The administration of laundry chemistry has developed into a sophisticated endeavour where highly technical total laundry solutions are the norm rather than the exception nowadays. Of course, it all goes hand-in-hand with more automation in commercial laundries and we should expect more innovation in this area,
Stepping up to the plate is a new launch from the laundry chemicals and systems manufacturer, Christeyns. Christeyns CONNECT software, loaded onto approved RealWear smart glasses, means that real-time collaboration is established between experts and on-site personnel. Through live video streaming and hands-free instructions, this technology enables swift problem identification and resolution, significantly enhancing productivity while reducing costs associated with rework or expert travel.
As part of the launch, Christeyns piloted the technology in the Scandinavian countries, where distances and the harsh climate can pose significant logistical hurdles. “For our Nordic customers, Christeyns CONNECT is not just a convenience but a necessity,” shared Keld Rasmussen, General Manager Northeast Europe. “It enables our team to address technical issues promptly and keep our customers’ production running smoothly, without having to be physically on-site. We’re providing more than support, we’re delivering peace of mind.”
“For example, at a Danish laundry facility, a mix-up occurred when detergents were mistakenly dosed into the wrong washer extractor, with the risk of damaging the linen. Thanks to Christeyns CONNECT, we could give instructions to the laundry’s technical manager and solve the problem within the hour, allowing our customer to continue his laundry operations. Without the assistance of Christeyns CONNECT, our intervention would have been delayed until the following day, requiring a six-hour drive covering a distance of 560 km.”
Bauwens emphasises: “With remote assistance becoming increasingly essential, Christeyns CONNECT is a great option for any business looking to reduce downtime and inspections to be done quickly and easily”.
Beyond troubleshooting, the customer can use the application for internal training, inter-site communication and process optimisation, illustrating its potential to streamline operations and enhance collaboration across organisational boundaries. Additionally, Christeyns’ customers can also invite other suppliers to use the Christeyns CONNECT platform, allowing seamless communication and live video streaming.
“By offering a remote assistance solution, we aim to empower our customers to improve operational efficiency and costeffectiveness, all while steering towards a more sustainable future, concludes Bauwens.
Leading by example
As a champion of sustainable laundry chemical products and systems, Christeyns works to optimise application of its laundry detergent chemicals at its customers’ sites, reducing environmental impact and textile damage while minimising water and energy use. But what about on their own production facilities in Bradford, West Yorkshire?
Putting its money where its mouth is the company has recently installed a roof mounted solar array that will generate circa 40% of the peak consumption for the laundry powder production unit and main office. This includes the bank of EV chargers supporting the company’s fleet of EV and hybrid vehicles.
Chemical IBCs and drums can be returned to base for reuse and Christeyns works with customers to install chemical storage on sites where viable. Kerslake explains, “Bulk storage makes a lot of sense – it reduces the need for packaging, takes vehicles off the road and provides a safe environmentally controlled place to store chemicals. Remote telemetry can even notify us when the tank is running low and needs replenishment so driving production and logistics efficiency”.
Christeyns is looking at reducing chemical transportation further through the next generation of super concentrated detergents such as the recently launched EPIC system which uses enzyme technology to achieve best in class wash results at low concentrations and also reducing effluent burden in wastewater.
Kerslake says: “We expect the solar project to generate upward of 50MWh per annum and our plan is to install a second array in 2025 on our second production unit here in Bradford. One interesting aspect Christeyns found of having a solar installation, is the energy management software that manages it, which can provide insight to energy consumption patterns and help identify those vampire devices such as pumps and heaters that operate when not required.”
With regard to water use Kerslake continues: “We send very little water to drain, our production processes can rework any wastewater into a subsequent batch, and we collect water used during chemical pump deliveries at customer’s sites. After each chemical is pumped the delivery pipework is washed out. By collecting the water, we don’t discharge on the customers premises, and we can return the water to Bradford for reuse in production. Of course, the water is mixed with residual chemical so needs collecting separately and categorising. We’ve been doing this for over a decade.”
RAMPI LAUNDRY AIMS TO IMPROVE WASH EFFICIENCY
In terms of new products Rampi is excited about two innovations.
The first concerns water washing systems for commercial laundries. As it is more of a concept than a product it does not have a specific name but can be defined as ‘One system for all your needs’, says Rampi’s Isobel Butters.
“The Rampi Research Centre has recently developed innovative, eco-friendly washing solutions which offer excellent results even at low temperatures (30-40°C). The fabric washing stage is one of the most critical in professional and commercial washing. Rampi offers solutions that not only improve operational efficiency but also reduce the costs of rewashing garments. The new system, involving a carefully balanced combination of chemical products and the use of specific programmes, improves whiteness and brightness, increases softness of towels and bed linen, and saves on the number of times items need re-washing, thus helping to improve the environmental impact of laundries.
“The second is a new product for pet care to be used at launderettes and we feel this too is a highly innovative concept.”
Gentle Pet-Sani Green
There are two strands to this line-up. Textile Line comprises products for the care of pet beds and fabrics. The plant-based active principles present in the formula cleans and sanitises pet beds and fabrics, carefully respecting the animal’s highly sensitive sense of smell and their skin.
Home Line is a range of products for the treatment of floors and the home. The active principles in the formulas clean, sanitise and deodorise the environment and surfaces, again respecting the animal’s super sensitive sense of smell.
All products are developed with full respect for animals and the environment, using only surfactants of plant origin.
At the same time, Rampi’s established collection of spotting agents is available to make shirt work of oil, rust, tannin and protein stains.
ECOLAB’S ECOPROTEX360° SYSTEM
Ecolab rightly says that your customers rely on you as an extension of their team to help protect their operation. They worry about protecting their consumers and patients with clean, safe linens. Now, more than ever, you need to deliver customer and consumer confidence in clean, safe environments, and peace of mind that the places they eat, play, heal and work are ensuring protection through safe linens. But it does not end there.
PROTEX360º is a comprehensive, sciencebased program that combines advanced chemistry with proper procedures, and validation to deliver the highest standard of cleanliness for public health and safety. With PROTEX360º, commercial laundry businesses can support customer and employee confidence in their elevated level of cleaning and disinfection.
Ecolab offers a complete line of laundry chemistry that not only delivers clean linen, but also strives to be sustainable, maximise plant performance and provide safer linen. Ecolab has the only EPA registered laundry oxidiser and disinfectant that is effective against viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, and has kill claims against 13 mircroorganisms of concern including C. difficile.
Around the wash – PROTEX360º offers comprehensive and sustainable technologies developed by Ecolab teams with extensive industry know-how and deep technical and analytical laundry expertise. The program is tailored to meet commercial laundry business needs, including specialty protocols and standards, and can be scaled to deliver a consistent model of cleaning and disinfecting across multiple locations.
Beyond the wash – PROTEX360º is built on the principals of producing the highest level of textile cleanliness, comprehensive hygiene plans to protect linen, people and facilities, and complete technical support and training. This 360° approach helps ensure the successful protection of textiles and public health in the wash, around the wash and beyond the wash.
