Is Ozone Right for Your Laundromat?
There has been realized improvement in available delivery systems for injecting ozone into washing machines and it seems to be gathering support from those who are building large new Laundromats. This post will attempt to shed some insight into the benefits, downsides and costs of this addition to Laundromat feature benefits.
First, it is not a new system. It has been around for decades but used primarily in On Premise facilities, industrial laundry rooms and true commercial locations. The reason for its use has not been primarily for any sanitizing benefits but for the utility savings on not having to heat the water to achieve the same cleaning benefits of hot water. This information has been provided to me over the years by experienced users of this technology.
Historically the ozone generators were physically located right next to the washing machines and loss of ozone effectiveness due to remote location were avoided. The newest delivery system uses small tubing to deliver the ozone directly to the cold water entering each individual washing machine. Past systems, and some still being sold, generate the ozone at or near the water heaters and inject it into the cold-water line and is carried to the washer by the main copper pipes delivering water to the washer.
In this type of system there was reported potential damage to the copper piping, rubber hoses and gaskets as potential unwanted side effects. The direct delivery by small piping directly to the washer may solve this problem.
Second, there are reasons that make many industry developers and Laundromat owners question the need or usefulness of ozone in a self-serve business. Active ozone has a short life span and quickly returns to its natural state. It is destroyed by heat so it has no benefit in the washing process of a hot water cycle selection by the customer. Cold water washing is required and in fact is why it is installed in industrial and commercial facilities that benefit from the cleaning properties but is used only in cold water washing. In a vended Laundromat, customers don’t know this fact to always select cold water washes to receive the benefit.
Historically, useful life has been shorter compared to washers and dryers, with no available significant historical data available to confirm this issue from the new Laundromat installations.
The smell is also found to be unusual and offensive to some Laundromat customers. If you’re going to install an ozone system it would be wise to try it out yourself and see if the odor seems extreme to you. Ozone may provide improvement in cleaning, but others will claim it only matches the impact of reasonable levels of hot water temperatures. Will the smell drive some customers away is something to factor into your decision and are the benefits observable and considered worthwhile by the average customer. Here are the benefits described by AIRTHEREAL on their Amazon site for a $250.00 single washer ozone generator:
- Superior Cleaning: The AH20K ozone laundry system represents the next generation in laundry technology, utilizing the power of ozone water to deep clean your clothes. Ozone removes tough stains, dirt, and odors to ensure cleaner and fresher clothes with every wash.
- Disinfection, Sterilization, and Deodorization: Reduce your reliance on laundry detergent and chemicals with ozone's disinfecting, sterilizing, and deodorizing capabilities. Eliminate odors caused by mold and mildew while enjoying softer, odor-free clothes that maintain their quality and appearance over time.
- Versatile Use: Adjust the ozone concentration from no ozone, low (0.5mg/L), or high (1.0mg/L) to choose the perfect ozone level for your laundry.
- Built-in Desiccant: Experience efficient drying thanks to the built-in desiccant that removes moisture from the air flowing into the product for better performance.
If you have a fluff & fold (WDF) you might want to try one or two of these small ozone units on a few of your washers used by your staff. No big investment and a chance to see if they are a popular option to your WDF customers and staff.
Third, the cost of full installation of an ozone system in your Laundromat can be quite costly, running from $30,000 to $60,000 depending on the number of washers in your Laundromat.
The issue to seriously consider is the marketing of this feature worth the cost? Will you increase the number of customers and will your customers even understand the benefits you’re offering with this system? I tried a complete ozone system and heavily marketed the benefits in a primarily Hispanic neighborhood in a major U.S. market. Despite the signage and flashing lights and advertising program, it was not adopted by many customers. They preferred the hot water wash. For me, it was not worth the cost and the failure rate was too high to continue to promote and even operate it.
Hope this post helps those considering ozone to make a more educated decision on this matter. If you have recent date that can be reviewed, please include it so Laundromat owners can determine the value to them of this potential addition to their business. Best of luck in your search for the right answer for you.** **
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