Running a care home laundry might seem like a straightforward daily task, but in reality, it’s one of the most complex and cost-heavy operations within a care environment. Every load washed affects infection control, resident wellbeing, and the home’s operating budget. Yet, many care homes underestimate just how much time and money is lost through inefficient laundry practices.
At Able, we understand how important it is to balance cleanliness, compliance, and cost. By rethinking your approach to care home laundry, you can make the process faster, safer, and more cost-effective — all while maintaining the highest hygiene standards.
The True Cost of Care Home Laundry
Detergent often gets blamed for high laundry costs, but it’s rarely the real culprit. In fact, detergent is typically the smallest part of the total expense — around five percent. The real costs come from labour, textile replacement, and energy use, which can make up more than 80% of your laundry spend.
When stains aren’t removed properly or loads are washed twice, labour time and energy costs increase dramatically. Rewashing also shortens textile life, forcing care homes to replace bedding and uniforms more often than necessary. A well-managed laundry system reduces these issues by improving first-time wash results.
Why Efficient Laundry Systems Matter
In care homes, every minute counts. Staff need to manage laundry efficiently while still focusing on resident care. Manual dosing systems or low-quality detergents can cause overuse, inconsistent results, and unnecessary rewashing.
That’s why automatic chemical dosing systems have become an essential part of modern care home laundry management. Our Ocean Auto Dosing system adjusts detergent flow based on soil type, textile weight, water hardness, and temperature — ensuring every load is perfectly balanced. This not only reduces waste but also prevents chemical overuse, protecting fabrics and saving money.
By using reliable, high-quality detergent in combination with auto dosing, care homes can reduce rewash rates, extend textile life, and maintain consistent hygiene standards.
The Hidden Hygiene Risks in Laundry Rooms
Laundry isn’t just about cleanliness — it’s about infection control. Soiled linen can carry bacteria, viruses, and bodily fluids that pose real risks to both staff and residents. Unfortunately, poor laundry layout or inconsistent washing temperatures can easily lead to cross-contamination.
Every care home laundry should have a clear workflow separating dirty and clean zones. Without it, clean linen may come into contact with contaminated surfaces or air particles. Staff training and well-marked zones are crucial for reducing this risk.
If you’re unsure whether your current layout meets best practice, explore our full guide on preventing cross-contamination in care home laundry.
The Role of Laundry Chemicals in Infection Control
Detergents and disinfectants play a vital role in ensuring that every item washed meets hygiene standards. However, not all laundry chemicals are created equal. Using poor-quality detergent might remove surface stains but leave behind bacteria and odours.
Laundry emulsifiers are especially important in care homes where soiling often includes oils, creams, or organic matter that standard detergents can’t fully break down. A good emulsifier helps detergents work more effectively, delivering better results from the first wash. You can learn more about how emulsifiers work in our resource, What Is a Laundry Emulsifier in Care Homes?
When paired with a professional auto-dosing system, premium detergents and emulsifiers ensure hygiene compliance while reducing waste — the perfect combination for any care home laundry.
Choosing the Right Products for Your Care Home Laundry
Care home laundry requirements vary depending on load volume, fabric type, and resident needs. That’s why we developed a range of tailored laundry solutions to suit every home.
Our Professional Range is ideal for homes seeking quality results at a budget-friendly price. It delivers reliable stain removal and a soft, fresh finish while keeping operating costs low.
For homes that need premium performance, our Diamond Range offers advanced cleaning power with fat-digesting enzymes and long-lasting fragrance technology. Combined with our low-temperature destainer, it delivers hygienic results with fewer rewashes — saving both time and textiles.
Every product is designed to integrate seamlessly with our Ocean Auto Dosing systems, providing care homes with a complete, easy-to-manage solution that delivers measurable savings.
Building a Sustainable Laundry Routine
Sustainability is more than a buzzword — it’s now a core part of responsible care home management. Reducing energy consumption, extending linen life, and minimising detergent waste all make a difference.
By implementing an auto-dosing system and using concentrated detergents, care homes can lower their environmental impact without compromising results. Additionally, washing at lower temperatures — when supported by the right chemical formulations — cuts energy costs and carbon emissions significantly.
For practical laundry-specific sustainability guidance, industry analysts have highlighted how tools like the GLARE emissions platform help commercial laundries measure and reduce their carbon footprint — a method that care homes can adapt to benchmark and improve their own care home laundry operations.
Training and Maintenance: Keeping Standards Consistent
Even the best products can’t perform properly without well-trained staff and consistent maintenance. Staff should understand correct laundry segregation, machine loading, and washing temperature requirements. Regular servicing of washers and dryers prevents breakdowns and helps maintain energy efficiency.
Scheduling a laundry system review or chemical assessment once a year can help identify areas for improvement, from water usage to workflow efficiency. At Able, we offer site surveys to help care homes evaluate their laundry process and find the best solutions for their needs.
Why Care Home Laundry Deserves More Attention
When managed correctly, care home laundry supports infection control, saves staff time, reduces energy use, and lowers replacement costs. Yet, because it operates behind the scenes, it often gets overlooked.
By taking a strategic approach — combining quality products, intelligent dosing, and consistent processes — care homes can transform laundry from a cost burden into a driver of efficiency and hygiene excellence.
To explore how Able’s laundry systems and detergents could improve your care home laundry, book a free site survey today.
FAQs – Care Home Laundry
Do carers do laundry?
In many care homes, carers may help with laundry if it’s part of resident care, but main laundry operations are usually handled by dedicated staff to ensure hygiene standards are maintained.
How do care homes prevent cross-contamination in laundry?
By using colour-coded systems, separate clean and dirty areas, and automatic dosing systems that minimise manual contact with chemicals. Learn more in our cross-contamination prevention guide.
What detergent is best for care home laundry?
High-quality detergents with emulsifiers and enzyme technology deliver the best results. Able’s Ocean and Diamond ranges are designed for care home laundry and work with auto-dosing systems for consistent performance.
Why is auto dosing important for care home laundry?
Auto dosing ensures the correct amount of chemical is used every time, reducing waste, preventing rewashes, and improving hygiene — all of which help reduce overall laundry costs.
