new linen. If you are a housekeeper looking at this sustainable and financially feasible option, then do check out this webinar before making that call and weigh in your options.