Downtime in a commercial laundry operation is more than just an inconvenience—it’s lost revenue, delayed deliveries, unhappy clients, and a disrupted workflow. Those who’ve been in the industry long enough know that waiting for something to break before acting is a losing game. The real key to maintaining a smooth-running laundry facility lies in one often-overlooked discipline: routine equipment checks.
But not just any checks. I’m talking about a systematic, insider-informed approach to preventative maintenance—simple yet strategic actions that’ll keep your washers, dryers, folders, and presses running like clockwork.
Let’s dive deep into how to really prevent downtime through smarter, more proactive equipment checks.
1. Know Your Machines Like the Back of Your Hand
The first rule of reducing downtime? Know what you’re working with.
Each piece of laundry equipment has its own set of quirks. Some brands run hot, others hum quietly when they’re working well, and some start acting up long before they break. The trick is to treat every commercial washer or dryer like an individual—because they are.
Start by logging machine behavior daily. This isn’t just writing down the start and end times. I mean real observations: noises, vibrations, unusual cycle times, or error codes. Your staff should be trained to spot subtle changes because those small shifts often signal bigger problems brewing beneath the surface.
Tip: Create a machine logbook or digital checklist with the following:
- Cycle times (actual vs. expected)
- Unusual sounds (rattles, grinding, or whines)
- Water usage patterns
- Drain performance
- Heating times (for dryers or hot-water washers)
Having this data gives you a baseline—and anything that drifts from that norm? It gets flagged before failure happens.
2. Weekly Walkarounds: More Than Just a Glance
Every week, dedicate 30–60 minutes to a focused walkaround. It’s not about standing around nodding at the equipment. This is where you listen, inspect, and smell your machines.
Yes, smell.
Burning belts, overheating motors, or electrical issues often give off a distinct scent before visible damage occurs. A sour smell near a washer might indicate mold in the gasket, affecting both machine efficiency and laundry quality.
What to focus on in your weekly checks:
- Belts & Bearings – Listen for squeals or grinding, feel for heat (safely), and look for wear.
- Hoses & Seals – Cracks or soft spots in hoses are future leaks waiting to happen.
- Lint Filters & Ducts – A lint-clogged dryer is a ticking time bomb for both downtime and fire hazard.
Drain Pumps – Look for slow drainage and pooled water. Pump failure is a top cause of sudden breakdowns. - Electrical Panels – Inspect for loose wiring or signs of corrosion.
Tip: Use a flashlight to check underneath and behind machines. It’s where leaks and dust build-ups love to hide—and it’s where early problems often start.
3. Monthly Deep Checks: Small Fixes, Big Savings
Now we’re getting to the meat of it. Once a month, set aside time for a more detailed inspection. Bring in your maintenance lead or technician and go through the machines with tools in hand.
Too many operations wait for OEM service calls before getting technical. That’s not sustainable. You need to own your maintenance calendar, and monthly checks are your insurance policy.
Focus Areas for Monthly Checks:
- Calibration Checks: Are the machines dispensing detergent and water correctly? Overdosing not only wastes supplies but stresses the machine.
- Drum Alignment: Misaligned drums in washers or dryers cause uneven wear, higher energy use, and noisy cycles.
- Control Panel Tests: Run diagnostic cycles if your machines support them. Many errors get logged silently before showing up on-screen.
- Vacuum & Air Systems: Especially on folders and ironers, ensure airflow is consistent and pressure is within spec.
Tip: Use a thermal imaging camera (even a basic one attached to a smartphone) to detect heat anomalies. You’ll catch motors that are starting to overheat before they shut down.
4. Don’t Forget the Water and Air Systems
It’s easy to focus on washers and dryers while forgetting the systems that support them. But compressed air, boilers, and water lines are the arteries of your operation. When one of them clogs or leaks, the whole plant suffers.
What to check routinely:
- Air Compressors: Drain moisture traps weekly, inspect belts and filters monthly.
- Boiler Pressure & Steam Traps: Ensure steam pressure is consistent and traps aren’t leaking. Inconsistent steam can ruin press output.
- Water Filtration: Hard water wears out machine components faster. Replace filters on schedule and monitor scale build-up.
Tip: Install gauges and flow meters at key points in your water and air systems. They’re a cheap way to catch pressure drops or spikes early.
5. Staff Training: Your First Line of Defense
All the preventative routines in the world won’t help if your team doesn’t know what to look for—or worse, ignores the signs. A well-trained operator can save you thousands in lost production by spotting issues early.
Key training goals:
- Recognize early warning signs (vibrations, noises, leaks)
- How to safely shut down a machine showing faults
- Where to report issues (and make sure there’s a paper trail)
- Understand basic machine anatomy (even non-tech staff should know where the belts and filters are)
Tip: Assign machine “owners” on each shift—individuals responsible for visually checking a designated set of machines. This builds accountability and encourages familiarity.
6. Keep Spare Parts On-Site (But Be Smart About It)
No need to hoard every part in the manual, but having fast-moving and failure-prone components in stock is essential. Waiting for a part to ship while your commercial dryer sits idle? That’s money going down the drain.
What to stock:
- Belts
- Fuses
- Solenoids
- Gaskets and seals
- Water inlet valves
- Thermostats and sensors
Tip: Track part failure history. If a certain dryer eats belts every six months, don’t wait—replace proactively at five. That’s what real preventative maintenance looks like.
Final Thoughts: Downtime Is a Choice
Truth be told, most downtime is preventable. Not all of it—machines do age, and unexpected issues happen. But with the right eyes on your equipment, the majority of shutdowns can be spotted before they strike.
What separates a facility that runs smoothly from one constantly scrambling to fix machines is not luck—it’s diligence. The quiet kind. The behind-the-scenes, routine-inspection kind.
You don’t need fancy technology or a full-time engineer to avoid downtime. You need consistency. You need awareness. And most importantly, you need a culture that values prevention over reaction.
Keep your hands on the pulse of your commercial laundry equipment, and your laundry operation will reward you with uptime, efficiency, and—ultimately—profit.
