Self-service laundries in summer

Summer laundry profile

Customers bring garments soaked in sweat from the heat. Beach towels with sand and sunscreen. Sports kit with bacterial perspiration. Small but very frequent loads.

Recommended products in summer

Operational adjustments

• Prioritise small washers (8–11 kg) for fast turnaround
• Short cycles at 40 °C with Biogold Q
• Promote a dedicated "beach towels" service
• Extra stock of premium fabric softener to stand out

Why summer drives up odour complaints

Sweaty clothes left for hours in a bag before reaching the laundry, short low-temperature washes, drums that do not air between cycles and hot weather: this is the combination behind most bad smell complaints. To break it:

• Use a sign to remind customers not to leave wet laundry inside the washer when the cycle ends.
• Keep the doors of idle washers open so the drums can dry out.
• Schedule regular cleaning with Machine Clean: used periodically, it removes the scale and the sources of bad odours that build up with continuous use.
• Use a sanitising detergent such as Biogold Q, formulated to be especially effective in short, low-temperature washes.

Sportswear and technical garments

Technical T-shirts, leggings and team kits hold on to the smell of sweat and do not always tolerate high temperatures. A few tips for your sign or your staff:

• Check each garment's care label before choosing the programme and temperature.
• Prefer an enzymatic detergent with a warm programme over raising the temperature above what the label allows.
• Follow the label for softener too: some technical garments say not to use it.
• Dry completely before putting away: sportswear stored damp starts to smell again.

Heat affects the storeroom too

In summer the product room can get very hot, especially in street-level shops with a shop window. Keep drums in the shade, away from heat sources and in a ventilated place, as their safety data sheet indicates, and check that the caps are tightly closed. You will find the full guidelines under chemical safety.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to raise the temperature in summer to get rid of odours?

It is not the first option. Biogold Q has a recommended temperature of around 40 ºC. If the smell persists at the correct dose, the cause usually lies in the machine or in how long the laundry stays damp, not in the temperature.

Which softener should I choose to stand out?

Blue Soft contains fragrance microcapsules that help laundry keep its scent for longer. It is dosed in the final rinse at 5–10 g per kg of dry laundry.

Why do towels come out harsh or less absorbent?

It is usually hard water or too much softener: a higher dose does not make towels softer. Check the dose per kilo and see the page on harsh-feeling laundry.

Which machines work hardest in summer?

The small ones, 8–11 kg, because loads are small but very frequent. Make sure their dosing is set to the real load: in a small machine, excess product shows up straight away as foam or residue on the laundry.