Why A Commercial Washer & Dryer Are Essential For Your Pet Care Business
If you’re relying on residential laundry machines for your dog grooming or pet boarding business, you may not realize the benefits a commercial washer and dryer can provide. Most residential washers are not well-equipped to remove stains, odors, or hair from fabrics, and you’ll likely have trouble getting bulky bed covers and towels bone-dry efficiently in a standard dryer. Replacing residential washers and dryers with commercial laundry equipment can eliminate these limitations by offering better sanitation with easier-to-use, reliable, efficient washers and dryers. Not only will improved laundry streamline your sanitation processes, but it will help you present a clean facility to attract customers—a bonus in the highly competitive pet services market. Some of the benefits of commercial laundry equipment for your pet care facility include:
1. Increased Load Capacity
With bulky sizes and thick materials, linens used for dog boarding or grooming businesses can be difficult to thoroughly wash and dry. The average residential washing machine has a 12-pound capacity; for a pet care facility laundering an assortment of soiled linens, this volume is typically insufficient. Dexter Express Washers begin at 20-pound capacities and Milnor washer-extractors begin at 25-pound load sizes, with maximum volume capacities reaching into the hundreds to suit your specific needs; each brand increases your output multiple times over, while requiring the same or less runtime than similar-sized residential units. This expanded capacity and faster operation allows you to task linen washing and drying to staff during business hours or complete it in tandem with your end-of-shift cleaning duties without extending labor hours.
Not only do commercial washers and dryers have a higher throughput, the larger drum sizes accommodate bigger items, such as dog beds or mats, that would cause a residential washing machine to run off-balance, potentially damaging it and leading to costly repairs. Many commercial washing machine manufacturers prepare for this, designing and testing their equipment to run for hundreds of hours with large, out-of-balance loads. Even in the harshest laundry environments, these washers and dryers can hold up for years of use.
2. Better Sanitation of Soiled Linens
Whether you’re wiping off muddy paws, drying a dog after bathing, or cleaning up an accident, your dog boarding and grooming equipment, towels, and mats must be properly sanitized to prevent cross-contamination. Residential washers and dryers simply lack the ability to properly sterilize linens—especially when heavily soiled. Commercial washers, on the other hand, feature processes to automate chemical injection along with heated wash cycles, powerful extractors, effective rinse cycles, and large drum perforations to effectively remove pet hair, dirt, and other debris. These enhanced sterilization features are essential for keeping your supply shelves stocked with fresh, clean linens and keeping your kennel beds ready to accept new canine clients. Properly cleaned laundry helps prevent the spread of pet-specific diseases, and ensures your pet care facility appears—and smells—clean, orderly, and cared for, which can be the deciding factor for pet parents selecting boarding or grooming services.
3. Easy-to-Operate Controls
Staff members of your grooming or boarding facility may be experts in dog care, but they are likely not trained laundry attendants, so it is crucial to have washers and dryers that are easy to operate. Unlike residential machines, Dexter and Milnor commercial washers and dryers feature simple touch-screen controls. These LED screens allow staff members to make quick cycle selections from a programmed list to accommodate your business’s most common soiling and fabric types. Automated chemical injection also makes operations easier: Both laundry machine brands have options to automate chemicals into your cleaning process to thoroughly—and safely—clean towels, beds, and other linens without worrying about measuring, timing, or other guesswork.
4. Reliable, Durable Equipment
With its rugged, durable construction, most commercial laundry equipment is designed to continue to perform for years, if not decades. Even with multiple loads per day, commercial washers and dryers feature heavy-duty bearings, welded cabinet frames, and fewer moving parts so they will last. Even with proper maintenance, residential laundry equipment is not designed to withstand such frequent use and will require much more frequent maintenance and even replacement. Plus, when you partner with Western State Design, you can count on preventative maintenance expertise, manufacturer warranties, and a dependable source for parts and service, so your focus can remain on your dog boarding or grooming business.
5. Energy & Labor Savings
Dexter and Milnor commercial washers and dryers are highly energy efficient, helping to reduce your utilities and labor over time. Commercial washers are designed with optimal drum perforations to provide a better wash water exchange, and enhanced extractors remove more water from fabrics to reduce dryer time. Dryers are designed to maximize recirculation for more efficient drying, and moisture-detection sensors automatically stop a load once it's dry to conserve energy.
Commercial washers will also save you in labor costs with faster run times and easy operations, allowing your staff to share laundry responsibilities, eliminating the need for a dedicated laundry employee. The machine control screens provide status updates so there’s less downtime between loads and less monitoring, so your focus can remain on the pets in your care rather than laundry.
How To Choose Commercial Laundry Equipment for a Pet Care Business
With so many brands and models of commercial washers and dryers, each with various features, capacities, and machine sizes, how do you select the right equipment for your pet care business? The best way to ensure you’re getting the best machines for your operation is to work with bonafide experts, like the team at Western State Design, who can help you understand the various commercial laundry equipment features and limitations. Contact us today for expert help, from planning to equipment selection, installation, and beyond.
