Laundry & linen / Stock
Plan linen stock
Work out sets in use, away for washing and in reserve.
Service plan
Stock to hold
Enter in use sets.
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.
Copy or print it
Send it on, or keep it with the job.
What it covers: Plan sets in use, away for washing and in reserve.
Free to use. No sign-in needed.
How to work out how much linen stock to hold
You need enough linen for the sets in use, the sets away at the laundry and a reserve for busy days and losses. Running short means beds and rooms cannot be turned around. This planner works out the sets in the laundry pipeline, the extra reserve and the total stock to hold for one linen set type.
- Pick one linen set type, such as a bed set or towel set. Plan each type separately.
- Enter the sets in use now, meaning the sets on beds, in rooms or in service.
- Enter the sets changed each day. Use a normal day, or a busy day if you want to plan for peaks.
- Enter the laundry turnaround in hours, from pickup until the sets are ready to use again.
- Add an extra reserve percentage for losses, damage and busy periods. The planner applies it to the sets in use plus the sets in the laundry, and rounds up to whole sets.
- Read the total stock to hold, with the sets in use, the sets in the laundry pipeline and the extra reserve. The pipeline is the sets changed each day times the turnaround in days, rounded up.
Tips and common mistakes
- Use the real turnaround, not the best case. Days when the laundry does not collect or deliver stretch it.
- Linen wears out and goes missing. Check stock levels regularly and replace damaged sets.
- Plan per set type. Mixing bed sets and towels can hide a shortage in one of them.
- Confirm actual change rates and laundry turnaround with your team and laundry provider.
Questions
How many sets of linen do I need per bed?
You need the set in use, enough sets away at the laundry to cover the turnaround, and a reserve. The more often sets change and the longer the turnaround, the more you need. Enter your own figures to get the total stock to hold.
What is a linen par level?
Par is the amount of linen you aim to keep for each bed or point of use, covering sets in use, in the laundry and in reserve. This planner works out the total stock to hold, which you can divide by your number of beds or rooms to set your own par.
How does laundry turnaround affect linen stock?
Sets at the laundry cannot be used. As an illustration, if 30 sets change each day and turnaround is 48 hours, about 60 sets are away at any time. A longer turnaround ties up more stock.
How much extra linen should I keep in reserve?
Set the reserve from your own losses, damage and how busy your peaks get. Track how often you run short or have too much and adjust the percentage.
Add this calculator to your website
Free for any website, blog or trade association page. Paste this code where you want the calculator to appear.