Owning a uniform inventory will always come at a cost. There are many mistakes to avoid with uniform care that can raise costs if their maintenance is done improperly. Among other things, poor uniform care can lower the overall quality of your uniforms. Then there’s the matter of longevity. Badly maintained uniforms are more susceptible to damages that lower their overall lifespan. And for certain uniforms, a bad maintenance job can endanger your workers!
The Most Common Mistakes in Uniform Care
If you’re looking to get the most out of your uniforms, these are the mistakes to avoid with uniform care:
Leaving Dirty Uniforms in the Laundry Hamper Too Long
One of the worst mistakes in uniform care is thinking that uniforms can wait longer before washing them. Some clothes can go a few uses before they need to be sent to the washer. Work uniforms are not one of them. Throughout the duration of a shift, your work uniforms get exposed to all kinds of things including, at the very least, dust and sweat. For workspaces where spills and soilage are common, like healthcare practices and restaurants, staining and contamination are worse issues. Stains left too long on uniforms can adhere to the fibers permanently and ruin the uniforms. Soiled garments, on the other hand, can contaminate garments and other surfaces.
There’s also the issue of damp garments. Left in the laundry hamper too long, these garments don’t just acquire an impossible stench. They can become breeding grounds for bacteria, yeast, and mold as well.
Not Following Clothing Label Instructions
There are many garments that let you get away with not following the care labels. This is not a gamble you should take with your work uniforms. Poorly maintained or damaged uniforms can affect your business image, employee comfort, or worse, even harm your employees. Industrial safety uniforms are a prime example of this. Poorly-maintained personal protective uniforms can acquire damages that might compromise the wearer’s safety. Enhanced visibility uniforms can fade from bad laundering and endanger staff working amid moving traffic and large equipment. Following clothing labels is not just about ensuring they’re clean. More importantly, it is about preserving the most important qualities of the work uniforms.
Improper Storage
Storage is one of the most important parts of uniform maintenance. It is also, unfortunately, one of the most neglected. Storing uniforms properly between uses ensures protection against permanent wrinkling. In some instances, it can even enhance or ruin the safety and usability of your uniforms. Healthcare uniforms are a prime example of this. Their handling and storage can make or break a facility’s infection control efforts. This escalates the issue from just a matter of poor uniform care to a safety issue.
Professional Uniform Care: Always the Better Option
The biggest problem with uniform care is the process. Proper, efficient, and cost-effective uniform care requires a high level of professional expertise and high-grade equipment. That’s why your uniform inventory is better off with a professional uniform service provider.
And there’s one Texas uniform service expert that can provide you the best care for your most important garments: Triple D Uniform and Linen! We have more than 50 years of industry experience, some of the most highly-skilled and highly-trained service experts, and an unrelenting commitment to the needs of our customers.
Contact Us Today!
Call us at (877) 977-2653 to start your service or to learn more about how we can help you. You may also reach us by filling out this form!
