For years, if an article of clothing said “Dry Clean Only,” it required a trip to the dry cleaner even when hotel guests needed their garments washed, dried and pressed.
Electrolux Professional’s lagoon Advanced Care solution saves time and effort by wet cleaning garments that would normally be dry cleaned—and has them ready to wear in about an hour.
“The lagoon Advanced Care solution has been offered since 2004 and features specific processes capable of cleaning all fibers, from the more resistant ones, such as cotton, to the most delicate ones, such as wools and silks,” said Christoph Richter, director, business development, business area laundry, Electrolux Professional. “In these last 20 years, constant development and research have taken place leveraging customer insight. The target was and is to deliver to the market a truly easy and eco-friendly system to clean all types of fibers and garments that is capable of replacing less sustainable, solvent-based solutions.”
Christoph Richter Electrolux Professional
The process has a number of advantages for hotels besides the quick turnaround of clean garments. Richter noted that it offers a “true two-in-one solution where hotels can run their regular laundry, but also turn the valet laundry into a profit center.” Bed linen, towels and any other type of textiles can be washed in lagoon Advanced Care by selecting appropriate programs and detergents suitable to the purpose.
Another advantage, he pointed out, is the protection of operators against harsh or dangerous chemicals, like perchloroethylene (PERC), as typical cleaning solvents. He added, “lagoon Advanced Care does not require any special set-up or permit in terms of discharge regulations, and can be installed anywhere, not just on the ground floor, bringing visibility of the value of the service to the guests.”
Sustainability along the process chain is also a key factor in using lagoon Advanced Care. “It is a water-based solution to clean garments labeled for dry clean only,” Richter said. “Traditional dry-cleaning operations are based on solvents such as PERC, which is classified as a dangerous substance and hence banned or limited in many countries. Our solution uses only water and biodegradable detergents in the process, which makes it eco-friendly from the start.”
He noted the washers and dryers that are part of the system use only the needed quantity of water, energy and detergents according to the effective load. “The dryer is also equipped with sensors to accurately detect the level of humidity in the garments and stop the process without overdrying, which has benefits both for the quality of the textiles and for the sustainability of the process,” Richter said. “lagoon Advanced Care also includes a dedicated heat pump dryers, which maximize the saving on the energy of up to 65%. Since they can be installed anywhere, they do not require exhaust.”
The system includes a prespotting station, a washer, a dryer, dedicated detergents and an assortment of finishing equipment.
The system does not use any harsh chemicals.
“Each garment gets inspected for the presence of stains and the typology of the fabric,” said Richter. “According to was is needed, prespotting will take up to five minutes, and garments will then go into the washer, where a selection of programs according to fabrics is available for the operator to choose from. Washing will take up to 25 minutes according to which program is chosen. Once the washer has finalized its cycle, garments will need to be dried in the lagoon Advanced Care dryer. The operator will choose the same program chosen for the washer, making it extremely simple to operate and error-free.”
Drying time, he said, will take around 20 to 25 minutes according to the fiber of the garments, and the dryer will stop automatically once they are dried to the optimal level. Finishing will then take place, either on the ironing table, the form finisher or the trousers topper, according to the type of garment processed and the number of textiles. “In just one hour,” Richter offered, “any garment can be cleaned and delivered back to the guest.”
The lagoon Advanced Care machines are all able to access Electrolux Professional’s One Connected digital ecosystem, which Richter said, “gives the laundry manager control over the different parameters of the laundry environment and optimize the flows and the needs accordingly. It is real-time information providing full transparency on the processes, helping optimize productivity, reducing costs and complying with hygiene regulations.”
The solution can clean any garment that is usually dry cleaned.
The solution is being used in many hotels in Europe and Asia, including Marriott, Hilton, Radisson and Rosewood properties. “Hotels in the Middle East have shown increasing interest in switching to more sustainable solutions when it comes to laundry,” Richter said, noting that Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai is one hotel in the region using the products.
While Electrolux Professional hasn’t signed on any U.S. hotel clients for the solution, there are several hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean using lagoon Advanced Care, including Secrets Golf and Spa Resort in Los Cabos, Mexico, and the Intercontinental Dominica Cabrits Resort and Spa on the island of Dominica.
