The rise of connected laundry systems

Connected laundry systems have the potential to become a cornerstone of both new-build and retrofit healthcare estates. Offering smarter, more resilient operations, these systems reduce downtime, ensure compliance with stringent hygiene standards and facilitate a much-needed shift towards predictive maintenance. Mick Christian, Training and Development manager at Electrolux Professional, explores why, as healthcare estates evolve, smart laundry is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. 

Consider the challenges that healthcare estates have faced in recent years — the list is never-ending. From the tightening hygiene standards brought about by COVID-19, to changing patient demands, and the energy crisis, the need for operational resilience has never been greater.

The quality of healthcare estates has a direct impact on the health, safety, and wellbeing of both staff and patients. As many still require urgent modernisation, decision makers across the nation are constantly looking for new ways to make crucial gains in terms of efficiency and adaptability.

One area undergoing a quiet revolution is the on-premises laundry (OPL). With both patients and staff alike requiring a steady stream of clean linen every day, the OPL is a crucial cog in a healthcare site’s facilities management strategy. Yet many laundries remain reliant on ageing machines, manual oversight and reactive maintenance. These setups are vulnerable to breakdowns, inefficiencies and non-compliance, all of which risk damaging the quality of an estate.

Today’s healthcare estates can no longer afford to treat laundry as a background function. A faltering linen supply can create a ripple effect across wards, operating theatres and care units. For instance, beds can’t be turned over in sufficient time, staff uniforms may be unavailable, and infection protocols could be compromised. As a result, a growing number are beginning to reimagine their laundry process by embracing digitally enabled, connected systems that consider far more than washing and drying linen.

Automated efficiency

Connected systems integrate staples of the laundry room, such as washers and dryers, with smart technologies to help operators stay informed with real-time notifications about equipment status and performance. These systems use cloud-based platforms to collect, store and analyse data from connected machines.

Central to these systems is an army of embedded sensors and controllers. These monitor variables, including load weight, temperature, machine vibrations and moisture levels, tracking trends and patterns to spot inefficiencies and predict failures well in advance. Each sensor feeds data into the machine’s onboard controller, which interprets the information and adjusts operations accordingly. This data is then transmitted to a cloud-based platform, where it is analysed alongside inputs from other appliances within an OPL.

Connected systems often include automatic detergent dosing units, which use sensor data to dispense precise amounts of chemicals based on load type and contamination level.

This results in a responsive system that extends far beyond traditional setups. Rather than depending on manual checks or reactive servicing, laundry managers can remotely access information such as machine status, cycle progress and even hygiene compliance. On that note, the shift from reactive to predictive maintenance in healthcare laundries is becoming increasingly prominent.

The predictive shift

Laundry maintenance in healthcare estates has traditionally followed a reactive model, where machines are only serviced when something goes wrong. While this may seem cost-effective in the short term, insufficient investment in proactive upgrades has led to record levels of backlog maintenance across the NHS — now estimated to be over £10 bn. Alongside skyrocketing long-term repair costs, reactive maintenance often leads to unplanned downtime and consequently a disrupted linen supply, placing additional strain on already stretched teams.

Above all, reactive maintenance lacks visibility. Without access to real-time data, operators are left unaware of underlying issues until they escalate. This can result in rushed repairs, expensive emergency callouts and increased wear on equipment due to inconsistent servicing. As machines in healthcare applications continuously handle high volumes of linen, this model is becoming increasingly unsustainable.

Circling back to the challenges mentioned right at the beginning, the need to shift towards predictive maintenance is being driven by several pressures. For example, rising operational costs, from energy and water to labour and chemicals, are forcing estates to make crucial gains wherever possible. The COVID-19 pandemic also reinforced the importance of robust infection control, making reliable laundry operations non-negotiable when it comes to patient safety. With more estates undergoing modernisation, digitalisation will likely be at the heart of these strategies. Here, predictive maintenance driven by connected laundry systems will be crucial.

As part of the Government’s 10 year infrastructure strategy, launched earlier this year, integrated care boards (ICBs) have been encouraged to make the case for long-term investment in the NHS estate. This will help to address necessary backlog maintenance, support the recovery of its core services and, perhaps most importantly, produce flexible solutions to meet the future needs of patients and staff, while ensuring the most efficient and productive use of its resources.

This presents decision makers with an ideal opportunity to switch to predictive maintenance by adopting connected laundry systems. For NHS workers, this would promise a more stable and supportive working environment, where clean linen is consistently available, equipment failures are minimised, and time-consuming manual checks are replaced with automated insights. In short, this means fewer disruptions to daily routines, improved infection control and a greater ability to focus on patient care rather than logistical challenges.

Energy prices may no longer sit at the unprecedented highs seen over recent years, but it’s understandable why some decision makers may be tempted to settle for more affordable laundry equipment to limit short-term expenditure. Yet, with healthcare estates in urgent need of maintenance and modernisation, arguably the more pragmatic approach is to explore connected laundry solutions that can also reduce water and energy bills and provide protection against any future uncertainty around utility costs.

After all, it’s important to remember that the initial investment in a professional washer or dryer represents just 10 per cent of its total lifetime cost, with the remaining 90% going towards chemicals, energy and water consumption costs.

Digital assistance

It won’t be long before all washers and dryers are equipped with their own digital assistant that helps operators stay informed with real-time status updates. This will enable the shift towards predictive maintenance by continuously monitoring machine performance, identifying early signs of wear and tear before they cause a machine to break down.

Connected systems will also be able to log key hygiene information, such as cycle temperature, duration and thermal disinfection status, creating a digital audit trail that can be accessed at any time. This will help to comply with various healthcare regulations, such as HTM 01-04, which offers guidance for those who process linen used in health and adult social care settings.

Efficiency can be further enhanced through real-time alerts, notifying staff immediately in the event of a cycle interruption or hygiene validation failing, allowing for swift corrective action. This will reduce the risk of non-compliance and, above all, makes certain that linen supply remains uninterrupted. A variety of energy-saving measures can also be implemented, owing to detailed data on usage. For instance, operators could be indicated whether a machine is switched on or idle, helping to avoid unnecessarily high energy bills. This, in turn, will contribute to both environmental goals and deliver tangible cost savings over time.

Partnership in practice

Connected laundry systems and predictive maintenance are both essential tools for improving resilience, and their full potential can be realised when paired with reliable third-party support. For healthcare estates, having a trusted service partner can make the difference between a smooth operation and costly disruption.

St Andrew’s Healthcare is a good example of how strategic partnerships can enhance stability. With five OPLs serving three hospitals and two community sites, the mental health charity cares for around 650 service users, each relying on a continuous flow of clean linen. To support this demand, it partnered with Electrolux Professional through a bespoke Essentia service contract.

The contract covers a wide range of equipment, including legacy machines and appliances from different manufacturers. This flexibility means that older systems remain in peak condition, extending their lifespan and reducing the risk of unexpected breakdowns. Regular maintenance visits also help to prevent downtime and keep machines running efficiently. It can also provide replacement parts.

A new era for healthcare estates

The rise of connected laundry systems marks a pivotal moment for healthcare estates. Laundry is now recognised as a mission-critical component of operational resilience, hygiene compliance and patient care. Yet, this is just one aspect of predictive maintenance, which offers a clear path towards embracing data-driven insights capable of reducing downtime and providing a consistent supply of clean linen. This not only supports frontline staff but also safeguards the wellbeing of patients across estates.