When the Tide Rolls Out: Finding a Laundry Professional

The Linen & Laundry Chronicles - Part 1

In the Tide Pools knot piece, I was thinking about the quiet worlds that come alive when the ocean pulls back. Hotels have their own tide pools too—hidden spaces where the real life of the place is sustained. This story comes from one of those worlds: the laundry.

This is the first of two stories. This one is about finding a seasoned laundry professional. The next will be about molding someone into that role.

I’ve always loved the many-layered worlds that thrive below the surface in hotels—back-of-house kitchens, laundries, and housekeeping departments. When the tide rolls out, these are the places that keep the hotel flowing. Even in low tide, these are the people who prepare us for high tide.

In Orlando, we ran two commercial laundries, one in each of our hotels in the complex. One supported 750 queen-bedded rooms; the other supported 1,500 king and full-bedded rooms. On top of that, both handled the food-and-beverage linen for 350,000 square feet of meeting space and 17 restaurants and lounges across the complex. Each laundry had different types of equipment, including a very large tunnel washer at the larger hotel.

When the tide rolls out after heavy transient weekends and then rushes back in with a flood of group arrivals, three things become non‑negotiable in the tide pool of the Laundry: sufficient linen pars, functioning equipment, and a steady flow of clean linen. Without those, the whole operation starts to feel like a rip current.

This is hotel 101:

• No clean linen delays the housekeepers.

• No clean rooms create bottlenecks at the front desk and bell stand.

• The lack of ready linen decreases productivity and creates rework. Housekeepers have to visit dirty rooms twice—once to collect the soiled linen and then again to set the clean linen. Guests wait, circle back to the front desk, and ask, “Is my room ready yet?”

No one is happy. Guests are frustrated when it’s past 3:00 p.m. and they’re still waiting. Associates are held past their scheduled shifts to work through the backlog.

In an operation with very few low-tide moments and many high-tide surges, the Laundry manager plays an immensely critical role.

For more than ten years, our Orlando Laundry operations were run by a manager who had been promoted through the ranks. Often, that can be a successful strategy—rewarding accomplishment and tenure. But when that’s your leadership strategy, the education and development of that leader must continue. The work doesn’t stand still, and neither can the person leading it.

Just because the laundry is out of sight doesn’t mean it should be off the radar.

Something wasn’t right in our laundry. We had a sizable budget, but our linen pars were about 1.5 when they should have been three:

• 1 par in the rooms

• 1 par in process (being cleaned)

• 1 par on the housekeeping carts

Some of the equipment was near end of life—and inoperable far too often. Inventory records and processes were questionable. The laundry crews were solid and dependable, but the stress of always working from behind instead of ahead was taking a toll on everyone who relied on, and produced, clean linen.

Something had to change. We needed new leadership—a professional laundry operator. They are not easy to find. But we found one.

This professional laundry leader transformed not only the Laundry department, but every area that depended on clean linen. One hire became foundational to our success.

Here’s what changed:

Year-over-Year Linen Cost Improvements

• Total rooms linen consumption costs: $294,000 in savings

• Consumption costs as a percentage of linen expenses: reduced from 47% to 4%

• Average rooms linen loss per day: reduced from $1,300 to $220

• Labor savings: $70,000 saved, with increased productivity

Wash Formulas Improved

Wash formulas were updated and reformulated to combat common stains, which meant more linens could be retained and reclaimed instead of discarded. We also introduced greener laundry chemicals that allowed for lower wash temperatures while maintaining sanitation and improving cleaning quality.

Equipment Maintenance Strengthened

Our new leader partnered with equipment vendors and engineering to replace worn belting, fine-tune the machinery, and identify and repair boiler issues. These repairs prevented water loss, stabilized chemicals and pH levels, and reduced breakdowns. Together, they monitored the equipment with the highest failure rates and addressed issues before they became crises.

Rooms Linen Pars Increased to Three

By the time I left Orlando, we had established a dedicated storeroom for cases of linen—a first for us. Our budget had enough breathing room to begin replacing feather pillows throughout the resort. We were no longer living in constant low tide.

My experience in Orlando taught me the importance of this one key position. Hiring a laundry professional meant we had an up-to-date, highly qualified leader who could make a huge impact quickly. Sometimes you have to look beyond your own tide pool to find the leader who can bring new life and vitality to your ecosystem.

Why This Matters

It’s easy to celebrate the visible parts of leadership—the big presentations, the guest scores, the glossy lobby. But the real health of an organization often shows up in its hidden systems: the laundry, the night audit, the dish room, the back dock. When those “tide pools” are neglected, everyone feels the drag—guests, frontline teams, and leaders.

Investing in the right expertise—whether you hire it or grow it—can unlock disproportionate gains in trust, morale, and performance. Thoughtful leadership isn’t just about being in front of the house; it’s about knowing where the quiet ecosystems are, and making sure they have what they need to thrive.

The Tide Pools knot art was my way of honoring these hidden worlds—the teams who keep everything moving when the rest of us only see the waves.

Invitation to Reflect & Share

If you’ve ever worked in one of these “below the surface” spaces—or led a team that rarely gets the spotlight—I’d love to hear your story.

Share a moment when a behind-the-scenes leader changed everything for you. become a member by visiting the Join Our Community page on NancyPeel.com and add your own “yarn” about the tide pools in your world.

These are the stories that keep this gallery—and this community—alive.

In the next Linen & Laundry Chronicle, I’ll share what it looks like when you don’t just find the expert—you help someone become the expert.