Why Outsourcing Laundry Can Save Your Business Time and Money

Many businesses still handle their own laundry in-house. Towels, uniforms, cloths, bedding, and cleaning rags often end up being washed by staff during the workday. At first glance this seems like the cheapest option — after all, the washing machine is already there.

However, when you look at the true cost of staff time, utilities, and lost productivity, outsourcing laundry is often more cost-effective and far more efficient.

Below we explain why many smart businesses are choosing to outsource their laundry.

The Hidden Cost of Staff Doing Laundry

When staff handle laundry, the cost is more than just detergent and electricity. Businesses must also consider:

• Staff wages
• Superannuation contributions
• Lost productivity
• Electricity and water
• Detergent and cleaning chemicals
• Machine wear and tear
• Time spent managing the process

Most businesses underestimate how quickly these costs add up.

For example, if an employee earning $28 per hour spends time handling laundry tasks such as sorting, loading machines, moving items to dryers, and folding, the labour cost alone can be significant.

Example calculation:

Staff hourly rate: $28
Time spent per load: 35 minutes

Labour cost per load: approximately $16.24

After including superannuation and other employment costs, the true cost can exceed $18 per load.

This does not include electricity, water, detergents, or equipment depreciation.

The Productivity Problem

Even if the direct cost is similar, the productivity loss is where businesses lose the most value.

When staff are doing laundry, they are not:

• Serving customers
• Completing billable work
• Preparing products
• Managing bookings
• Cleaning or organising the business

In many industries, staff time is far more valuable when focused on customer service and revenue-generating activities.

For example, a physiotherapist charging $120 per hour loses $30 in potential billable revenue if they spend just 15 minutes managing laundry.

When Outsourcing Laundry Makes the Most Sense

Outsourcing laundry can be especially beneficial for businesses that produce regular laundry volumes.

Common examples include:

Hair Salons and Barbers

Salons can generate dozens of towels every day. If staff spend even 30–45 minutes managing laundry, that time could instead be used assisting clients or preparing appointments.

Gyms and Fitness Studios

Gyms often deal with large numbers of towels and cleaning cloths. Laundry machines can run all day, creating extra work for staff.

Beauty Clinics and Massage Therapists

Treatment rooms use towels, sheets, and pillow covers for hygiene reasons. Outsourcing laundry ensures consistent cleanliness while allowing therapists to focus on clients.

Airbnb Hosts and Short-Term Rentals

Laundry is often the most time-consuming part of property turnovers. Outsourcing allows cleaners to prepare the property faster and maintain consistent linen quality.

Childcare Centres

Blankets, towels, and cloths need frequent washing. Educators should ideally focus on supervising children rather than managing laundry cycles.

Cleaning Companies

Cleaning teams generate large volumes of microfiber cloths and mop heads. Centralising laundry through a commercial service can simplify operations.

The Tax Benefit for Businesses

For most businesses in Australia, outsourced laundry services are considered a fully tax-deductible operating expense.

This means the real cost after tax can be lower than expected.

For example:

Laundry service cost: $100
If the business tax rate is 30%, the effective cost may be closer to $70 after tax deductions.

This further improves the value of outsourcing laundry compared with internal handling.

Consistency and Professional Results

Another benefit of outsourcing laundry is consistent cleaning quality.

Professional laundry services use commercial-grade equipment and processes designed to remove stains, sanitise fabrics, and maintain textile quality. This can extend the life of towels, uniforms, and linen.

A Smarter Way to Manage Laundry

For many businesses, the decision comes down to one simple question:

Should your staff be doing laundry, or focusing on customers?

Outsourcing laundry allows businesses to:

• Reduce staff workload
• Improve productivity
• Maintain consistent cleanliness
• Simplify daily operations
• Turn laundry into a predictable business expense

Let Wishy Washy Handle the Laundry

At Wishy Washy Laundry Co., we help local businesses save time by handling their laundry professionally.

Whether you're a salon, gym, clinic, Airbnb host, or local business, outsourcing your laundry can free up valuable time for your team.

Instead of spending hours each week running machines and folding towels, simply drop off your laundry — or ask us about commercial service options.

Your staff should focus on your customers.

We’ll take care of the laundry.