Metro Laundry Chute Distribution Partnership Expands Service Portfolio

Washington/Baltimore hospitality laundry provider Metro Laundry Service (MLS) has added a novel twist for its hotel clients beyond pickup, processing and delivery. The company will distribute a chute liner system to customers, a one-piece, plastic chute-within-a-chute that protects linens from damaged metal chutes.

The Capitol Heights, MD-based launderer partnered with the manufacturer, U.S. ChuteLining, Langhorne, PA, to introduce the concept to hoteliers at a DC reception on May 7.

For MLS, the system adds to a portfolio that supports hotels in maximizing the return from their linen investment. Such support has included facilitating access to cost-effective radio frequency ID and lab testing that demonstrates linen wear-and-tear. The company advises on vital inventory practices and benchmarks and setting optimal par levels.

Participants in the reception, at the Westin Washington DC Downtown, saw the chute technology in action. Attendees included representatives of hotel management companies and hotel chain operations. For those unable to attend, the company plans personal visits to their facilities to explain its value.

MLS and U.S. Chute Lining believe hotel laundries in general would benefit from distributing the system to become more of a full-service linen-management firm. It also would smooth customer relations by reducing linen tears, the fault for which a customer might attribute to its laundry.

Steven Young, MLS president and COO, pointed out that too often, when a linen piece is found hanging inside a chute, “we’re the scapegoat.” Whether it’s an engineering director or housekeeping manager, his reply is typically, “Would you mind if I look at the chute?” Flat and fitted sheets and duvet covers are the typical victims, vulnerable to small tears that grow when they’re processed because of the heat from washing and drying.

Metal chutes are vulnerable because they are built in pieces that connect like building blocks, inviting damage at joints. They’re vented through a building roof, which subjects them to changing temperatures affecting linen strength, especially in warmer climates. Chutes in buildings in coastal areas are more likely to corrode and rust. Bacteria buildup can impact them and generate odor.