February 2025

Kathryn Glover
HVAC expert

What are microbiological safety cabinets?

Microbiological safety cabinets are purpose-built ventilated enclosures that help to maintain safety in labs where researchers are working with biological agents, micro-organisms, cell cultures, human and animal tissues, and other fluids.

MSCs protect operators and lab environments by containing potentially hazardous fumes, aerosols, diseases and gasses released during work with biological substances. They also help to protect the integrity of product samples, reducing the risk of issues like cross-contamination.

As a critical part of many lab or clean room setups, the proper use of an MSC is essential for maintaining compliance with occupational health and safety regulations.

What are the different classes of safety cabinets?

Manufacturers produce MSCs in three classes, which protect against different risk levels depending on the samples being worked on. Here’s a quick overview:

Class I microbiological safety cabinets are the most basic on the market and are suitable for lower-risk work. They offer protection to the operative and the environment surrounding them but won’t necessarily protect samples from contamination

Class II microbiological safety cabinets are the most commonly used units in labs and other settings, and offer much better protection for the sample, the operator and their environment.

Class III microbiological safety cabinets offer greatly enhanced protection up to Biosafety Level 4 containment, making them suitable for the most hazardous work. These cabinets are completely enclosed, which means fumes and other potentially harmful substances can’t leak out. To ensure safe sample handling, gloves are part of Class III cabinet designs, which is why you’ll often hear them called ‘glove boxes’.

Where do you find microbiological safety cabinets?

Microbiological safety cabinets are relied on by operators working across many different settings, public and private, including universities, research institutes, pharmaceutical companies and healthcare facilities.

Any organisation dealing with biological agents and microbiological substances will need microbiological safety cabinets to protect its operators, the environment and potentially the product sample as well.

Biological safety cabinet testing

Microbiological safety cabinets should be designed, installed and operated in strict accordance with BSEN12469 and COSHH . After installation, they must be regularly serviced, tested and maintained with oversight from a qualified person, which is why many organisations opt to work with a trusted supplier or contractor.

By law, microbiological safety cabinets should be tested and inspected regularly to make sure they remain safe, effective and compliant. A certificate of testing must be clearly visible on every cabinet in your setting, and reports should also be available for inspection by enforcing authorities.

How JLA can help you

Clients across multiple sectors trust JLA’s expertise in clean room design and sterile equipment, including MSCs. From lab fit outs and cabinet relocation, to servicing and repairs, we offer a full package of solutions from supply to inspection.

Consultation in the design stage
Supply
Installation
Regular servicing and inspections
Maintenance and repair
Compliance testing
Refurbishment
Relocation to a different property

To discuss your requirements, contact our experts today.

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Laundry Expert

Discover the new JLA expert guide for on-premise laundry, which delves in to the ways you can insource laundry operations in your hotel and spa.

This free guide explores the unique challenges of hotel laundry, why you might consider an on-premises solution, and how the newest laundry technologies can help to free up resources, reduce energy use, and save your business money.

Outsourced or in-house – key considerations

Numerous factors are considered and balanced in the guide including:
• Improving cost effectiveness
• Achieving faster turnaround times
• Higher quality control standards
• Reducing your carbon footprint
• Managing smaller volumes
• Responding to seasonal demand

Cost and efficiencies

Learn about how hotel managers can tackle the complexities of laundry management to design and fit out an efficient, sustainable laundry room that balances purpose with efficiency. Cost savings can be offset from logistics, resourcing and fees to outsourced providers.

In-house towel laundries

Rather than bringing all laundry processes back in-house at once, some hotels opt for a staged approach, particularly if space is restricted. By focusing on towels as a first step, hotels can still achieve immediate benefits considering towel laundry contributed up to half of a hotel’s laundry costs.

Types of equipment to consider

It’s crucial that your laundry room is set up for the future. So, beyond room placement and layout, it’s important to consider the right commercial machines to invest in.

The guide explores space-saving stackable equipment for smaller hotels, industrial washing machines and tumble dryers for larger hotels, ironing equipment for linen and the benefits of ozone technology.

Free download

On-premises laundry guide for hotels

If you’re thinking of setting up an on-premise laundry room, read our overview of all the things you need to consider.

Outsourced or in-house
Key considerations for your hotel
Why invest in an on-premises laundry?
Return on investment
In-house towel laundries
Types of laundry equipment

George Barclay
Laundry Expert

In this hotel commercial laundry buying guide, we’ll outline all the things you need to consider when purchasing equipment for a hotel laundry room. As well as looking at the best commercial washing machines for hotels, we’ll also look at the best commercial dryers for hotels and discuss whether you should consider stackable and coin-operated options. Finally, we’ll look at exactly how you can ensure disinfection in every cycle.

But, before we do all that, let’s start our hotel commercial laundry buying guide by looking at the advantages of having an on-premises laundry room in a hotel.

Advantages of an on-premises laundry room in a hotel

Before you invest in laundry equipment for your hotel, you first need to understand what benefits you’ll experience from having an on-premises laundry room. Well, generally speaking, doing your laundry in-house means:

You’ll need less stock than if you contracted your laundry externally
You’ll gain the ability to handle the personal clothing of guests in-house. This can also become an additional source of revenue
You’ll have direct control over your costs and the quality of laundry
You can minimise linen damage through the management of wash chemicals and detergents
You can control the process from start to finish. This means you can quickly react to any changes in requirements or demand shifts

In short, keeping your hotel’s laundry services in-house means you can take full control over what, how and when you wash. By keeping control of your laundry rather than outsourcing it, you’ll never have to worry about letting people down.

Key features you need to look for in washers and dryers for hotels

To run a professional laundry service in your hotel, you must have the right commercial laundry equipment in place. This means that your washers and dryers must be built for business use and must be suitable for the unique demands of hotel laundry.

The best commercial washing machines for hotels will perform cycle after cycle without compromising on quality (many of our washers and dryers are built to last for more than 37,000 wash cycles). This is invaluable if your hotel washes bedding and towels on a daily basis.

Commercial washing machines for hotels are larger in capacity than domestic machines and they allow you to do bigger loads, less often. This means that not only will you spend less time on laundry, but you’ll also spend less money on your energy bills.

Specialist commercial washers and dryers that are built for use in hotels contain sensors that help them calculate linen weight, water and detergent use. This ensures that you get the best possible results without wasting any resources. Thanks to their smart technology, many of these machines can save you up to 32% on your utility bills.

Although purchasing specialist washers and commercial dryers for hotels may seem expensive, machines like ours are available with all-inclusive supply and service packages. Our packages even include emergency breakdown cover, so you’ll never be without towels or sheets.

Of course, the laundry equipment that’s best for your hotel will depend on your unique requirements. That said, if you have a small hotel with 10-50 bedrooms, then we’d suggest a combination like a JLA SMART washer, a SMART dryer and a 1.5m rotary ironer.

If you’re operating a much larger hotel with 100+ bedrooms, we’d instead suggest multiple machines or larger sized models for your laundry room.

Are stackable solutions best?

In any commercial setting, space in a laundry room often comes at a premium. However, this is especially true in hotels, where laundry rooms are often located in confined spaces.

If this is true at your hotel, then it’s worth considering whether stackable washers and dryers might be the best solution for you. These compact commercial washing machines and dryers for hotels can save you space in your laundry room and solve the problems associated with limited square footage. Plus, stackable tumble dryers and washing machines also help to reduce wash-dry times. This is helpful in large hotels where linen is washed at high volumes.

Available in washer/dryer and dryer/dryer combinations, these stackable machines are just as efficient and cost-effective as singular machines, but provide two pieces of equipment in the space of one. That means you can cope with extra throughput without having to change your existing layout or simply make more space for staff to work in.

With a number of capacity combinations available, you can choose a specially designed stacked washer and dryer system to fit your needs and your business layout.

Of course, the stackable washing machines and tumble dryers that are best for your hotel will depend on your specific needs, including the space your hotel has and the amount of washing you need to do. But, from the JLA 98-98 Washer/Dryer Stack to the JLA 16-98 Stack SMART Wash, we’re proud to offer a great range of laundry equipment that’s certain to suit the needs of your business.

Coin-operated or non-coin-operated machines?

If you’re looking to create an additional revenue stream in your hotel, then you could also opt for coin-operated washers and dryers in a customer-facing washing room. These come with easy-to-use coin mechanisms and they allow customers to do their own washing and drying while they stay at your hotel.

These machines allow you to run a standard customer service effectively and they’re particularly popular in extended-stay hotels and B&Bs. They’re similar in size to domestic washing machines and they allow your guests to take care of all their washing needs.

The importance of the OTEX system

In a setting such as a hotel, it’s also vital that you ensure complete disinfection in every cycle.

Thankfully, our OTEX ozone laundry system has been proven to remove all traces of coronavirus. On top of this, it also kills 99.999% of other harmful bacteria, moulds and yeasts – using natural chemical disinfection at low temperatures for deep-cleaned, fresh-smelling and softer linen.

Plus, the OTEX ozone laundry system can also eradicate harmful micro-organisms in every wash. It even prints a validation receipt to prove disinfection has taken place. Thanks to pre-programmed cycles, it’s also impossible for staff to select a programme that will not achieve disinfection.

To make things even better, OTEX works at ambient temperatures. This means that it reduces utility costs and uses less hot water, gas and electricity than traditional thermal laundry systems.

As a hotel manager, OTEX will help you improve housekeeping hygiene. It will also help you get fluffier towels and even better reviews. This is because OTEX also cleans deeper to give optimum wash quality and extended fabric life. Fibres in linens are gently opened during the ozone laundry process, which enables deep cleaning that adds a high wash quality to the core disinfection process.

All of this means that users receive fresher-smelling laundry. Added to this, items such as towels come out up to 20% fluffier than they would in traditional washing machines.

Interested in learning more about OTEX or want to discuss which commercial washing machines for hotels are best for your property? Speak to our laundry experts today.

Free download

On-premises laundry guide for hotels

If you’re thinking of setting up an on-premise laundry room, read our overview of all the things you need to consider.

Outsourced or in-house
Key considerations for your hotel
Why invest in an on-premises laundry?
Return on investment
In-house towel laundries
Types of laundry equipment

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Aaron Butler
Housing expert

Awareness of the hazards associated with mould and damp in housing association properties has grown in recent years, especially after the introduction of Awaab’s Law, which now holds social landlords to much higher standards. But while associations are investing in powerful dehumidifiers and room sanitisers to tackle these problems with speed and care, preventative measures can’t be overlooked.

Here are the benefits of using compact commercial tumble dryers to manage one of the most common causes of damp – wet clothes.

Dryers to manage humidity, moisture and mould

Hanging up wet clothes inside releases a large amount of moisture into the surrounding air, which increases the humidity of a home. And when people use radiators to help dry these clothes faster – particularly the colder months – the process is only accelerated, with moisture evaporating faster and warmer air condensing on colder surfaces, like windows, to form water droplets.

Without proper ventilation or time to dry, this excess moisture will eventually create an environment where mould and mildew thrive, leading to visible patches on ceilings, walls, windows, doors and furniture, and a heightened risk of allergies, respiratory problems and other health issues for residents.

A tumble dryer keeps all that moisture contained, reducing the chances of damp and mould forming in the first place, and better protecting your residents.

This will not only help your association stay compliant with Awaab’s Law, but is likely to lead to an increase in tenant satisfaction scores, which also protect your organisation’s reputation and funding.

What are the other advantages of using a tumble dryer?

Resident satisfaction
Residents will appreciate getting a reliable tumble dryer with minimal effort and are likely to report improved satisfaction with a property, which is becoming an increasing priority for housing associations. The following reasons outline additional benefits of why tumble dryers can increase resident satisfaction.

Convenience
Compared to manually hanging wet clothes throughout a home, which clutters up space and prolongs drying times, compact commercial tumble dryers offer residents a space-saving, easy-to-use laundry solution.

Speed
Even the most compact commercial tumble dryers will dry clothes much faster than traditional air drying, allowing residents to wash and dry something in the same day – a big help for families, and especially those with younger kids. This will feel especially welcome in cold winter months, when it can often take a few days to fully dry an item of clothing.

A higher quality finish
Through rotation and heat, tumble dryers reduce wrinkles in clothes by loosening fibres. This not only cuts down the amount of ironing you’ll need to do, but also stops clothing from coming out of the wash with an unpleasant, uncomfortable ‘crispy’ finish – instead leaving residents’ items feeling soft, fresh and fluffy.

Less bacteria
Clothing left on airers or line-drying outside can absorb bacteria and allergens. On a hot drying cycle, though, a commercial tumble dryer is likely kill any bacteria left on garments after the washing process.

Cost-effectiveness
There can be a reluctance to install tumble dryers as a preventative measure for cost reasons. But the reality is that remedial work to address damp and mould problems can be prove a lot more expensive in the long run, with the costs of professional deep cleaning, dehumidifiers, sanitisers and other equipment adding up.

JLA Mini Pro (7kg and 9kg)

JLA Mini Pro tumble dryers represent a robust, reliable and space-saving solution for housing organisations looking to help prevent damp and mould, and proactively look after residents. Available in both 7kg and 9kg capacities, these compact units are ideal for housing because they easily fit under counters, and won’t take up extra space. And because they’re so intuitive to use, everyone will be able to take advantage.

To explore more proactive solutions for beating mould and staying compliant, contact our team today.

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Hotels launder a large volume of linens daily, rightly prioritising guest experience over energy savings and cost-cutting. However, over time, housekeeping issues coupled with general wear and tear can lead to the degradation of linens, sheets, towels, and other fabrics, risking your otherwise exemplary levels of service while exacerbating problems related to operational overheads.

The question is, can anything be done to extend the life of hotel linens? And, if so, which commercial laundry solutions would we recommend?

Join us as we discuss tried-and-tested ways to maximise the life of your hotel’s linens, potentially saving you time, money and resources in the process.

Typical hotel linens: A longer list than you might expect

There are many more items beyond towels and bedsheets that busy hotels must launder to maintain peak levels of service and cleanliness – presenting a sizeable overhead in terms of procurement, resourcing, and laundering requirements.

Let’s take a closer look at the list of items that a hotelier would typically class as linens:

• Towels
• Bedding, pillowcases and blankets
• Tablecloths
• Staff uniforms, aprons and other attire

How to maintain hotel linens to improve their lifespan

Now that you’re up to speed on the scope of items that fall under the umbrella of hotel linens, it’s easy to see why maintaining all these fabrics and materials to a high standard can prove challenging. There are, however, several things you can do to help maintain hotel linens, ensuring that they remain in a permissible condition for longer.

Here are some key processes and solutions we recommend for caring for linens in a busy hotel.

Purchase good quality commercial linens that stand the test of time

Hotel linens aren’t made equal, so you could save yourself a lot of time, money and effort by investing in high-quality commercial hotel linens from the outset.

Any savings you make purchasing inferior-quality linens will only wind up being diminished by costly maintenance, laundering, and replacement costs – costs you could have avoided by purchasing higher-quality items from the get-go.

All hotel linens will need replacing eventually, but investing in premium products will no doubt save time and money in the longer term.

Reduce instances of lost or stolen items

Often, hotel linens can be lost or misplaced, or sometimes stolen by guests or staff. This puts additional strain on your operational overheads, with the cost of replacing missing items quickly stacking up to a sizeable annual expense.

There are plenty of things you can do to reduce instances of lost or stolen hotel linens, including:

• Ensure housekeeping trolleys are monitored and not left unattended.
• Linen rooms must be locked and access restricted to staff only.
• Impose a procedure wherein all linen is recorded and checked on a daily or weekly basis.
• Guests should not take linen out of the room and should be accounted for when they check out of the hotel.
• Towels in gyms, spas and pool areas should be monitored and controlled when being used by guests.

Train staff to take care better care of hotel linens

Staff training levels can have a big impact on the longevity of hotel linens. When your people know how to care for different fabrics and materials correctly, this can have a significant effect on how long towels, sheets, blankets, and pillowcases ultimately last.

Here are some sensible rules that hoteliers can impose to ensure that staff members approach linen care with the attention it deserves.

• Hotel linen should not be used for the personal use of staff.
• It should be transported around the hotel with care using trolleys or laundry bags by a member of staff.
• Staff should be trained to handle laundry and change bedding with care and attention to detail.
• Laundry shouldn’t be left on the floor even if it is dirty or soiled.

Help guests look after your linens

While it’s difficult to manage guest behaviour in relation to how they treat hotel-owned items, there are some unintrusive ways to encourage good practices and prevent misuse. Including

• Making additional pillows, towels, bathmats or blankets available upon request rather than stocking them in the room.
• Installing notices advising guests where to place towels that require laundering or towels that can be reused.
• Tips and advice provided to customers on how to handle towels and laundry.

Set up an efficient and well-managed laundry room

A lot of the hard work associated with linen care begins and ends in the laundry room. Here, you can enforce practical measures to ensure that linens are properly maintained and cared for, all while ensuring maximum levels of hygiene and cleanliness.

• Invest in high-quality commercial-grade destaining detergents and chemicals to deal with tough stains like oils or lotions.
• Use ozone technology for improved hygiene, infection control and quality levels, including fresher and fluffier towels.
• Create effective linen laundry processes, with clear separation between ‘dirty’ and ‘clean’ zones to prevent contamination and soiling clean garments.
• Ensure that commercial washing machines, tumble dryers and ironers are fully serviced and maintained; this can have a significant impact on the long-term care, quality and appearance of linens.

Accept the realities of day-to-day wear and tear

Often, towels, linen and garments may become excessively worn, bobbled or frayed. While the lifespan of these items can be extended to avoid this as much as possible, it is inevitable that they will eventually require replacement. Hotels should aim for a high percentage of laundry to become worn out as opposed to lost, stolen or damaged.

We hope this guide has offered some actionable insights into efficient linen care in a hotel environment. At JLA, we offer a range of commercial laundry equipment that can help hoteliers tackle their day-to-day laundry requirements. Call us free on 0808 239 2638 to find out more.

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Total Care

What are microbiological safety cabinets?

What are the different classes of safety cabinets?

Where do you find microbiological safety cabinets?

Biological safety cabinet testing

How JLA can help you

Similar blogs you may like

A guide to microbiological safety cabinets

What equipment is used in clean rooms?

Outsourced or in-house – key considerations

Cost and efficiencies

In-house towel laundries

Types of equipment to consider

On-premises laundry guide for hotels

If you’re thinking of setting up an on-premise laundry room, read our overview of all the things you need to consider.

Advantages of an on-premises laundry room in a hotel

Key features you need to look for in washers and dryers for hotels

Are stackable solutions best?

Coin-operated or non-coin-operated machines?

The importance of the OTEX system

On-premises laundry guide for hotels

If you’re thinking of setting up an on-premise laundry room, read our overview of all the things you need to consider.

Similar blogs you may like

The benefits of on-premises laundries in hotels and spas

Hotel commercial laundry buying guide

Dryers to manage humidity, moisture and mould

What are the other advantages of using a tumble dryer?

JLA Mini Pro (7kg and 9kg)

Similar blogs you may like

Why housing associations should use tumble dryers

Laundry equipment for housing associations

Typical hotel linens: A longer list than you might expect

How to maintain hotel linens to improve their lifespan

Purchase good quality commercial linens that stand the test of time

Reduce instances of lost or stolen items

Train staff to take care better care of hotel linens

Help guests look after your linens

Set up an efficient and well-managed laundry room

Accept the realities of day-to-day wear and tear

Similar blogs you may like

Hotel commercial laundry buying guide

Hotel linen guide: How to maximise the life of your linen

About JLA

Solutions

Sectors

Kathryn Glover

HVAC expert

George Barclay

Laundry Expert

Aaron Butler

Housing expert

Talk to our experts today