Your typical auto shop is staffed by service personnel wearing company uniforms emblazoned with logos and embroidered names. It is pretty standard fare. What is not standard is how those uniforms are provided. Some auto shops buy and launder their own uniforms, others lease them, and still others rent their uniforms.
At Alsco, a Utah-based uniform rental company with a nationwide reach, uniforms for tough, industrial environments are a normal part of what they do. Alsco says that uniform rental is ideal for auto shops and offer five reasons to back up that assertion.
1. Excessive Dirt and Staining
The auto shop’s dirty environment is one that promotes staining of uniforms. Auto mechanics work around all sorts of nasty substances like grease, oil, transmission fluid, brake fluid, etc. All of these substances can easily stain even the most robust garments. That is to be expected. But what a shop does about those stains will determine how long their uniforms last.
Uniform rental mitigates the dirt and staining issue. The pros do not throw dirty uniforms in a standard residential washing machine and hope for the best. They use specialized equipment and cleaning solutions to remove dirt and stains completely.
2. Proper Laundering Methods
Hand-in-hand with the dirt and staining issue are the laundering methods used to get uniforms clean. Auto shops that handle laundry in-house have a tendency to not launder garments correctly. Improper laundering methods can damage garments by allowing stains to permanently set.
Once again, the uniform rental provider knows the right way to launder even the most soiled auto shop uniforms. Their laundering methods remove dirt and stains without putting undue stress on the garments. Customers get clean and undamaged uniforms delivered on a regular schedule.
3. Volume and Cost Management
Buying and laundering uniforms is a costly venture for auto shops. Given the combination of turnover and the tough work environment, keeping uniforms in-house can be cost prohibitive. On the other hand, cost management is a lot more feasible when uniforms are rented.
Uniform rental companies like Alsco spend less on uniform acquisition and management because they buy in bulk. They better manage laundering costs by cleaning uniforms in bulk as well. As for the auto shops they serve, providing a larger number of uniforms helps keep costs down by lowering the per piece price. This all translates to better cost management for the shop.
4. Alleviating Employee Responsibility
Uniform rental alleviates employees of the responsibility of having to take their uniforms home to launder them. This may not seem like a big deal, but it is. Remember that self-laundering actually costs employees money. They pay for the electricity, water, and detergent necessary to launder uniforms at home. They appreciate rental because it doesn’t cost them any extra money or time.
5. Uniform Quality
Alsco says there is a tendency among auto shops that buy and launder their own uniforms to skimp on quality. The idea is that the auto shop’s harsh work environment destroys clothes anyway, so there is no point in putting a lot of money into high quality garments. That sort of mindset is actually contrary to the truth.
Heavy-duty workwear is made to last longer. Uniform rental companies know this, which is why they spend more on quality. They want to replace uniforms as infrequently as possible, so they are willing to spend a bit more. Auto shops get higher-quality workwear as a result.
If you run an auto shop, how do you handle uniforms? Perhaps your shop is a good candidate for uniform rental.
