Hotel Laundry and Linen SOP Template

1.Purpose

To keep the property supplied with clean, undamaged linen and towels at all times by following a consistent collection, wash and distribution process.

2.Scope

Applies to on-site laundry staff processing guest room and food and beverage linen. Guest self-service laundry requests are covered separately within this SOP's guest laundry steps.

Definitions

Par level

The set quantity of clean linen that should always be in stock per room or outlet to cover normal turnover.

Soiled linen

Used linen collected from guest rooms or outlets before it has been washed.

Rewash

A load sent through the wash cycle again because it did not come out clean, stained or fully rinsed the first time.

3.Responsibilities

Laundry Attendant

Sorts, washes, dries and folds linen, and flags damaged or stained items that cannot be reused.

Laundry Manager

Sets wash schedules and par levels, orders replacement linen, and resolves quality issues.

Room Attendant

Collects soiled linen from rooms and requests guest laundry service when asked.

RACI matrix

R = Responsible, A = Accountable, C = Consulted, I = Informed

4.Materials and PPE

Materials, tools and systems

• →Commercial washer and dryer
• →Laundry detergent, bleach and fabric softener
• →Color-coded soiled linen bags or carts
• →Folding table and linen shelving
• →Guest laundry bags and order forms
• →Par level tracking sheet

Personal protective equipment

• →Disposable gloves for handling soiled linen
• →Apron

5.Procedure

1. 5.1

   Collect soiled linen

   Room Attendant

   Collect soiled linen bags from guest rooms and outlets on the scheduled pickup, keeping bathroom and bedroom linen separated by the color coding used on the cart.

2. 5.2

   Sort linen by type and soil level

   Laundry Attendant

   Sort incoming linen by fabric type, color and soil level, separating heavily stained items for pre-treatment before washing.

   Warning: Check pockets and folds for sharps or guest belongings before loading linen into the washer.

3. 5.3

   Pre-treat stains

   Laundry Attendant

   Apply the appropriate stain treatment to heavily soiled items and let it sit per the product's instructions before washing.

4. 5.4

   Load and wash

   Laundry Attendant

   Load the washer to its rated capacity, not overfilled, and select the wash cycle and detergent amount for the linen type and soil level.

   Checkpoint: Washer loads are not overfilled beyond the machine's rated capacity.

5. 5.5

   Inspect linen before drying

   Laundry Attendant

   Check washed linen for remaining stains before drying, and set aside anything still stained for a rewash rather than drying it in.

   Checkpoint: No visibly stained item goes into the dryer without a rewash first.

6. 5.6

   Dry to the correct setting

   Laundry Attendant

   Dry linen on the heat setting and cycle time appropriate for the fabric, and avoid overdrying, which weakens fibers and shortens linen life.

7. 5.7

   Fold and stack to standard

   Laundry Attendant

   Fold linen to the property's standard fold and stack it neatly by type on the shelving, keeping older stock in front for first-in, first-out use.

8. 5.8

   Inspect for damage and retire worn linen

   Laundry Attendant

   Check folded linen for tears, thinning fabric or permanent stains, and remove anything that no longer meets the property's standard from circulation.

9. 5.9

   Restock floor par levels

   Laundry Attendant

   Deliver clean linen to floor closets or the housekeeping cart area to bring each par level back to the target set for that floor.

10. 5.10

    Process guest laundry requests

    Laundry Attendant

    Log guest laundry orders with the room number and items requested, wash and dry them separately from house linen, and return them by the promised time.

11. 5.11

    Track par levels and reorder

    Laundry Manager

    Compare linen counts to the par level tracking sheet weekly, and order replacement stock for any category running consistently short.

6.Quality checks

• →No stained or damaged linen reaches a guest room after processing.
• →Par levels on each floor are at or above target during weekly counts.
• →Guest laundry orders are returned by the promised time.
• →Washer loads follow the rated capacity and correct cycle for the fabric type.

7.Records

• →Par level tracking sheet
• →Guest laundry order log
• →Damaged linen retirement log
• →Replacement linen orders

8.KPIs

• →Linen rewash rate
• →Par level compliance by floor
• →Guest laundry on-time return rate
• →Linen replacement cost per month

9.Common mistakes

• →Drying a stained item instead of sending it for a rewash.
• →Overloading the washer, which leaves linen only partly clean.
• →Mixing new and old stock instead of rotating first-in, first-out.
• →Not checking pockets or folds for guest belongings before washing.

10.Revision history