Linen Damage Reporting, Scrap Standards & Processes with Laundry Plant Collaboration Requirements

In the full-life-cycle management of hotel linen, damage reporting approval and disposal decisions are key control points that connect linen use with washing and care. This step directly affects the hotel’s operating costs and budget planning, and also influences guests’ overall experience of room quality. Also, it is an important measure of a laundry plant’s service quality and coordination efficiency.

To build a more transparent, efficient, and standardized linen management system, this article summarizes the damage reporting approval process and classification standards for disposal based on the internal management rules of high-star hotels.

We hope this article provides practical and actionable guidance for the linen laundry industry. By aligning standards and improving processes, hotels and laundries can together achieve cost reduction, quality improvement, and higher efficiency.

Linen Damage Reporting Approval

In the standard monthly damage limit (like 5 sets per month), the Housekeeping manager can approve the damage. After approval, the items should be clearly marked as damaged and be handled.

All approved damaged items must be stored separately each month to avoid mixing with normal linen.

If the value of a single damage incident is more than 2000 RMB, the items must be stored separately and reported to the Hotel Manager for review. They can only be processed (for example, sold or destroyed) after the manager’s approval.

Hotel Linen Scrap Standards

Linen is not only scrapped when it is broken. Instead, the decision is based on the number of washes and the actual condition. Different types of linen have different standards.

● Sheets and duvet covers

Sheets and duvet covers are used very often. After 300 washes (usually about 1.5–2 years of normal use), they must be scrapped if any of the following occur:

- Poor fabric condition

Thin, weak, worn-out, with obvious pilling, rough feel, and loss of elasticity.

- Unrepairable damage

Burn holes or burn marks from cigarettes (even small ones) that cannot be fixed by sewing.

- Stains that cannot be removed

Stubborn yellow, gray, blood, or other stains still remain after many special treatments by the laundry plant.

- Severe aging

After reaching the wash limit, the linen turns gray or dark, looks dull, and appears worn out.

- Large stubborn stains

Blood, hair dye, or other stains larger than 10 cm² that won’t come out.

- Unusable even after guest compensation

If the guest has paid for the damage, but the stains still cannot be removed, the linen can’t be reused.

● Pillowcases

Pillowcases touch the guest’s head directly and get more oil and sweat, so the rules are stricter. After 300 washes, they must be scrapped if any of the following happen:

- Severe oil discoloration

Clear yellowishblack or dark stains from scalp oil that won’t come clean after cleaning.

- Fabric aging

Thin, weak, worn-out, with pilling and a rough feel.

Damage or burn marks: Cigarette holes, burn marks, or tears that cannot be repaired by sewing.

- Stubborn stains

Yellow, gray, blood… (remain after many treatments)

- Old and worn appearance

Gray or dull pillowcases have lost their brightness and no longer meet the hotel’s hygiene standards.

- Unusable even after guest compensation

The guest has paid for the damage. However, other customers don’t want to use the linen because the stains are still there.

Recommended Scrap Cycles

● High-occupancy hotels (≥ 80%)

If a hotel spends 20 thousand yuan on linen and plans to use it for 2 years, the monthly cost will be about 833 RMB. Then the daily cost is 28 yuan.

After 2 years, even if the linen still looks okay, it’s usually better to replace it to keep the rooms looking fresh and clean.

● Medium-low occupancy hotels (≤ 60%)

If quality standards are not very strict, linen can be used for up to 3 years. But it’s not recommended for more than 3 years. After 3 years, the fibers start to age, bacteria grow more easily, and the guest experience can be badly affected.

- Note

These cycles are just guidelines. The real decision should take several factors into account.

Fabrics of higher thread count are stronger and can be used longer.

Proper washing can really extend its life.

Accidental damage or rough handling can shorten linen’s service life.

● Final Summary

When following rules or deciding when to scrap items, people should not rely only on experience.

- Use clear rules for collection, storage, and inspection to reduce human-caused loss.

- With rules for collecting, storing, and checking linen, hotels can reduce loss caused by human error.

- Clear standards for scrapping helps hotels treat different linens well.

Conclusion

Linen management is a teamwork between hotels and laundry plants. The key is using clear standards and careful checks at every step instead of only using experience. With clear rules for damage reports, proper storage, and scrap standards based on both wash count and condition, hotels and laundries can reduce loss, control costs, and keep room quality stable.

Good cooperation also needs reliable equipment. As a laundry equipment provider, CLM knows how important each piece of linen is. Our machines can protect linen at every step. They wash linen more gently, control the process more accurately, and track items more clearly. This helps linen last longer, makes hotel operations smoother, and helps laundries offer better service.