IN-HOUSE VS. OUTSOURCED LAUNDRY
Which is Best for Your Healthcare Facility?
Managing laundry in healthcare isn’t just about keeping things clean - it’s about keeping patients and staff safe. From scrubs to linens, every textile must be sanitized for proper infection control.
If you’re a clinic, hospital, or surgical center evaluating your options, you’re likely asking: Should we manage laundry in-house or partner with a professional healthcare laundry service?
Let’s compare both approaches so you can make the best decision for your facility’s safety, efficiency, and bottom line.
What is In-House Laundry?
An in-house or on-premise laundry (OPL) operation is self-managed entirely within the healthcare facility. This requires dedicated space, staff, equipment, and compliance with infection control regulations.
Benefits of In-House Laundry:
- Full control over processes and turnaround times
- Immediate access to clean linens
- Customization of wash procedures and chemicals
Challenges of In-House Laundry:
- High startup costs: Industrial washers, dryers, and facility space
- Ongoing expenses: Labor, utilities, maintenance, and chemical supplies
- Compliance complexity: Must meet healthcare sanitation regulations that meet OSHA standards
- Limited scalability: Hard to increase capacity during peak demand quality without advanced equipment
While convenience, control, and customization are nicely packaged as benefits of OPL, the challenges come at a pretty hefty price. Because of the significant costs and responsibilities associated with in-house laundry, many healthcare facilities have chosen to opt for outsourced laundry services.
Why Healthcare Facilities Are Choosing to Outsource Laundry Services
Outsourcing has become the preferred choice for hospitals, clinics, and surgery centers, and it's easy to see why. Professional laundry companies actually specialize in healthcare-grade cleaning, infection control, and textile management.
Here’s why outsourcing is often the smarter, safer, and more cost-effective choice.
Superior Hygiene and Infection Control
Certified healthcare laundry providers follow strict hygiene protocols, using:
- Medical-grade detergents and disinfectants
- Thermal and chemical disinfection processes
- Hygienic packaging and delivery systems
These processes dramatically reduce the risk of cross-contamination - a key concern in healthcare environments.
Predictable Costs and Significant Savings
When you outsource your medical laundry services, you eliminate the need for:
- Expensive laundry equipment purchases
- Hiring and managing laundry staff
- Paying fluctuating utility bills
- Equipment maintenance and supply management
Instead, you benefit from transparent, volume-based pricing that scales with your laundry needs - ideal for any healthcare facility size!
Time and Labor Optimization
Your medical staff should focus on what matters most: caring for patients. With professional healthcare laundry services, your team no longer handles laundry logistics. Scheduled pickups and deliveries ensure a constant flow of fresh, clean linens - without extra staff or stress.
Sustainability and Flexibility
Whether it’s flu season or an unexpected patient surge, your outsourced laundry partner can quickly increase service capacity. That flexibility is difficult and costly to achieve with an in-house system.
Save Space and Reclaim Square Footage
By outsourcing your laundry operations, you can repurpose your laundry area into something more valuable - like exam rooms, storage, or patient care space - boosting ROI per square foot.
Common Myths About Outsourcing Healthcare Laundry
"We'll lose control of our laundry!"
Not with the right provider! With Lecare's healthcare laundry services, you get complete visibility into your laundry program. Our online portal tracks linen and scrub usage, billing, and delivery schedules in real time, giving you full control - without the daily management burden.
“Outsourcing is more expensive.”
When you factor in equipment, utilities, labor, maintenance, and inventory costs, outsourcing is often more affordable, especially when scaled over time.
“Turnaround is too slow.”
Because of our onsite distribution center, we're able to offer a 1 week turnaround of your garments and linens! We’re a local, independent laundry provider, which means we can be flexible to our customers' specific needs. If you're ever stuck in an emergency, we'll also work with you to ensure you're never short on clean linen.
Final Thoughts: Which is Right for You?
While in-house laundry offers direct control, it comes with high costs, space demands, and ongoing compliance challenges. Outsourcing to a trusted healthcare laundry service provider offers:
- Consistent hygiene and quality assurance
- Predictable monthly costs
- Operational flexibility
- More time and space for patient care
For most healthcare facilities, outsourcing provides the best balance of safety, efficiency, and value.
Looking to Outsource from a Reliable Healthcare Laundry Provider?
At Lecare, we specialize exclusively in medical laundry services for hospitals, clinics, and surgical centers. We deliver:
- Scheduled service
- Customized laundry programs
- Full compliance with healthcare hygiene standards
- Local service across Chicagoland, Wisconsin, and Indiana
Let us handle the laundry, so your team can focus on what really matters: exceptional patient care.
Contact Lecare today to request a free quote or schedule a consultation!