LEARNING

PLAN 3:
LAUNDRY LINEN AND
GUEST CLOTHES
LEARNING PLAN 3:

TYPES OF LINENS
USED IN HOTEL
HOUSEKEEPING
INTRODUCTION
One of the most important functions of a
successful hospitality operation is the provision
of an excellent laundry service. Clean, well-
maintained linen is a vital component for hotels
and restaurants of all sizes and standards. The
laundry provider must understand the pressures
of a Hotel operator. If there is no linen to service
guest rooms and restaurants, then the hotel will
ultimately lose business and revenue due to poor
service delivered to the guest simply because
rooms will not be ready on arrival.
INTRODUCTION
This unit will cover a broad range of
succeeding topics about laundering
hotel linens and guest clothes. The
first topic discusses the types of linen
used in housekeeping, and the second
topic deals with the principles of
laundering. All of these topics aims to
give the adequate basic knowledge
and skills in laundering.
 TYPES OF LINENS USED IN
01 HOUSEKEEPING

02 PRINCIPLES OF
LAUNDERING

TYPES AND USAGE OF

03 WASHING MACHINES AND
DRYERS
 identify and explain the types of
01 linens used in housekeeping;

identify the types of washing

02 machines and dryers;
enumerate practical tips to
03 maintain a clean and
organized laundry area; and

04 discuss the importance of

principles of laundering of a
housekeeping attendant.
Hotel industries
have the option to have a
laundry premise or to use an
off-site laundry. The size,
location, and the approval
rating influence the choice
on which laundry facility
may be used. If the laundry
opted to have an on-premise,
it is their responsibility to
process all hotel linens for
their use.
In some industries, the hotel
may also have dry cleaning
facility which will enable
them to process all items
needing to be dry-cleaned
including guests’ clothing
and hotel soft furnishings.
Larger hotels usually have
their own laundry station,
because it is more effective
and easier for the hotel to
control the quality.
Scope and Operation:
Laundry services are responsible for providing a
clean, safe, adequate an timely supply of linen to
guest and operation.
Linen room is one of the areas maintained in the
housekeeping department. It is where linens are
fold and kept. The linen supervisor, tailors,
upholsterers and attendants are in charge of
this area.
Linens compose a large percentage of hotel
inventory and in fact by nature expensive, high
risk and maintenance since it needs to be
replaced daily or even more frequently in some
type of hotel operation.
 Linens are part of housekeeping
responsibilities in hotels such as the
following:
1. HEMP
Linens can be made of hemp, a plant fiber
obtained from the stem of the hemp plant.
The best hemp linens are made in Italy.

Hemp is a durable choice for kitchen linens

and is used most often as a sturdy backing
for tablemats and coasters.
 Linens are part of housekeeping
responsibilities in hotels such as the
following:
2. COTTON

Cotton is a kind of fabric that is highly

versatile and absorbent. The cotton is most
commonly used to make industrial cloth,
garments, home furnishings and kitchen
and table linens.
 Linens are part of housekeeping
responsibilities in hotels such as the
following:
3. LINEN

Linen is created from vegetable fibers of

the flax plant and is noted for its
incredible comfort and natural luster. It is
commonly used to make decorative and
functional pieces.
Linen is a strong and lint free, making it a
versatile fabric for home and business use
 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF LINENS

BED LINEN BATHROOM TABLE OTHERS

LINEN LINEN
Bed sheets Face towels Napkins Cushion
Pillowcases Hand towels Table cloths covers
Blankets Bath towels Slip cloths Curtain/drap
Bedspreads Bath mats Table skirting es
Mattress protector Bathrobe Underlays Blinds
Duvet covers Shower curtains Chair slips
 ACTIVITY 1
Make a simple portfolio showing the
different types of linens found in
your home. Describe and give the
function of each item.
PRINCIPLES OF LAUNDERING

Laundering is the
process of washing
linens or clothing to
remove the soils and
bad odor that stick to
the cloth fabric.
PRINCIPLES OF LAUNDERING
There are numerous ways in which
soiled and clean linens are moved within
a hotel property. All departments that use
linens must be familiar with the
collection, transportation, arrival,
sorting and delivery systems that exist
so that the laundry department can wash
all soiled linens in a timely manner and
return it back for use to the relevant
departments, so that there will never be
any shortage of linens.
 Collecting
Dirty
Laundry
Delivering Sorting
Clothes in Dirty
Rooms Laundry

Folding Laundry Pre-

treating
Stacking
Cycle Stains

Repairing if
Required Washing
and Ironing
Drying
 LINEN IS USUALLY SORTED AS
FOLLOWS:
1. Dry soiled linen is easier and quicker to sort than damp
linen, as linen that has been washed may become twisted in
the wash.
2. All linens must be sorted by their fiber type. Sorting by fiber
type helps to expedite production by washing all same items
together.
3. Linens must also be sorted by the degree of soiling. As such,
they will need to be washed separately with a stronger wash
formula.
4. Colored linens are sorted separately from white linens.
5. It is necessary to open out linen to ensure there is no waste
within it that way get in the washing machine.
6. Linen used in hotels is often referred to as “flatwork: as
most of it is finished on a flatwork ironer.
Once items have been received, checked for
quantity, and marked each per guest, they are then
sorted into categories for processing. It is important
that all care labels on all garments must be read
and understood.

Categories for items to be sorted:

-washing
-dry cleaning
-pressing only

Washing (items for washing are then sorted

into:)
- whites
-colors
-dark colors
 ACTIVITY 2
Tour or visit online at least 3 hotel websites. Get
firsthand knowledge by reading, watching and
observing how to maintain a clean and
organized linen area in the hotel and give its
importance. Write down your answers by
completing the table below.

Name and Location of the Hotel Importance of clean and organize

linen area

1. 1.
2.
3.

2. 1.
2.
3.

3. 1.
2.
3.
TYPES AND USAGE OF WASHING
MACHINES AND DRYERS
There are many different styles of washing
machines within a commercial laundry environment.
Most laundries have a mix of the different styles of
machines. It is always important to follow the
manufacturer's instructions in both the use and
maintenance of these machines.

Failure to observe all instructions may negate the

warranty. If washing machines and dryers are
continually taken out of service due to breakdowns
or misuse, this will place unnecessary strain on the
laundry staff and cause disruption to the services
offered to the customers.
The types of machines and equipment used in
housekeeping vary on the size of the laundry
premises of the industry. The following are the
types and their usage:
1. WASHING MACHINE

Washer extractors (washing

machines) vary in capacity from
5 kg to 200 kg approximately.
The job is to wash the linen and
extract most of the residual
water content through the last
cycle.
2. CONTINUOS BATCH WASHERS

Used in a large volume of

washing like in a five-star
hotel. The machine looks
like a tunnel and is
controlled via computer
program.
3. TUMBLE DRYER
Used to dry towels that can
wash up to 5 kg to 80 kg.
Tumbler dryers are used mainly
to dry toweling.
Tumbler dryers may be gas
fired, steam-heated or
electrically powered. They need
to be vented to the outside for
the release of steam and gas
vapors if gas heated.
4. FLATWORK FEEDERS

Used to assist in feeding

sheets and table linen on to
the flatwork ironer. They are
comprised of a series of clips
which automatically feed
sheets on to the ironer
5. FLATWORK IRONER

This is a machine that irons

and dries sheeting and table
linen in one pass.
6. FLATWORK FOLDER
This is attached to the flatwork
ironer and is pre-programmed
to mechanically fold sheets
and table linen. The folding
mechanism can be switched
off when ironing small items
like napkins.
7. ROLLER IRONS

These are found in small

laundries for ironing small
items like napkins and pillow
cases.
8. TOWEL FOLDING MACHINES
These are machines where
dry clean towels are fed
manually on to the towel folder
and automatically folded. They
may be single lane or multi-
lane. The towel folding
machines can be pre-
programmed for producing
different folds
9. PRESSES
Hot head presses are used
mainly to press clothes but
can also be used to press
small items like napkins and
pillow cases.
3. TUMBLE DRYER
Used to dry towels that can
wash up to 5 kg to 80 kg.
Tumbler dryers are used mainly
to dry toweling.
Tumbler dryers may be gas
fired, steam-heated or
electrically powered. They need
to be vented to the outside for
the release of steam and gas
vapors if gas heated.
 ACTIVITY 3
Compare and contrast the following laundry
methods.
Method Advantages Disadvantages

Fully-automatic washer 1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

Hand-washing 1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.
My “I’s”
Mywill
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give a synthesis of the activities by completing the I-statements:
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You “I’s”
give a synthesis of the activities by completing the I-statements:
You will give a synthesis of the activities by completing the I-statements:
 PERSONALITY

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Despite being red, Mars Jupiter is a gas giant Saturn, the ringed
is actually a cold place and the biggest planet planet, is composed of
full of iron oxide dust in the Solar System hydrogen and helium