4 Reason Why a Residential Washing Machine is Hurting your Business

Getting the right laundry equipment for your business is a must, — especially if you do a lot of loads every day.  For example, if you are a veterinary practice you have to wash animal fur or fluids out of towels or a salon where towels are used to soak oils and lotions.   In small or medium businesses’ s such as these, chances are you may have a residential washer/dryer set up that promises getting a superior clean every wash.       

In this blog, we will cover 5 reasons why a residential machine just isn’t going to cut it and potentially damage your business.

Lack of Energy & Water Savings 

This is a huge factor in any business. Every day when your business is processing loads of laundry back to back there is a significant amount of water and electricity being used.  Even the top-rated washing machines on the domestic market still use up to 16.5 gallons of water per wash. Of course, if you haven’t done your homework, then this amount does not mean a thing to you, but for you knowledgeable owners it is easier to understand that these numbers can add up. If you’re using a commercial machine for your laundry needs, you could save between 3-5 gallons per wash. This saves more than 4,200 gallons of water a year!  We should also note that 13 gallons for commercial machines come from our own front loader spec sheet. If we use a low-average volume of 11 gallons per cycle (for our own front loader) we get a value of just over 18,000 gallons.  That is a difference of  8,0000 gallons less than a residential washer! 

As far as energy usage is concerned, almost all machines can differ in their use, but a quick glimpse at the technological specs of different residential washing machines shows that most of those machines use roughly 219-260 kWh.  Many commercial washers can use considerably less than that.  If you apply this to your water savings, it’s a considerable amount of savings. 

Cost of Repairs 

Nothing is worse for a company that does a lot of laundry every day than a washing machine that has a breakdown, particularly if you depend on just one or two machines. When the washing machine breaks down, business slows down.  Residential washing machine repairs will cost anywhere from $100-$500 based on the type of damage, the parts needed to fix it, and how long it will take.  Now, it may not pretty standard but if you keep up with the same demands on the machine after it has been fixed for the first time, you’ll just run into the same issues again.   At this rate, it won’t be long before you end up paying the cost of the machine for maintenance. Either that or it may seem easier to replace the machine entirely but then history only ends up repeating itself leaving you out of pocket and going out of your mind.

Limited Warranty 

Maybe not the key issue on your list, but also something to think about when you have a washing machine or two that you want to last for at least 6 years. Most retail stores only offer a 2 year of warranty on their residential washing machines with the option to purchase an extended warranty at additional cost.

However, when you purchase a commercial washing machine manufacturers like Dexter Laundry offer a 10-year warranty on their washers and a 5-year warranty on their dryers.  

Lack of Service and Support

Congrats, you just purchased a new washing machine from the Home Improvement store or bought one online for a great price. They even shipped it to you free of charge. But, that is where big-box retailers service stops. More often than not, a home improvement store will sell you a machine, and then you’ll never hear from them again, after all, it’s just about the sale. The only time you may hear from them is in marketing emails.

At Scott Equipment you will have a completely different experience. With our fleet of service vans, factory-trained technicians, and unlimited parts inventory, we have the resources to get repairs done quickly and efficiently.  We provide sales support, service, and parts, and this is what we call the SEI Difference.  

In conclusion, a business such as a day spa or lounge will always be better off using commercial laundry equipment. The upfront costs are higher, but they end up paying off quickly, leaving you with a durable, long-lasting machine. Have any questions? Call us at 1-800-321-7268 or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to answer them for you.