Laundry veteran-turned consultant John Highsmith tells a story of how a pizza party he co-hosted for staff at a client hospital delivered food for thought on textile management, as well as a tasty lunch option. Highsmith charged no fee for the event. But employees were asked to bring a set of scrubs that they hadn’t turned in after a shift.

“I did things kind of a little out of the norm,” says Highsmith, who also works as an inspector for TRSA’s Hygienically Clean Certification program. “I got to know a couple of the major physicians’ wives. They would ...