Typical commercial laundries at restaurants, hotels, laundromats, commercial washers, and hospitals use a lot of water and energy to wash laundry. It's not unusual for operators to use as many as twelve cycles to wash laundry. The cost to maintain the water temperature (typically 140 °F to 160 °F) alone is causing facilities to look at new technologies to help them save money.
Water Energy laundry systems use ozone to clean the laundry without hot water. Washing with ozonated water reduces operating costs, such as utilities and chemicals, increases productivity through shortened cycle times, and extends the life of washed fabrics.
3,000 Times More Powerful than Chlorine
Ozone, which is 3,000 times more powerful as an oxidizer than chlorine, reacts with all types of organic stains. This eliminates the need for chlorine and reduces the amount of alkali and other chemicals normally required for a wash, without changing the existing washing equipment or basic operation of the laundry. Ozonated water also cleans materials that are normally “dry clean only” without utilizing harmful solvents, such as perchiorethylene or hydrocarbon-based cleaners.
Save Money by Lowering Energy Consumption
Saving money on energy consumption is the most dramatic benefit because washing with ozone requires no hot water. Traditional wash methods require hot water to activate chemicals, but ozone activates without hot water, in fact it actually works best in cold water. With a Water Energy system, the boilers can be turned off — significantly reducing natural gas costs.
Increase Productivity by Reducing Wash Times
Do you need to expand washing capacity at your facility? Consider increasing your wash productivity with your existing equipment by adding an ozone wash system instead of investing in additional washing machine equipment. Wash times using ozonated water are up to 40% faster because operators can skip wash and rinse cycles which use chemical treatments. Using ozonated water, the typical wash load can be completed in as little as six total cycles — equivalent to 20 - 40 minutes.
Save Money by Reducing Water Consumption
Ozone laundry systems reduce water consumption by reducing the number of cycles in the wash. Each fill cycle requires the same amount of water. By eliminating up to half of the cycles, we also eliminate half of the water being used.
Reduce Dependence on Hazardous Chemicals
Ozonated water allows you to eliminate almost all chemicals in the wash, except for detergent, an alkali and a fragrance, if desired. Because an ozone wash leaves the clothes softer than normal, a regular fabric softener is not required. And you won't need as much detergent either, compared to traditional washing methods. Further savings are realized through the elimination of dry cleaning. Ozonated water cleans materials that are normally “dry clean only” without utilizing harmful solvents, such as perchiorethylene or hydrocarbon-based cleaners.
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Lincoln General Hospital
When this Louisiana hospital began using ozone to clean its laundry, housekeeping staff mistakenly thought the linens had been replaced because they looked brand new again.
