Back To School: Essential Laundry Tips for Boarding Schools

As we approach the end of the summer season with the new school year starting soon, it is a good time to check if you and your laundry facilities are prepared. From the equipment needed, to typical school stains removal advice, this guide is here to help you.

The Equipment
With Back-To-School fast approaching, it’s a good time to assess if your site has the facilities to cope with demand of laundry. There are many important factors to consider when choosing the best machines for your school’s laundry needs.

• What’s being washed?
• How often are items sent to laundry?
• What turnaround time is expected/needed?
• How much space is available?
• What issues do the laundry staff currently have?
• What services do you have in place?

Here at GA Commercial, we have a range of washers and dryers that come in a variety of sizes and capacities to suit your boarding school’s needs.

We recommend our Danube range of 14-18kg washing machines and 24kg dryers to accompany them. You can see our full Danube range here.

Not sure what you need?
GA Commercial also offers comprehensive site surveys to assist you in determining the optimal commercial laundry equipment solution for your needs.

Best Practices
Now you’ve got the equipment, here are some best practices to stick to when washing for boarding schools:

• Schedule regular laundry days: this will avoid last-minute rushes.
• Don’t overload the machines: overloading can lead to inadequate cleaning and increased wear and tear on clothes and fabrics.
• Use the right detergent: use the recommended amount to avoid residue on clothes. If you use our auto-doing system with the 4 Aces of Laundry range, this problem is solved for you as the auto-dosing system will weigh out your laundry load and input as much detergent is needed for you.
• Check pockets: Always empty pockets to avoid damaging clothes and the washing machine.
• Encourage students to label their clothes: Make it a requirement for students to label their clothes with their names or initials to avoid mix-ups and reduce the chance of lost laundry.
• Encourage students to take inventory and declutter: It is common for children to outgrow clothes over the summer holiday period, encourage students to donate or remove clothes than no longer fit or are damaged, this will save on unnecessary washing and reduce the laundry load.

Back To School Stain Guide
Doing the laundry of any school-aged child means you’re likely to come across a whole variety of stains. Here we are going to go over the most common ones and advise on how to go about removing them:

• Mud: Allow the mud to dry then remove as much as possible by brushing it away. Once that’s been done, machine was at 40°C with detergent. For more suborn stains, you can try pre-treating the area with liquid laundry detergent then washing as normal.
• Glue: Similar to mud, try to scrape off as much residue as possible before washing. A normal 40°C wash will be suitable for normal paper adhesives. For stronger glues, try dabbing the area with acetone nail polish remover to dissolve the glue.
• Paint: If paint is still wet, blot with paper towels to remove as much as possible. For acrylic paints specifically, wash with detergent and water. If dried, dab stain with methylated spirits, flush with cold water, and wash at as high of a temperature as the fabric allows. For water colour paints, rinse out with cold water then wash as you usually would.
• Grass: Soak in an oxygen-based bleaching agent and then wash the detergent at 40°C.
• Blood: Dab at the stain to remove as much as possible before washing, do not rub. If the stain has already dried, soak first in laundry detergent then wash at a low temperature.
  
  

Conclusion
With the right equipment, tips, and knowledge, boarding school laundry can become a much smoother, hassle-free process. From choosing the right machines, to our auto-doing system, GA Commercial has got your needs covered.

Get in contact today for a site consultation or to learn what we can do for you here.