Washer-Extractor Sizing Guide for Laundries

Short answer

Size an on-premise laundry from pounds of linen per day: divide it by the hours the laundry runs and by the cycles one machine completes per hour. Use two or more machines instead of one so work continues during maintenance, and plan more dryer capacity than washer capacity.

Estimate pounds of linen per day

Multiply the number of beds, rooms or covers by a realistic pounds-per-unit figure for your facility, then by occupancy. Hotels, hospitals and senior living communities use very different figures, so base the estimate on your own linen policy where possible.

Turn daily pounds into machine capacity

Divide daily pounds by the hours the laundry runs and by the number of wash cycles one machine completes per hour. The result is the capacity you need in pounds per load. Machines are rarely loaded to 100 percent in practice, so leave some margin.

One large machine or several smaller ones

Several machines let staff separate loads by type and keep working when one machine is being serviced. One large machine uses floor space efficiently but stops the whole laundry when it is down. Most facilities choose at least two washers.

Soft-mount or hard-mount

Soft-mount washer-extractors absorb vibration with internal suspension and can stand on a normal floor, including upper floors. Hard-mount machines must be bolted to a suitable foundation and usually reach lower extraction speeds. Soft-mount is the usual choice for replacements in existing buildings.

Extraction speed and drying time

Higher G-force extraction leaves less water in the linen. That shortens dryer cycles, saves energy and can change how many dryers you need. Compare G-force when comparing washer-extractor models.

Plan the dryers and finishing together

Drying takes longer than washing, so dryer capacity is usually larger than washer capacity. For sheets and table linen, a flatwork ironer can dry and press damp linen in one step and reduce dryer load.

Equipment covered in this guide

Washer-Extractor Sizing Guide for On-Premise Laundries