A useful washer quotation starts with the laundry you need to process and the building it will work in. The model comes after that. A little preparation gives your supplier a clearer brief and makes competing proposals easier to compare.
This guide helps you gather the information for that first conversation. You do not need every answer before contacting ILS. Mark anything you cannot confirm as “to be checked” so it can become part of the site assessment.
1. Describe the workload before choosing a capacity
List the textiles you process: bed linen, towels, workwear, residents’ clothing or other items. Keep different requirements separate. A total weekly figure alone does not show when laundry arrives, which items can share a programme, or when clean stock must be ready.
- Record typical daily laundry volumes and your busiest days.
- Use measured dry-load weights where you have them; label estimates clearly.
- Note operating hours and the staff available to load, unload and move laundry.
- Identify the deadlines that matter, such as a changeover or next shift.
- Describe current bottlenecks and any planned growth.
If you already run a laundry, a short log of actual loads and completion times is more useful than a guess at how many cycles a new machine might achieve. Include drying and finishing in the conversation: the washer is one stage of the job.
2. Read the capacity rating in context
Keep the manufacturer’s rating and its conditions together. For example, Domus lists the ASM-16 at 18 kg with a 1:9 fill ratio and 16 kg with a 1:10 fill ratio. Those are different published ratings for the same drum, not two machines. See the manufacturer’s ASM-16 data sheet.
Ask which rating and loading approach suit your textiles and programmes. Avoid treating a headline kilogram figure as a guaranteed daily output. Discuss the complete workload, required process and available operating time with your supplier. Our commercial washer range is a starting point for that discussion.
3. Decide how laundry should move through the room
Sketch the route from incoming laundry to sorting, washing, drying, finishing and clean storage. Show doors, work surfaces and trolley positions. Ask where people will stand and whether loaded trolleys can pass each other.
Where separation of incoming and processed laundry is required, discuss the whole workflow with the person responsible for your laundry process. The Domus ASM-16 barrier washer has a pass-through arrangement with opposing doors, as described by Domus. Equipment selection must fit the site’s procedures; a machine purchase alone does not establish a validated hygiene process.
4. Measure the delivery route as well as the room
Record the narrowest doorway and corridor on the proposed route, turns, steps, lifts and changes in level. Take clear photographs and a simple plan. Note parking, unloading restrictions and when the building can accept a delivery.
For the final position, record the available space without assuming the cabinet dimensions are the complete installation requirement. Ask the installer to confirm service access, door movement, connection space and any foundation or floor requirements for the exact model. Include removal of existing equipment in the scope if needed.
5. Have the site services checked against the specification
Gather the information you already hold about electrical supply, water, drainage and any steam service. Do not open panels or inspect live connections to complete this checklist. A competent person should confirm the services against the chosen configuration and manufacturer’s installation requirements.
Ask the quotation to identify anything still subject to a site check. Equipment variants can have different connection requirements: the Domus ASM-16 technical sheet, for example, distinguishes electric and steam configurations. A familiar model name is not enough to confirm a replacement will connect to existing services.
6. Compare the complete quotation
Use the same questions for each proposal so you can see what is included:
- Which exact model, heating configuration and options are being supplied?
- What delivery, positioning and installation work is included?
- Who is responsible for any building or service alterations?
- Are commissioning, operator handover and documentation included?
- What warranty and support terms apply to this equipment and site?
- What are the confirmed lead time, exclusions and payment terms?
Ask for running-cost assumptions to be stated if estimates are supplied. Your tariffs, load pattern and selected programmes need to be clear before figures can support a meaningful comparison. Avoid basing a purchase on an unexplained savings percentage.
Your first enquiry: six useful details
Send your site postcode, textile types, typical and peak workload, current equipment, photographs or room dimensions, and target timing. Tell us whether this is a replacement, added capacity or a new laundry. Attach existing technical information when available.
Read about delivery and installation, then start your equipment enquiry. ILS can use that brief to discuss the next checks and a suitable equipment proposal.
