Laundry Water Consumption: How to Measure and Interpret It
A commercial laundry cannot understand its water use from the utility bill alone. To find avoidable consumption and assess investments, the team needs to know how many kilograms were washed, which programmes were used and what type of textiles were processed. Hotel towels and industrial workwear are not comparable workloads. This guide describes a repeatable measurement process rather than promising a universal percentage saving.
Start with litres per kilogram processed
The most informative basic indicator is litres used ÷ kilograms of textiles actually washed. Rated machine capacity is not the same as actual load weight. A washer rated for 20 kg that repeatedly processes 12 kg batches needs to be assessed differently from a washer running close to the load specified for its chosen programme.
Illustrative example, not a KENLE performance claim: a dedicated meter records 2,400 litres during a shift, while production records show 300 kg of laundry. Water consumption is 2,400 ÷ 300 = 8 L/kg. If the next comparable shift reaches 10 L/kg, investigate the change. That increase does not prove a fault: textile mix, soil level, rinsing requirements and the selected programmes may have changed.
| Record | Purpose | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Opening and closing meter readings | Calculate water used | Including unrelated site consumption |
| Actual kilograms per batch | Compare different shifts fairly | Replacing measured weight with machine rating |
| Textile class and programme | Account for legitimate differences | Comparing unlike wash cycles |
| Rewash quantities | Assess process losses | Ignoring the second use of water |
Decide where to measure
A building-wide meter may include staff facilities, floor cleaning and other demands. It is useful for the total bill but less precise for assessing washing performance. Where the plumbing permits, a dedicated meter serving the laundry line or individual machine provides more meaningful data. Any changes to plumbing or measuring equipment should be evaluated and performed by qualified personnel.
When separate metering is not possible, state the limitations openly in your records. Consistent approximate information is more useful than false precision. Select weeks with representative activity and flag unusual days such as commissioning, maintenance, heavily soiled emergency loads or major changes in occupancy.
Investigate variation, not isolated numbers
Rather than asking for a universal target, ask why a comparable batch used more water than it usually does. Group work into meaningful categories such as terry towels, flat linen and uniforms. Review the weekly middle value, the amount of rewashing and changes during busy periods. This prevents legitimate differences in production mix from looking like equipment problems.
An effective investigation checks visible leaks, loading practices, programme selection, extra-rinse requests, water quality and detergent dosing records. Do not change safety-related settings or bypass technical controls in pursuit of lower consumption. Valves, sensors and internal water systems should be checked by authorised service personnel where a technical issue is suspected.
Look at quality alongside consumption
A lower water reading is not a genuine improvement if operators have to wash items again. Track rejected batches, complaints about detergent residues, and visibly unsatisfactory results alongside L/kg. Water hardness and chemical dosing may also affect process consistency; use the equipment and chemical suppliers' instructions when adjusting these elements.
For that reason, selection of industrial washing machines should start with measured workload, required programmes and available utilities, rather than a single consumption figure removed from its test conditions. The downstream process matters too: extraction performance affects the moisture that professional tumble dryers must remove.
A four-week monitoring sheet
Use one record per shift containing date, measured litres, kilograms processed, predominant textile types, number of rewashes and unusual events. At the end of each week, compare L/kg within similar classes and assign a specific next action: leak inspection, sorting review, chemical dosing review or authorised maintenance. Repeat the measurements under similar conditions after making a change.
A credible improvement persists over time without sacrificing wash quality. If you plan to replace or add equipment, bring these records to the supplier. They make discussions about drum capacity, connections, programmes and total laundry workflow far more useful than broad claims about saving water.
To relate water use to the amount actually processed, revisit the method for calculating washing loads.