Mark Conron, Group Head of Customer Communications at Nisbets UK, and Greenshield Group examine how linen specification, stock management and supplier selection are turning laundry from a fixed overhead into a genuine lever for cost control and sustainability in care homes.
Laundry rarely features in the headline conversations about care home costs, yet it is one of the most energy-intensive services many operators run. Hot water heating, tumble drying and the power draw of commercial washing equipment combine to make laundry a significant, and often under-scrutinised, line on the utilities bill. Add in the volume of detergents, softeners and disinfectants used across a typical week, and the true cost of “clean” becomes considerably harder to ignore.
For most homes, the real question is not whether laundry costs money, but whether it is being run as efficiently as it could be, and whether the choice between in-house and outsourced provision is being made on evidence rather than habit.
In-house vs. outsourced
The debate over the most effective model rarely has a definitive answer, with sustainability data increasingly shaping the conversation. Greenshield Group advises that operators managing laundry on-site should stop viewing it as a fixed energy cost. By implementing proper monitoring, homes can analyse demand patterns, identify inefficient or aging equipment, and evaluate options such as tariff switching, solar power, battery storage, or voltage optimisation to reduce costs and lower their carbon footprint. This analysis can be crucial because many care homes assume their existing equipment, inherited from previous providers or purchased years ago, remains efficient; without data, these assumptions go unchallenged.
For homes that outsource, the same sustainability considerations should still guide decision-making, just applied to different choices. Greenshield Group suggests that laundry providers who invest in renewable energy, water efficiency, heat recovery, and low-emission transportation are generally better positioned to control their operating costs. This usually results in more stable prices for care home clients in the long run, as providers less affected by fluctuating energy and water costs are less likely to pass sudden increases downstream.
This shifts the debate from an in-house versus outsourced model. It is less about which is inherently more sustainable and more about whether each model is actively managed for efficiency rather than left to legacy practices.
Reducing the wash before it happens
Reducing energy and chemical use involves not only how laundry is processed but also how much laundry requires processing initially. Linen specifications and stock management play crucial roles that are often overlooked.
Mark Conron, Group Head of Customer Communications at Nisbets UK, emphasises the importance of par level optimisation. Maintaining sufficient spare stock enables linen to be rotated and rested for 24 to 48 hours after washing and drying, preferably on slatted shelves in a cool, dry space. This resting period helps rehydrate and relax cotton fibres, prolonging the item’s lifespan and reducing the frequency of replacements, which decreases the embedded energy and chemicals needed for manufacturing new stock.
Material choice also impacts sustainability. Nisbets has introduced an eco-range through its Mitre Linen brand, featuring 100% organic cotton sheets alongside duvets and pillows filled with recycled hollowfibre from plastic bottles. Conron highlights that products like these lower carbon dioxide emissions and water use by 70% and reduce energy consumption by 40% compared to standard fibre production.
Green chemistry
Lower-temperature washing and reduced-chemical detergent systems are often pitched primarily as an environmental improvement, but the cost case deserves equal attention. Washing at lower temperatures cuts the energy needed to heat water, which is typically the largest single energy cost in the laundry process. Reduced-chemical or enzyme-based detergent systems can lower product consumption and, in some cases, reduce the frequency of machine descaling and maintenance, since lower chemical residue means less mineral build-up in equipment over time.
Using green products for washing fabrics like bedding and clothes in a care home has the potential to enhance residents’ wellbeing. If a resident is sensitive to certain detergents and switching to a green alternative alleviates that sensitivity, it can improve their comfort and lessen reactions to daily contact with fabrics. Above all, always prioritise the resident experience when modifying laundry procedures.
The caveat is that green chemistry only delivers if hygiene standards are not compromised, particularly given infection control requirements in care settings. Any switch should be validated against relevant hygiene standards before being rolled out, rather than assumed to be equivalent on the basis of supplier marketing alone.
Sourcing responsibly
Sustainability does not end when linen leaves the machine. Nisbets has partnered with TFR Group to allow old linens to be recycled rather than sent to landfill. Initiatives such as this extend the sustainability conversation beyond energy and chemicals and consider end-of-life material management, an area care homes are increasingly being asked about by families, commissioners and regulators alike.
The practical takeaway
Whether laundry is run in-house or outsourced, the direction of travel is the same: sustainability and cost control are no longer separate considerations. Homes that treat laundry as a managed, data-informed service, rather than a fixed overhead, are better placed to control costs, extend the life of their assets and respond credibly to growing scrutiny of their environmental impact.