Laundry & linen / Express
Plan an express turnaround
Add each service stage to see the earliest one batch could be ready.
Service plan
Earliest ready time
Enter a start time.
How it works
Put in your numbers
Use your own rates, times and measurements.
See your answer straight away
It works it out as you type.
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Send it on, or keep it with the job.
What it covers: Add wash, dry, fold and delivery stages to see an earliest ready time.
Free to use. No sign-in needed.
How to work out an express laundry turnaround time
When a customer needs laundry back fast, you need a realistic ready time before you agree to it. This planner adds the wash, dry, fold and pack and delivery stages for the loads in an order to show the earliest ready time, and whether it lands on the same day, the next day or later.
- Enter the start time, when the first load can go into a washer.
- Enter the wash time and dry time in minutes for one load.
- Enter the fold and pack time in minutes. This is per load.
- Enter the delivery travel time in minutes.
- Enter the loads in this order and the washer and dryer pairs you can use.
- Read the earliest ready time, the number of batches, the fold, pack and delivery minutes and the total planned time.
Tips and common mistakes
- The planner assumes the next batch washes while the last one dries, with no other queue. If other orders are waiting, add queue time to that stage.
- Use your real dry times. Heavy items often take longer to dry than to wash.
- Promise the customer a time with some margin after the earliest ready time, not the earliest time itself.
- Check delivery travel for the time of day you will drive.
Questions
How long does express laundry take?
Add wash time, dry time, fold and pack time and delivery travel, allowing for how many loads you can run at once. The result depends on your machines, the order size and your queue, so work it out for each order.
How do I work out laundry turnaround with several loads?
Split the loads into batches based on your washer and dryer pairs. While one batch dries, the next can wash. Add fold and pack time for each load and delivery at the end to get the ready time.
What does washing while drying mean for turnaround?
It means the washer starts the next batch as soon as it is free, instead of waiting for the dryer to finish. This overlaps the stages and shortens the total time. It only works if someone is there to move loads straight away.
Can I promise same-day express laundry?
Check the earliest ready time against your closing time and delivery cut-off. If it lands on the next day, or very close to the end of the day, agree a later time with the customer rather than risk missing it.
Why is my real laundry turnaround slower than planned?
Other orders in the queue, no one free to move loads, and longer dry times are common reasons. Add queue time to the stage that usually waits and compare with real orders.
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