Commercial Laundry for Small Businesses: A Complete Guide
Running a small business means you have a hundred things competing for your attention every day. Laundry probably sits near the bottom of that list. But for many businesses, laundry is a significant operational task that eats up hours every week and costs more than you might think when you factor in equipment, water, power and staff time.
At Fresh Folds, we work with cafes, salons, gyms, accommodation providers and medical practices across South East Queensland. This guide covers everything you need to know about commercial laundry services, from figuring out if it makes sense for your business to choosing a provider and getting started.
Which Businesses Benefit from Commercial Laundry?
The short answer is any business that generates dirty linen, towels, uniforms or cloth items on a regular basis. But some industries benefit more than others, simply because of the volume and the hygiene standards involved.
Cafes, Restaurants and Food Service
Food businesses go through an enormous amount of laundry. Think tablecloths, napkins, tea towels, chef jackets, aprons and cleaning cloths. Queensland food safety regulations require that anything used in a food preparation area is cleaned and sanitised to a high standard. This means your kitchen towels cannot just get a quick rinse in the sink. They need a proper hot wash with commercial-grade detergent, and they need to be dried and stored hygienically. Most small cafes do not have the equipment to meet these standards efficiently in-house.
Hair and Beauty Salons
Salons use towels constantly. A busy salon can go through 30 to 50 towels per day, and they all need to be washed, dried, folded and ready for the next morning. The towels also tend to be stained with hair dye, bleach and product residue, which requires stronger cleaning than a domestic machine provides. Many salon owners tell us they used to spend two to three hours at the end of each day doing laundry, time that could be spent on clients or simply going home.
Gyms and Fitness Studios
Gyms that provide towels face a constant wash cycle. Sweat-soaked towels need prompt washing to prevent bacteria growth and odour. Commercial laundry services handle the volume comfortably and ensure towels come back sanitised and fresh.
Airbnbs and Short-Term Accommodation
If you manage Airbnb properties, turnaround day is intense. Guests check out at 10am and the next lot arrives at 3pm. In between, every sheet and towel needs washing. Most hosts find it far easier to use a commercial laundry that can process everything and return it same-day or next morning.
Medical and Allied Health Practices
Medical practices, physio clinics and dental offices all use gowns, towels and sheets that require hygienic processing at specific temperatures. Australian infection control guidelines govern how healthcare linen should be handled, and a commercial laundry familiar with these standards takes the compliance burden off your plate.
In-House Laundry vs Outsourcing: The Real Cost Comparison
Many small business owners assume it is cheaper to do laundry in-house. And on the surface, it can look that way. You already have a washing machine, right? But the true cost of in-house laundry goes well beyond the price of detergent.
The Hidden Costs of Doing It Yourself
- Equipment: A domestic machine is not built for commercial volumes. Running it multiple times daily wears it out fast. A proper commercial machine costs $2,000 to $8,000 upfront, plus maintenance.
- Utilities: Water and electricity add up. A busy salon or cafe can easily spend $50 to $80 per week on water and power for laundry alone.
- Staff time: This is the big one. If you pay a staff member $28 to $35 per hour and they spend an hour or two each day on laundry, that is $200 to $350 per week in wages on a task that adds nothing to your revenue.
- Consumables and space: Detergent, fabric softener, stain remover and machine maintenance are ongoing costs, and the laundry area takes up floor space that could generate revenue.
What Outsourcing Actually Costs
Commercial laundry pricing varies based on volume, item types and frequency of service. As a rough guide for small businesses in Queensland:
- Small operations (a single Airbnb or a small salon) typically spend $50 to $120 per week.
- Medium operations (a busy cafe or a gym with 100+ members) usually fall in the $120 to $250 per week range.
- Larger operations (multi-property accommodation or a medical practice with high linen turnover) can range from $250 to $500 per week.
When you compare those numbers against the combined cost of equipment depreciation, utilities, consumables and staff time, outsourcing often comes out cheaper or roughly equal. And you get the added benefit of consistent quality, proper hygiene standards and zero machine breakdowns to deal with.
What to Look for in a Commercial Laundry Provider
Not all laundry services are created equal, and choosing the wrong provider can cause more headaches than doing it yourself. Here is what matters most when evaluating your options.
Reliability and Consistency
Your business depends on clean linen, towels or uniforms being available when you need them. A provider that misses pickups or returns items that are not properly clean will disrupt your operations. Ask for references from other businesses in your industry and find out how long their existing clients have been with them.
Hygiene Standards and Turnaround
Ask about wash temperatures, detergents, and how contaminated items are handled separately from general laundry. A good provider will explain their hygiene processes clearly. If they seem vague, that is a red flag. Also confirm they can meet your turnaround requirements. Most businesses need laundry back within 24 to 48 hours, and Airbnb operators often need same-day service.
Pick Up, Delivery and Transparent Pricing
A provider that offers pick up and delivery saves you even more time. You should not have to load dirty linen into your car and drive it somewhere. On the pricing side, watch out for complicated pricing structures or fees that change month to month. The best services offer clear per-kilogram pricing or a flat weekly rate. You should know exactly what you will pay without surprises.
Volume and Scheduling Considerations
Before you engage a provider, take a week or two to track your actual laundry volume. Count the towels, sheets and uniforms you go through each day. This data helps both you and your provider set up a realistic schedule and pricing.
Most small businesses find that twice-weekly pickup works well. You accumulate enough laundry to make collection worthwhile without running out of clean stock. Businesses with higher volume might benefit from daily service. The key is matching the schedule to your actual usage.
It is also worth discussing buffer stock. Having a surplus of towels or sheets means you can handle a busy day without running short. Providers that offer bedding and linen services can often recommend where to purchase additional stock to build a comfortable buffer.
Hygiene Requirements by Industry
Different industries have different expectations and sometimes legal requirements around laundry hygiene. Understanding what applies to your business helps you choose the right provider and ensures you stay compliant.
Food service businesses must comply with Queensland food safety standards. Any cloth used in a food preparation area needs to be cleaned and sanitised properly. Tea towels and cleaning cloths should be washed at 60 degrees Celsius or above, and items contaminated with food waste need to be separated from general laundry.
Healthcare and allied health settings have the strictest requirements. Australian infection control guidelines recommend washing healthcare linen at 65 degrees Celsius for a minimum of ten minutes. Contaminated linen must be bagged separately and handled with appropriate precautions. A commercial laundry familiar with these standards takes the compliance burden off your plate entirely.
Hospitality and accommodation laundry does not face the same strict regulations, but guest expectations are high. Stained sheets or musty towels result in bad reviews that directly hurt your bookings. A commercial laundry with hospitality experience delivers the bright, fresh finish that guests expect.
Fitness and wellness facilities need to guard against bacteria, fungi and viruses that thrive on sweaty towels. Skin infections like staph and ringworm spread easily in gym environments. Commercial laundry services use temperatures and sanitising agents that eliminate these pathogens, keeping your members safe.
Cost Expectations for Commercial Laundry in Queensland
Pricing in Queensland tends to be more competitive than in Sydney or Melbourne due to lower operating costs. That said, prices vary and the cheapest option is not always the best value. Here are general benchmarks:
- Per kilogram pricing: Most providers charge between $4 and $8 per kilogram for standard commercial wash and fold. Heavier items like towels and sheets fall at the lower end because of their weight-to-item ratio.
- Per item pricing: Some providers offer per-item rates, particularly for uniforms and specialty items. Expect $3 to $6 per uniform shirt and $2 to $4 per towel.
- Flat weekly rates: For businesses with consistent, predictable volumes, many providers offer a flat weekly rate that simplifies budgeting. These typically range from $80 to $300 per week for small to medium operations.
- Pick up and delivery: Most commercial laundry providers in South East Queensland include pick up and delivery in their pricing. If a provider is charging extra for collection, ask why and compare it against inclusive options.
We always recommend getting quotes from two or three providers so you can compare not just price, but quality and communication. The provider who takes the time to visit your business and propose a tailored solution is usually worth more than the one who simply emails a price sheet.
How to Get Started with a Commercial Laundry Service
Transitioning from in-house laundry to an outsourced service is simpler than most business owners expect. Here is a practical step-by-step process.
Step 1: Audit Your Current Laundry
Spend one to two weeks tracking what you wash, how much, and how often. Note the types of items (towels, sheets, uniforms, cloths), the approximate weight of each load, and how many hours per week your team spends on laundry. This data gives you a baseline to compare outsourcing costs against.
Step 2: Identify Your Requirements
Think about what matters most to your business. Is it turnaround speed? Hygiene certification? Flexible scheduling? Cost? Having your priorities clear helps you evaluate providers against the criteria that actually matter to you, rather than just going with whoever is cheapest.
Step 3: Get Quotes and Ask Questions
Reach out to two or three providers in your area. Share your volume data and requirements. A good provider will want to know about your business, not just your laundry. Businesses in the Springfield Lakes and Springfield areas often find that local providers offer better flexibility and faster turnaround than larger operations based further away. Proximity matters when you need same-day or next-day service.
Step 4: Start with a Trial and Review
Most commercial laundry services are happy to offer a trial period of two to four weeks. Use this time to evaluate the quality, reliability of pickups and deliveries, and how well the provider communicates. Pay attention to how they handle problems, because every service makes a mistake eventually and what matters is how quickly they resolve it. After the trial, review the results. Most businesses find that after a month of outsourcing, they cannot imagine going back to doing it themselves.
Why Fresh Folds for Your Business Laundry
Our commercial laundry service is built for small businesses across Logan, Ipswich and Brisbane South. No missed pickups, no half-clean towels, no surprises on the invoice. We handle everything from cafe aprons and salon towels to gym linen and Airbnb bedding, and our commercial equipment meets hygiene standards across all industries.
If you are spending too many hours each week on laundry that could be handled by someone else, it is time to make the switch. Tell us about your business, your volume and your schedule, and we will put together a straightforward quote with no hidden fees. Request a quote today and find out how much time and money you could save by letting Fresh Folds handle the laundry while you focus on running your business.
