Carl-von-Heß’sche Foundation focuses on quality

It was the residents' relatives who tipped the balance in the end as complaints concerning the laundry that work was being farmed out to were on the rise. In response, those responsible for the Carl-von-Heß’schen Foundation in Franconia decided to go for a new-build on-premise laundry. The new facilities were inaugurated in January and now provide all seven nursing homes run by the foundation with clean laundry – and what's more, Miele accompanied the project right from the outset.

'As we do the catering for our residents in-house and have our own cleaning company, an OPL fits the bill perfectly', says marketing manager Sina Bretscher. The latest technology has now been installed in an area covering 200 m² at the Dr. Maria Pabst home in Hammelburg. Six employees working full-time in two shifts ensure that the 465 residents always have a plentiful supply of fresh laundry. They are also responsible for all other textiles: Bed and kitchen linen, staff workwear and all the textiles needed in facility management. Two machines from Miele's latest model series were procured specifically for cleaning mops. And then there's a flatwork ironer which processes 130 kg of laundry per hour, three dryers, each with a load capacity of 32 kg, and five identical barrier washers installed in a diaphragm wall.

These separate the contaminated from the clean side of the laundry process. Not only is the quality of laundry and its finish a key factor: Above all, high standards of hygiene are crucial in everyday life, explains Sina Bretscher: 'For the most part we run disinfection programmes, even when we're washing mops in the room next door. On the contaminated side, where soiled laundry is handled, our staff is obliged to wear protective clothing. Before moving to the clean side of the operation, hands must be disinfected and a fresh smock donned. This prevents any cross-contamination of laundry'. Bed linen and laundry requiring disinfection is delivered in sealed sacks which are transferred to the washing machines unopened.

After drying, ironing and folding, laundry is soon sorted into neat stacks. These are placed on mobile racks which are wheeled to the residents' rooms – and a colour-coded put-to-light system indicates whether items have been placed in the right compartments. The necessary software was provided by Miele along with all the machines and trolleys, printers for laundry labelling, ironing tables, a central dispensing system and a disinfection cubicle for staff. Miele's all-round package included site and installation plans, the training of laundry staff and full-service coverage. The latter guarantees annual maintenance and the pre-emptive, cost-free replacement of parts subject to wear and tear.

This provides 72 months of forward visibility and calculable investment capitalisation. Sina Bretscher: 'This was the right decision and one that offers a whole host of benefits. We wash around 750 kg of laundry each and every day, and now we are in full control of quality issues. Each individual item of clothing is immediately scanned – allowing us to know its precise whereabouts right through to it being handed back to its rightful owner'.

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Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Business Unit Professional). The Miele company, founded in 1899, has eight production plants in Germany as well as one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2016/17 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.93 bn with sales outside Germany accounting for 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 19,500, 10,900 thereof in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.