Types
| Machine | Design | Typical site |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial topload or frontload (vended) | Coin or card operated, residential-size | Apartments, laundromats, dorms |
| Soft-mount washer-extractor | Suspended drum, high spin, no anchoring | Hotels, gyms, salons, upper floors |
| Hard-mount washer-extractor | Bolted to a reinforced floor, lower spin | Ground-floor laundries with a suitable slab |
| Tumble dryer | Gas, electric or steam heat, sized by pounds | Paired with each washer |
| Stack washer-dryer | Washer and dryer in one footprint | Small rooms, vended laundry |
Vended laundry
Coin and card machines look like home units but are built for many more cycles a day, with tamper-resistant controls and payment systems. Card and app payment systems remove coin collection and let the owner change prices and see usage remotely. Many apartment owners use a laundry route operator instead of buying: the operator supplies and services the machines and shares revenue. Compare the revenue share and contract length against owning the machines outright.
On-premises laundry: washer-extractors
Hotels, gyms, spas, restaurants, care homes and salons usually buy washer-extractors. They are rated by dry load capacity in pounds, and they program wash, rinse and chemical injection per type of linen.
- G-force. Spin speed is quoted as g-force, the force pressing water out of the fabric. Higher g-force leaves less water in the load, so the dryer runs shorter. Since drying is usually the most energy-intensive step, high extraction saves gas or electricity on every load.
- Soft-mount. A suspension absorbs vibration, so the machine can spin at high g-force without being bolted down. It can go on upper floors and in existing rooms without a special foundation.
- Hard-mount. Bolted to a concrete floor that can take the forces, often a dedicated pad. Spins at lower g-force, so loads come out wetter. Rugged and long-lived where the floor suits it.
Size washers so the dryers can keep up. A common pairing gives dryers more capacity than the washers, because wet linen takes up more room and drying takes longer than washing.
Dryers and venting
Commercial dryers need exhaust ducts sized and routed to the manufacturer's instructions, and the room needs enough make-up air to replace what the dryers blow out. Long runs, too many elbows and undersized ducts slow drying, waste energy and raise fire risk. Lint is the leading hazard: clean lint screens every load or shift, and have ducts cleaned on a schedule. Gas dryers also need a properly sized gas supply.
Dryer fires in commercial laundries often involve linens with residual oils, such as kitchen rags and massage or salon towels. Use the cool-down cycle, do not leave hot loads piled in carts, and follow the washer chemical program for oily linens.
Utilities
- Water. Hot and cold supply at adequate pressure and flow.
- Hot water. Large OPLs draw a lot of hot water at once. The water heater has to cover peak washing; see commercial water heaters.
- Drain. Sized for the dump rate of the largest washer, with a lint trap where required.
- Electrical. Many commercial machines run on 208/240 V, some on three-phase.
- Gas. Sized for all dryers running at once.
- Chemical injection. Pumps from the chemical supplier, programmed per formula.
Energy and rebates
ENERGY STAR certifies commercial clothes washers of the vended and multi-housing type, and certified machines use less water and energy per load. Utilities sometimes offer rebates on certified commercial washers or on high-efficiency laundry systems; check with your local electric, gas and water utilities. Compare certified models in our commercial washer register.
The costs people miss
- Floor work or pads for hard-mount machines.
- Dryer exhaust, make-up air and duct cleaning.
- Water heater capacity and drain upgrades.
- Chemical injection systems and supply contracts.
- Payment systems and service for vended machines.
Before you buy
- Decide vended, OPL or a route operator.
- Estimate pounds of laundry per day and size washers and dryers together.
- Choose soft-mount unless the floor suits hard-mount.
- Prefer high g-force extraction to cut drying cost.
- Survey drains, venting, make-up air, gas, electrical and hot water.
- Set a lint and duct cleaning schedule.
- Ask your utilities about rebates on ENERGY STAR washers.