According to the data from the China Laundry Association (CLA), the annual linen damage rate is 15% to 25%. Among them, the damage caused by improper operations is over 60%. Every crack on the linen is devouring the profit margin of the laundry factory. In this article, we will deeply analyze the four main culprits for the linen damage.
Usage Stage
❑ Improper Human Operation
● Employees’ operational mistakes
When hotel employees change the linen, if their actions are rude, such as pulling and dragging the bed sheet forcefully, it may lead to tearing at the edges or weak parts of the linen. When making the bed, if sharp items are used to assist in the operation without care, the linen surface may have traces of damage.
In addition, when employees are moving linen, they randomly stack it on the ground, causing it to rub against the ground or be scratched by sharp objects on the ground. This is also a common cause of damage.
● Improper use by guests
Some guests have improper actions when using the linen:
They use towels to wipe leather shoes, sharp tools, etc., which scratches the surface of the towel. Some guests pull the bed sheet forcefully, or even use it as a rope, subjecting the linen to tensile force beyond its capacity to bear.
Some guests accidentally cut the linen while eating bone-in food or using thorny fruits in the guest room.
❑ Environmental conditions
● Friction against furniture or equipment
If the corners of furniture, bed frames, metal hooks, and other items in the guest room are not properly protected, they are easy to have friction with the linen during the laying and use of the linen:
The edges of the bed frame are sharp. If the bed sheet is in long-term contact and friction with it, the four corners are easily damaged.
When the metal hooks in the wardrobe scratch the clothes, they may also tear the bathrobes and other linen hanging beside them.
● Sharp objects
Sharp objects such as nails, broken glass, and metal shavings may exist on the floors or tables in the public areas of the hotel, such as the restaurant and meeting rooms. When linen is used or moved in these areas, it will be punctured or cut once it comes into contact with sharp objects.
Washing Stage
❑ Laundry equipment
● Aging and malfunction
The inner drum of The inner wall of the washer’s drum is severely worn, and the surface has become rough. In the laundry process, the linen has constant friction against the rough inner drums, which can easily cause the linen to fuzz and get damaged.
Malfunctions of some components, like the hot air outlet and the conveyor belt of the dryer, can cause the hot air temperature to be too high and the conveyor belt to get stuck. This will result in uneven heating or excessive pulling of the linen, leading to fiber breakage and damage.
● Inadequate equipment cleaning
After long-term use, if dirt and impurities such as coins and buttons remain inside the washer and are not cleaned in time, they will collide and rub against the linen during the washing process, scratching the linen.
The air duct of the dryer is seriously dusty. If dust adheres to the linen, it will not only affect the cleanliness of the linen but also wear down the linen fibers during the drying process.
❑ Improper laundry operation
● Unreasonable laundry program setting
If people don’t choose proper laundry programs according to the line types and degree of fouling and directly use high-level laundry programs to wash thick bath towels and thin bed sheets and pillowcases together, the thin linen will be easily torn because of the strong agitation. If the washing time is too long, then the constant mechanical forces will accelerate fiber fatigue and fracture.
● Incorrect Use of Detergent
Using detergents with excessively high concentrations, especially strongly acidic or alkaline detergents, can cause chemical corrosion to linen fibers:
Excessive use of chlorine-containing bleach to wash colored linen can cause the linen to fade, the fibers to become brittle, and eventually break. Linen made of different materials has different tolerances to detergents. If the wrong detergent is chosen, it can also damage the linen.
● Dehydration
When dehydrating, the linen is unevenly distributed inside the washer. The centrifugal force generated by the high-speed rotation causes excessive local force on the linen. This will make the linen easily pulled or torn. If the dehydration time is too long, the linen fibers will be overly fatigued under the action of mechanical force, reducing the strength of the linen. It will be easily damaged during subsequent use.
Storage Stage
❑ Bad storage environment
● The temperature and humidity
If the humidity is too high, it will breed mold and bacteria, erode the linen fibers, reduce the strength of the linen, and make it fragile and prone to damage.
High-temperature environments will accelerate the aging of linen fibers, reducing their toughness and strength. Those pieces of linen in a high-temperature environment for a long time may easily be damaged during usage or transportation.
● Pest impact
If the warehouse fails to take proper pest control measures, pests such as rats and cockroaches will gnaw on the linen, leaving damaged holes. Worms such as bookworms can erode the fibers of linen, seriously affecting the integrity of the linen.
❑ Improper Storage method
● Stacking
If the pile of linen is too high or too heavy, the lower layer of linen will be squeezed by the upper layer. If it remains under pressure for a long time, the fibers will deform and break.
Improper folding of linen, such as repeated force on the folding area, can also cause local wear and damage to the linen
● Unisolated Storage Stage
When people store linen together with sharp objects, chemicals, etc, the sharp objects may pierce the linen. The chemicals will corrode the linen fibers after evaporation, causing damage.
Conclusion
Understanding the reasons for the damage to linen is the first step to solving the problem. Linen damage is not the fate of the laundry industry, but a catalyst for technological upgrading. Every precise control of washing parameters is a safeguard of the industry’s dignity. The scientific proportion of every gram of detergent is expanding the profit margin of the laundry factory.
Post time: Jun-16-2025