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Staph and MRSA outbreaks among student-athletes are a major concern for colleges and universities. Staph bacteria, and MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant strain of staph, have migrated from hospital settings, where they are commonplace, into locker rooms and athletic facilities — infecting high school, college and professional athletes. Highly contagious, MRSA, in particular, can be difficult to treat and easily spread from…

As the owner of a dry cleaning business, you want to be as certain as possible that your money and efforts result in a successful, profitable outcome. As you look to develop, improve or purchase a dry cleaning plant, there are multiple critical factors to consider that will ultimately shape your business’ success. Nobody understands those factors — site selection,…

When it comes to taking the leap into automation, investing in one piece of equipment can significantly impact the business through saved labor hours and catapulted productivity. In this column, I’ll provide some insight into the most impactful pieces of automation equipment measured in terms of productivity, versatility, quality, and return on investment (ROI). Remember, if you’re considering automation, look…

As a vended laundry owner, it’s important to have more than just one large washer-extractor with 80- to 130-pound capacity on your business floor. You need have an offering beyond what the typical home or apartment washer can provide. Large-capacity washers help you to stand apart from the competition, are more profitable than smaller washers, and attract both traditional and…

A highly programmable wet cleaning machine is essential to properly cleaning a variety of items and fabrics. If you’ve got one on the floor, you can safely wet clean everything from delicate silk blouses and wool suits to casual wear, shirt laundry and household items — even pillows, stuffed animals and luggage. But not all wet cleaning machines are created…

Machine flexibility is critical to how your laundry functions now and into the future. Laundry owners with flexible equipment are at an advantage. They have the ability to alter machine locations, programming and vending. Some even have the adaptability to add critical features to meet CDC laundering guidelines and/or provide disinfection. So what do you look for when it comes…

At Girbau Industrial, we sell both soft- and hard-mount washer-extractors because they fill different needs within the market. But, if you ask me which is better in terms of laundry production and energy savings, I’ll tell you — every single time — that commercial/industrial grade soft-mount washers are far superior. Are soft-mount washers really that great? Yes! Here’s why: You…

Seeking new ways to bolster revenue, fabricare professionals are entering the textile restoration market in droves. In doing so, they work with homeowners and insurance companies to clean and restore household soft goods (clothing, window coverings, bedding, towels, etc.) following a flood or fire. The goal? To restore items to pre-incident condition at a fraction of the cost of replacement,…

Across the country, dry cleaning operations are facing pressure from landlords to become environmentally friendly. Oftentimes, this is because of misleading information based on the dry cleaning practices and machinery from 20 years ago. The truth of the matter is that today’s alternative solvents and machinery leave little impact on the environment and public health. Wet cleaning using water, or…

Having spent 30 years as a teacher and coach at both the high school and collegiate levels, Steve Leib understands the challenges facing athletic facilities. As a college football coach he has witnessed the struggles of processing athletic laundry and cleaning helmets and pads. As sales manager for Sports Laundry Systems, Leib shares his knowledge of equipment and athletic laundry/gear…