Washex In business since 1923 . they made some of the finest machinery.. and were first with many new marvels.
http://www.americanlaundrynews.com/Article.cfm?articleID=18189
http://www.americanlaundrynews.com/Article.cfm?articleID=18189
Another long time commerical laundry machine co bites the dust.
- Thread starter sudsman
- Start date
I guess large laundry generators such as hotels,hospitals,and other institutions are giving up on in house laundry operations-lets see-the staff(probably most expensive)the equipment-purchasing it,maintenance,depreciation-and last insurance liability.With rising insurance costs-probably cheaper in that aspect to have someone else-a contractor do the laundry.so the contractor has the equipment and staff to run it.In looking at pictures of the equipment and watching some on YouTube-you see lots of hot surfaces,infectous sources,massive moving and rotating devices-this scares insurers.I find them sort of interesting.
The other day picked up some metal halide lights from a machine shop out here-was kinda awed by their equipment-they were right across the street from the Firestone rubber and tire factory in Wilson-the machine shop repaired a lot of their equipment.and fabricated parts for a another neighboring farm equipment repair shop.I was especially fascinated by a Mitsuhibishi laser metal cutter and a waterjet cutter.The waterjet machine was being used to cut shapes for a customer from a sheet of ceramic.the laser cutter was cutting roof panels for harvestor machines.And all of this was computer operated-CNC.Pretty cool.The opertor of the place was explaining the waterjet machine espcially was expanding their busioness-besides metal it can cut other materials by injecting Garnet abrasive into the cutting jet.Their laser machine was used to cut metal.They also had plasma cutters that could cut to 6" thick metal.
The other day picked up some metal halide lights from a machine shop out here-was kinda awed by their equipment-they were right across the street from the Firestone rubber and tire factory in Wilson-the machine shop repaired a lot of their equipment.and fabricated parts for a another neighboring farm equipment repair shop.I was especially fascinated by a Mitsuhibishi laser metal cutter and a waterjet cutter.The waterjet machine was being used to cut shapes for a customer from a sheet of ceramic.the laser cutter was cutting roof panels for harvestor machines.And all of this was computer operated-CNC.Pretty cool.The opertor of the place was explaining the waterjet machine espcially was expanding their busioness-besides metal it can cut other materials by injecting Garnet abrasive into the cutting jet.Their laser machine was used to cut metal.They also had plasma cutters that could cut to 6" thick metal.
gOOD GRIEF!! geez!!!
launderess
Well-known member
Just as with domestic laundry appliances, the commercial market is shrinking as well. There are really only a handful of companies that hold most of the major brands.
In the commercial market it is simply a response to more and more laundry being contracted out, rather than done in house. This means where there may have been several hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, etc in a given area, all with their own onsite laundries, they now all send their laundry out. Economics of scale mean the larger commercial laundry can deliver a better price and sooner or later one is left with only one or two big laundries covering the entire area.
Once the above happens there simply aren't enough new customers, much less exsisting to keep various suppliers in business.
In the commercial market it is simply a response to more and more laundry being contracted out, rather than done in house. This means where there may have been several hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, etc in a given area, all with their own onsite laundries, they now all send their laundry out. Economics of scale mean the larger commercial laundry can deliver a better price and sooner or later one is left with only one or two big laundries covering the entire area.
Once the above happens there simply aren't enough new customers, much less exsisting to keep various suppliers in business.
What a shame, especially since Washex was a Texas company - it's nice to buy locally when you can.
No!!!! This is so sad!!! RIP Washex... They were my favorite brand for the largest of washers and dryers! I will never forget the automated system they had up and running at Clean '05! Here's a picture of me when I was 15 at Clean '05 next to my favorite machine at the whole show (which was running btw):
Launderess, very true ,,, but
The imports killed them too. Over 12 on the large commerical makers now are imported machines. It is hurting all the us companys Milnor just as well. Not that long ago there were 18 Makers of Large commerical washers now there are only 5 major us makers left. I am told to look for Braun to be next. another long time company.
As hospitals look for ways to cut contract laundry becomes more and more likeable for them. Also in this area a LARGE number of hotels are closing their laundries and sending all the work out.. some are doing their towels and sending flatwork out.. but only a few have full a full laundry now.
The imports killed them too. Over 12 on the large commerical makers now are imported machines. It is hurting all the us companys Milnor just as well. Not that long ago there were 18 Makers of Large commerical washers now there are only 5 major us makers left. I am told to look for Braun to be next. another long time company.
As hospitals look for ways to cut contract laundry becomes more and more likeable for them. Also in this area a LARGE number of hotels are closing their laundries and sending all the work out.. some are doing their towels and sending flatwork out.. but only a few have full a full laundry now.
launderess
Well-known member
Full Laundries
By hospitals and other commercial establisments are often just not worth their time and money anymore. Everyone is deciding they are just in the "healthcare" or "hospitality" business and cutting or contracting out services that aren't directly related to their core business model.
Also with local and federal laws and or mandates regarding environmental waste and such, who wants to spend hours dealing with or money on special drains and such to deal with waste water considered "contaminated".
There was a time when hospitals laundered not only their own linens and such, but nurse's uniforms, doctor's jackets and every thing else. At first that was cut back, then the service was contracted out all together.
Was always kind of fun as a young hospital worker being sent "out" and "down" to the laundry to fetch clean linen when a floor ran out. Such laundries were most always located in another building away from the main hospital, with huge smoke stacks.
Despite what many think, running a commercial laundry, either as contract work or within a hospital or hotel is not child's play. As with everything else a good washerman or woman is going to cost money, which is why many places just as soon send the work out. Long as the quality is there managers have none of the downsides of running a laundry, and are assured a steady supply of clean linen.
All the major hotels and health clubs in NYC send their linen out. You should see the huge hand trucks of linen coming out of service areas, loaded onto trucks.
L.
By hospitals and other commercial establisments are often just not worth their time and money anymore. Everyone is deciding they are just in the "healthcare" or "hospitality" business and cutting or contracting out services that aren't directly related to their core business model.
Also with local and federal laws and or mandates regarding environmental waste and such, who wants to spend hours dealing with or money on special drains and such to deal with waste water considered "contaminated".
There was a time when hospitals laundered not only their own linens and such, but nurse's uniforms, doctor's jackets and every thing else. At first that was cut back, then the service was contracted out all together.
Was always kind of fun as a young hospital worker being sent "out" and "down" to the laundry to fetch clean linen when a floor ran out. Such laundries were most always located in another building away from the main hospital, with huge smoke stacks.
Despite what many think, running a commercial laundry, either as contract work or within a hospital or hotel is not child's play. As with everything else a good washerman or woman is going to cost money, which is why many places just as soon send the work out. Long as the quality is there managers have none of the downsides of running a laundry, and are assured a steady supply of clean linen.
All the major hotels and health clubs in NYC send their linen out. You should see the huge hand trucks of linen coming out of service areas, loaded onto trucks.
L.
Well put Launderess
When I started some 40+ years ago the laundry DID do all of the hospitals work. Presses for uniforms and starchwork were as commom as dryers. then slowly it slipped away. I remember quite well teaching pressers how to press a Quality starch nursing uniform, It was not done in a hurry either. Or you could bet they would come back. They cared about how they looked, Now they dont seem to care at all. I know of only one DON that still wears a white dress uniform and she still wears her cap too. And is much more respected than any others on the staff. Sadly she is retireing next year.
When I started some 40+ years ago the laundry DID do all of the hospitals work. Presses for uniforms and starchwork were as commom as dryers. then slowly it slipped away. I remember quite well teaching pressers how to press a Quality starch nursing uniform, It was not done in a hurry either. Or you could bet they would come back. They cared about how they looked, Now they dont seem to care at all. I know of only one DON that still wears a white dress uniform and she still wears her cap too. And is much more respected than any others on the staff. Sadly she is retireing next year.
launderess
Well-known member
Honey
You cannot get young or even "middle-aged" RNs into whites, much less starched whites. If any DON or CofS even suggested caps they would have as all out war on their hands.
Some hospitals are going back to whites, or white scrubs, but it's the god awful poly or cotton/poly blends. Story is the same, aside form perhaps L&d, OR and a few units, hospitals aren't interested in paying for and or laundering staff uniforms or scrubs.
Besides, there are few if any good nursing apparel makers in the USA anymore. Many of those that made "starched whites" and even good quality poly/cotton are long out of business. Some victums of the movement of American textile work to Asia,others when nursing fell into decline and or nurses started to wear scrubs. Some survived one blow, but couldn't make all three.
Some nurses and their unions have tried to get hospitals to either launder uniforms when mandated, and or give a decent uniform allowance, but by and large hospitals have firmly rejected to former,and are very stingy with the later.
You cannot get young or even "middle-aged" RNs into whites, much less starched whites. If any DON or CofS even suggested caps they would have as all out war on their hands.
Some hospitals are going back to whites, or white scrubs, but it's the god awful poly or cotton/poly blends. Story is the same, aside form perhaps L&d, OR and a few units, hospitals aren't interested in paying for and or laundering staff uniforms or scrubs.
Besides, there are few if any good nursing apparel makers in the USA anymore. Many of those that made "starched whites" and even good quality poly/cotton are long out of business. Some victums of the movement of American textile work to Asia,others when nursing fell into decline and or nurses started to wear scrubs. Some survived one blow, but couldn't make all three.
Some nurses and their unions have tried to get hospitals to either launder uniforms when mandated, and or give a decent uniform allowance, but by and large hospitals have firmly rejected to former,and are very stingy with the later.
There was a time when babies in the nursery did not wear disposables. There was a time when nursing and other hospital staff wore 100% cotton uniforms that required starching & pressing instead of no iron blends. There was a time when dirty laundry was loaded into the machine and unloaded from the machine in the same floor space in the laundry; no dirty room and tunnel washers pooping out clean laundry on the other side of the wall, a time when washers did not extract and dripping wet loads were dumped out of the machine into an extractor basket split into halves with wheels on the bottom. The two halves were rolled together and locked, then attached to a hoist and tentatively raised to see if it was balanced. If not, some shifting was done and then it was raised high and moved to the gaping hole of the extractor where the round blanket was forced under the lip and against the basket sides before the lid was locked. The steam coil-heated tumblers were powerful but always seemed to radiate heat, even when not in operation.
In the summer that laundry was hot with big fans pulling 90 degree air in from the outside and exhausting even hotter air. It was probably as bad as the kitchen, but more fun and a much easier place to pick up an infection if you handled the dirty laundry.
In the 50s and early 60s, it was such a disappointment to check into a motel and look for the laundry, only to be told that they sent it out. I was probably the only kid the staff encountered that would stand at the door to the laundry and watch the whole operation. I got to know what had to be added when the program buzzed on the Milnor and that a switch had to be flipped to resume operation and turn off the light on the panel. At home, my brother and I would practice folding sheets in the way we saw the women on the output side of the ironer fold them. Usually before we were through, the part where they stepped close to each other to bring the ends together degenerated into our crashing into each other with body slams and much laughter. Too much whipping and flipping the sheets around brought a stern warning that linens were expensive and not toys.
In the summer that laundry was hot with big fans pulling 90 degree air in from the outside and exhausting even hotter air. It was probably as bad as the kitchen, but more fun and a much easier place to pick up an infection if you handled the dirty laundry.
In the 50s and early 60s, it was such a disappointment to check into a motel and look for the laundry, only to be told that they sent it out. I was probably the only kid the staff encountered that would stand at the door to the laundry and watch the whole operation. I got to know what had to be added when the program buzzed on the Milnor and that a switch had to be flipped to resume operation and turn off the light on the panel. At home, my brother and I would practice folding sheets in the way we saw the women on the output side of the ironer fold them. Usually before we were through, the part where they stepped close to each other to bring the ends together degenerated into our crashing into each other with body slams and much laughter. Too much whipping and flipping the sheets around brought a stern warning that linens were expensive and not toys.
gyrafoam
Well-known member
Hey Jamie, Hey Suds,
Jamie what load size is that monster you are standing next to? That thing must have to be bolted to a six-inch thick concrete pad!
And Suds, that Wash-Ex---what a monster. It must have some kind air suspension such as an automobile must have. Wow, what huge machines!
Jamie what load size is that monster you are standing next to? That thing must have to be bolted to a six-inch thick concrete pad!
And Suds, that Wash-Ex---what a monster. It must have some kind air suspension such as an automobile must have. Wow, what huge machines!
Steve
To answer for Jamie , I think that was one of the 750or 800 b models they had. It was also a soft mount machine and really did not require much botling at all. As most of the washex machines. The one in the first pic. is a 750 lb from my old plant @st joseph hospital. Cannot remember if it was 600 or 800 rpm extract. but as large as tub was g force was great enough we went direct to flatwork ironer out of the washer. Most Milnor machines can be run that way too. With the execption of the smaller lo extract machine. the Floataire machines had large rubber mounts on all 4 sides that filled with air when the machine started into extract and lifted the machine about 2"off the floor so there was NO vibration whatever. The entire machine would shake in midair. but no vibrations were ever transmitted to the floor.. VERY simular to the hydracushion machines milnor has.
To answer for Jamie , I think that was one of the 750or 800 b models they had. It was also a soft mount machine and really did not require much botling at all. As most of the washex machines. The one in the first pic. is a 750 lb from my old plant @st joseph hospital. Cannot remember if it was 600 or 800 rpm extract. but as large as tub was g force was great enough we went direct to flatwork ironer out of the washer. Most Milnor machines can be run that way too. With the execption of the smaller lo extract machine. the Floataire machines had large rubber mounts on all 4 sides that filled with air when the machine started into extract and lifted the machine about 2"off the floor so there was NO vibration whatever. The entire machine would shake in midair. but no vibrations were ever transmitted to the floor.. VERY simular to the hydracushion machines milnor has.
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