How to Calculate Linen and Laundry Turnaround Cost

The quick answer

Internal laundry cost should include hands-on labor, detergent/consumables, utilities and a linen replacement allocation. Same-day feasibility should also consider how many wash and dry batches the available machines require and whether clean replacement sets are already staged.

Do not count machine cycle time as labor time

A washer can run for forty-five minutes while the cleaner performs another task. Labor cost should therefore use hands-on time: sorting, loading, transferring, folding, inspecting and staging. Machine time still matters because it determines whether the linen will be ready before the next guest.

This separation avoids two common errors: overpricing labor by charging every cycle minute as paid handling, or ignoring machine capacity because “the cleaner only spends ten minutes on each load.”

Calculate batch count from available machines

Four loads on two washers require two wash batches. Four loads on one dryer require four dry batches. A conservative planning clock adds the wash-batch time and dry-batch time.

Real laundry pipelines can overlap — the first load can enter a dryer while the second wash batch runs — so a sequential model is conservative. Use actual machine history when the turnaround window is tight.

Spare linen sets are inventory that buys time

A property can be guest-ready before used linens finish washing when a clean complete set is already staged. That changes the operational question from “can all laundry finish by check-in?” to “do we have enough clean sets to remake the property now and enough laundry capacity to restore inventory before the next turn?”

Keep clean-set counts accurate. Missing towels, stained sheets and items sent for replacement reduce the effective set inventory.

Worked example

A turnover creates four loads. Two washers run forty-five-minute cycles and two dryers run fifty-five-minute cycles. Handling takes twelve minutes per load at 24/hour. Detergent and utilities cost 3.90 per load, and linen replacement allocation is 8 per turnover.

• Wash batches = 4 ÷ 2 = 2; wash clock = 90 minutes.
• Dry batches = 4 ÷ 2 = 2; dry clock = 110 minutes.
• Conservative sequential clock = 200 minutes.
• Handling labor = 4 × 12/60 × 24 = 19.20.
• Detergent + utilities = 4 × 3.90 = 15.60.

If an off-site service charges 58 per turnover, internal laundry is 15.20 lower on the entered direct-cost basis. That does not automatically make it better if equipment capacity or same-day risk is the binding constraint.

Compare off-site laundry on complete operations

An outside provider can remove machine bottlenecks, but may add pickup/delivery timing, minimum charges or inventory requirements. Internal laundry can look inexpensive while consuming staff attention and equipment replacement. Compare the operational model, not only the invoice.

Connect laundry to turnover profitability

Once the laundry cost is known, include it in the STR Turnover Cleaning Profit & Same-Day Capacity Planner. For days with multiple properties, use the Crew Feasibility Board so cleaning-team conflicts are visible separately from machine constraints.