Does This Sound Legit?

[launderess]

Stopped into our local "French" hand laundry to pick up an order, and was greeted by a new message both on the counter and receipts. Apparently effective in the new year, this laundry will be adding a surcharge to every laundry order where "excess detergent residue" is a problem.

Simply had to find out what was behind this, so asked the owner what was the meaning of this. He replied that too many people use too much detergent/soap on their laundry, and fail to remove it all by proper rinsing. Since his laundry uses softened water all that detergent residue causes his washers (commercial Miele units)to over foam. When this happens the machines go into damage mode using a series of rinses and or aborting the cycle to get rid of the foam. Owner said with utility and labour costs going up he was no longer going absorb the extra water and labour costs in dealing with the problem.

Made the suggestion, instead of potentially turning away customers, why not just stop using softened water (ok, I'm an idiot, aren't I?), this got me a very cold look and informed that his laundering process has gained his laundry a devoted following, and that the surcharge would stay. If I was unhappy if and when the surcharge ever appeared on one of my orders, simply stop using too much detergent/rinse laundry better, or simply find another hand laundry.

Now I know excess foam is supposed to be bad for washing machines, but don't commercial washers have systems for dealing with the problem? In fairness will say this laundry does give excellent results, especially with whites and vintage linens, all without chlorine bleach, but really do think the man will tick off many more people than the charge is worth.

Thoughts?

L.

 

[brettsomers]

i agree. arent there commercially prepared anti-suds additives he could use?

 

[whirlcool]

And how could he tell who's laundry was the offender? They put a bunch of people's laundry in one load, don't they?

 

[launderess]

No, this is a very upscale but old world hand laundry, where they still wash shirts and other items by hand. They tout that each order is individually processed, in that one's laundry is not laundered with another's. So guess if only one person's order is in the machine, it is easy to see who is the offender.

L.

 

[oxydolfan1]

Oh, horsehockey.

The laundry my sister managed did the same thing with the individualized setup, and even they never would have tried to turn this trick (and this was in Canarsie, Brooklyn, which may be the birthplace of extortion itself, lol...)

Ma'am, might I respectfully suggest you mention to this Baron of Brightness that you've found another man, and he's got the real-deal "Ancient Chinese Secret" churning away behind HIS curtain?

Save Us, O Blessed Mother and Patron Saint Of Psychotics, from these characters...what's next? Locusts?

Grrrr......

 

[oxydolfan1]

One more thing, come to think.....

Since this is a "floating charge" that you can't estimate prior to immersion in water anyway, this may very well be completely not kosher by Consumer Affairs.

I'll ask someone tomorrow.

 

[maytagbear]

It would be utterly interesting

to see how uniformly this guy enforces this new rule.

Sounds like an extortion plot to me. If the guy bringing in 6 Brooks Brothers dress shirts would be charged the same as the guy bringing in 6 department store dress shirts.....or if Mr. Noseaire would charge the man with the cheaper shirts more.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[tomturbomatic]

All the man would have to do is add a bit of fabric softener to kill the suds. Is this foam in a pre-wash agitated soak or does the machine start with the wash? The few times I have had an "HE-Compatable" detergent get a little too fruitful with suds, adding a measure of powder Tide HE knocked the suds back to respectable levels.

And, might this notice be better aimed at first time customers since the garments of returning customers would not have the problem?

 

[zipdang]

I'd like to see the proprietor try and charge a customer for excessive sudsing, and then have the customer inform him that the garments have previously only been laundered in the propritor's facility. Busted!

 

[toggleswitch]

I am assuimng there are commerically available suds /foam suppressors on the marktet. These are a component of DW detergent (hint hint).... if the load is all white.

Silicone based (an oil) anti-foamer is an additive avaialable for use in carpet cleaning machines that I have seen used on laundry as well.

 

[sudsman]

Launderess

If he knows his biz as he should this would NOT be any problem for him at all... There are 2 easy ways to deal with it. the first is just the fab sof routine. the other is for him to use a warm flush for 2 min before he starts his regular formula. He should be doing this any way as he will get much better work .. As for the charges thats a crock of it! that type of thing he should have considered in his regular pricing. That is what he is in business for, And the take it or leave it additude, well I for one would tell him just thought about it and go where the really want my business.

 

[mayken4now]

At Mom's for the week, spending Thanksgiving holiday. Last night, I mentioned some sour smelling towels/rags. (Now might I add, she is an immaculate house keeper.Period. Always has been and is a young 65.)

She said, I know, I don't know what else to do, I have tried everything. I took a look at the situation and through discovery, too much detergent and not enough rinse. Ok, Maytag Atlantis, but the machine is not the cause. She has a water softner 25 grains of hardness is the setting and quite frankly, way too much detergent was placed in the machine over and over and over. Hence stinky dish rags and hand towels in the bathroom. I resolved it for her.

Now, as far as the laundry guy charging for this, I say to him, you will piss folks off, but go for it, cause they will never change or care for the matter of your business.

Steve

 

[angus]

I think I know the laundry you refer to and I must say they launder and finish like nothing I have seen before. But their prices are stratospheric to begin with, so I have a hard time understanding how they can add even more to their charges.

Besides, if one is a regular customer and I suspect that is the case for a lot of their business, then why would there be be a problem in the first place?

As to the issue of using softened water, the reason they do this is because I believe they use soap and not detergent. So if you are using soap, then supersoft water is the ticket.

Do I agree with the attitude? NO - but that is one of those New York attitude things - adds to the allure of exclusivity for some of the city. Oh, well......

 

[petek]

Call me stupid but what the heck is a French Hand Laundry if the stuff is being washed in a German automatic washer? I don't get out much and never to a laundry/dry cleaners LOL

 

[launderess]

Found out a few things:

Called around to a few other laundries and spoke to a friend who owns one in another part of the country, and guess what? It is very common to add a surcharge for excess detergent residue removal, but most laundries do not label it as such, and or just add the fee somehow into the bill, much like hotels and such.

From what I was able to find out, the problem seems to be customers and or their housekeepers that launder items at home, and send them out say only once a month or so. Having seen many area housekeepers/cleaners at local laundromats pouring huge amounts of detergent into washers, to the point where the final rinses are as over foamed as the washes, one can only imagine how much soap/detergent is left after several launderings.FWIU many commercial laundries/laundromats/service washes are not much better when it comes to loading machines/product dosage.

Given what sewer/water charges are in this area, guess there has to be a point where if customers demand the same results, something as to give. You cannot have a "whiter than white" wash with tons of detergent residue mucking up your textiles. In addition excess foaming probably is not good for the washers, no?

Oh yes, the fee was not being charged to moi (I am a clean rinsing kind of gal), but only applied when any particular customer's wash was presented with so much detergent residue it caused problems. Guess it also depends upon what one's standards are as well. I simply cannot abide any rinse that is not "clean", as that means there is detergent residue in my wash. Fabric softener will cut ths

Angus, what laundry do you think this is? No names, please as don't want to start any trouble (or get sued, LOL). While their prices are "high", no more than other hand laundries in the area, and across the country from what I can see. There are laundries out there charging $17.00 for one sheet! Think people who choose these sorts of laundries have the funds to pay and long as they receive value for their money, don't really mind.

Don't know about any where else, but one common complaint one hears be it at Bridge, or a dinner party, is how difficult it tis to find a good laundry. Well that and good help in general. Decent cleaners be they a daily or live in hard hard to come by as well. Guess all this falls under the category of jobs Americans "don't like to do".

As for the softened water, don't think it is because of soap, but rather for the same reason many of use add a dash of STPP to our wash loads. Phosphates are banned from NYS commercial laundry products, and soft water does mean less detergent/soap used and better rinsing.

Sudsman:

Do not think this laundry does the "flushing" thing, but then again what do I know? *LOL* Seems all their equipment is either Miele, Shutless (sp?), or Veit.

Oh well, when dropping off post Thanksgiving linens, will hopefully catch the owner in a better state of mind. Then might be able to sit him down for a little chat on better ways of yield management! *LOL*

 

[brettsomers]

slightly off topic

i work at a large convention hotel. a guest had this THREE HUNDRED DOLLAR order of dry cleaning. a duvet cover and pillow cases, the whole bed outfit! i thought it was a mistake and that the hotels bed linens had accidentally been sent out. well the guy had sent out an entire super deluxe bed outfit and charged it, to his company no doubt. over three hundred dollars and the laundry we use does a lousy job!