How to Size an On-Premise (OPL) Laundry Room
A simple, repeatable way to turn your daily laundry poundage into the right washer and dryer capacity — without over- or under-buying.
Start with your daily poundage
Every OPL sizing decision starts with one number: how many pounds of laundry you process on your busiest day. For a hotel, estimate roughly 10–15 lbs of linen per occupied room per day. For healthcare and senior living, plan 15–20 lbs per resident. Restaurants, gyms and spas are best measured by weighing a few typical days of soiled linen. Always size to your peak day, not your average — laundry that backs up on a full weekend never catches up.
Convert poundage into washer capacity
Once you know your peak daily pounds, work out how many wash cycles fit in your realistic operating window. A commercial cycle runs about 30–45 minutes, so a machine completes roughly 1.5–2 loads per hour including load/unload time.
The formula:
Washer capacity (lbs) = Daily pounds ÷ (Operating hours × Loads per hour)
Example: a 120-room hotel at 70% occupancy produces about 1,050 lbs/day. Over an 8-hour laundry shift at ~1.75 loads/hour (14 loads), that’s about 75 lbs per load — so you’d look at a 60–90 lb washer-extractor, or two smaller machines for redundancy.
Always run more dryer capacity than washer capacity
The single most common OPL mistake is matching one washer to one dryer of the same size. Drying takes longer than washing, so dryer capacity should be 1.5–2× washer capacity. A 60 lb washer typically pairs with a 75 lb dryer, or two dryers, so wet linen never waits in a basket. High-extraction washers (below) shorten drying and reduce how much dryer you need.
Don’t forget utilities, space and redundancy
- Space & floor: larger washer-extractors need reinforced floors and clearance for loading and service.
- Utilities: confirm electrical service, gas for dryers, water pressure and drain capacity before you buy — retrofits are where budgets blow up.
- Redundancy: two mid-size machines usually beat one large one. If a single big washer goes down, your whole operation stops.
Want us to run the numbers for your building? We do OPL room design as part of a quote — see on-premise laundry solutions.
Frequently asked questions
How many pounds of laundry does a hotel produce per room?
Plan on roughly 10–15 lbs of linen per occupied room per day, more for full-service properties with F&B and spa linen. Size your equipment to peak occupancy, not average.
What size washer do I need for my business?
Divide your peak daily poundage by (operating hours × loads per hour, ~1.5–2). That gives your per-load capacity target. We’re glad to run the calculation with your real numbers.
Why do I need more dryer capacity than washer capacity?
Drying takes longer than washing, so a matched pair bottlenecks at the dryer. Plan dryer capacity at 1.5–2× your washer capacity so wet linen never waits.
Let us size your OPL room for you
Our Miami specialists will help you spec the right equipment — quote back within 24 hours.