According to the German Textile Cleaning Association (Bundesverband Textilreinigung, Bonn), energy costs in Germany continue to be one of the main reasons of the very high overall cost level in the textile care industry. Companies have long since responded to this development: They are taking internal and procedural measures to reduce their steam and electricity consumption, which is caused by the washing and especially the drying process. We also see opportunities within our own sphere of influence to help reduce energy consumption in a hotel laundry. We have identified terry towels and bath mats as having particularly high savings potential: The voluminous qualities have a property that is both a curse and a blessing: they can absorb up to 2.5 times their own weight in water. While this high absorbency is ideal for use, it is not ideal for drying laundry, which sometimes comes at the cost of high temperatures and the associated risk of over-drying.
To improve the drying properties, we have initiated a series of tests to explore new material compositions, weight classes and article dimensions. The articles have undergone a lengthy field test with customers and we have determined the energy and gas savings. Initial results are encouraging:
- A small change in the towel width from 50 cm to 47 cm results in a higher load capacity, thus improving the efficiency of a dryer: 6% more linen can be loaded per dryer compartment.
- A material mix of 92% cotton and 8% polyester for a 450 g/m² towel can result in energy savings of around 5% compared to 100% cotton in a gas-fired dryer.
- A drying comparison between bath mats (grammage 670 g/m²) made of pure cotton and those made of 65/35 Co/PES shows a gas saving of 20% in favour of the fibre blend.
- Changing two parameters (fibre blend 85/15% Co/PES; weight reduction from 670 to 600 g/m²) results in a double benefit for bath mats: The dryer load increases by 11% and the gas consumption decreases by 8% per cycle.
Further trials are currently underway with bath mats in which we have further increased the polyester content. Another bath mat is much lighter, but made from pure cotton. We see this as a particular advantage for textile service companies: Due to similar weight classes, towels and bath mats could be dried in one operation without the risk of over-drying. As well as simplifying the process, this would also extend the life of the fabric, keeping it soft and fluffy for longer.