Insights From Miele Into Modern Washer Technology 

The laundry room is a major hub of housekeeping operations, and highly efficient washers and dryers can save labor time and costs, while supporting sustainability initiatives. Founded in Germany in 1899, Miele, Inc. is one of the world’s most venerable manufacturers of commercial laundry equipment, with 125 years of experience in the European market and about 41 years in the U.S. market through Princeton, New Jersey-based Miele USA. In addition to that formidable history, the company remains on the leading edge of laundry equipment technology, regularly conducting R&D into features and solutions that can make housekeeping teams more effective in this indispensable area of operations.

In the following discussion with LODGING, Paulo Rocha, Miele’s head of sales | HCS Business Unit | NAM Region, explains the recent evolution of these machines and provides tips for hotel operators looking to procure the best equipment for their needs.

LODGING: How have washer programs become more sophisticated?

Paulo Rocha: The programs that the machine comes with are very important. In the U.S. market, the manufacturers or distribution companies usually just sell the machines, and the chemical companies are the ones that build the programs according to the textiles the machine needs to wash. We at Miele know the textiles—whether it’s polyester, silk, wool, etc.—and so our machines already come with the program packages. And because our machines are freely programmable, we can actually tweak the programs to provide an even better service. We have a touchscreen solution where you can find the factory program that would fit what you need to wash, or we can tailor the programs: They will have the names that the customer wants them to have, keyed to the type of item to be washed, for example.

LM: Can the touchscreens accommodate multilingual staff?

PR: All the Miele machines have a button to select your language, and we have more than 30 languages available. We offer staff training in multiple languages as well.

LM: What features would be of interest to hotels with limited laundry room space?

PR: With the smaller models, we have stacked options. So, instead of having a wash and a dryer side by side, you can stack them. And for every three or four washers, you just need two dryers because when our washers do the final extraction, the textiles come out almost dry. So, your drying times are 15-20 minutes tops versus 30, 40, or 50 minutes, for example.

LM: What kind of technology allows Miele washers to output nearly dry fabrics at the end of their cycles?

PR: Our patented honeycomb drum, which is built in a way that minimizes the wear and tear on garments or textiles. With a regular drum, every time that it goes to an extraction, it’ll break the fibers on the microscopic level and ultimately reduce the lifespan of that textile by a half or more. With our high-extraction drum, the textile will last three to five times longer compared to other drums. And since it’s not tearing the textiles on the microscopic level, there is 90 percent less lint when it goes to the dryer.

LM: Can a hotel operator determine how many washers they’ll need based on the number of rooms in the property?

PR: We have an Excel sheet calculator for that. But it all depends on how much the hotel is actually washing in-house. Most hotels use a third-party company for most of the washing and only do some items in-house, like the towels. A 150-200 room hotel using that procedure would probably only need two washers and two dryers that handle about 55 pounds per load of laundry.

LM: How do your machines support sustainability goals?

PR: We are conscious about saving energy and water, so all our washers, when you compare with other brands, use 25 percent to 30 percent less water and less energy.

LM: What guidelines would you suggest for hotel operators looking to partner with a laundry equipment vendor?

PR: In my opinion, what matters for the hospitality business is not the machine’s cost, but rather how much it can produce and how much money it can save. The more it saves during operation, the more that initial cost will be diluted. Labor is very expensive and not too easy to find, so hoteliers need to have their staff do more in less time, but with quality results. The second consideration would be, how reliable are the vendor’s machines? Do they break down constantly or are they prepared, like our machines, to work 30,000 hours, which means 15-20 years of operation? And the third consideration would be, what is the support that you can get? We have our own technicians that can support our distribution partners that are spread across the country. We train those partners to be as good as our own technicians.

Remote monitoring and maintenance is a trending feature among different types of hotel equipment, including washers. Vendor staff use the system to check the machine’s performance in real time and identify any problems before they escalate, as opposed to a technician inspecting the machine in person and explaining any necessary repairs to the hotel operator.

Miele, Inc. recently introduced a wireless maintenance system for its commercial machines in Europe that will also be available in the United States soon. Called Miele MOVE, the platform connects to washers via WiFi, enabling representatives to text the customer about any maintenance needs they detect, as well as service dates to address those issues. Paulo Rocha, head of sales | HCS Business Unit | NAM Region, Miele, Inc., explained that this technology can ensure the machine’s uninterrupted operation. “Normally, they only call the service people when the machine is down. This tool helps us advise the customer if there will eventually be damage to the machine if preventative maintenance is not performed within a certain timeframe,” he said.

Of course, a remote maintenance system and technician visits are no replacement for staff training on proper machine care. “User training to me is very important,” said Rocha. “The washer should not be something that just shows up in the space and staff must figure out how to use and maintain it by themselves. So, we train users on basic practices such as cleaning the filters daily, checking the drainage system for clogs, etc. Also important is keeping records on the maintenance of each machine, which makes it easier for service people when they arrive.”