Even the smallest commercial laundry facility is an intense, fast-paced operation, and a lot can go wrong if you use equipment that isn't fit for purpose. Using the right commercial-grade laundry carts, hampers and hand trucks is essential for any safe and efficient commercial laundry business.

The vast majority of commercial laundry carts and hampers are fitted with caster wheels, which make them much easier to maneuver by hand. However, not all caster wheels are well suited to the unique environment of a commercial laundromat.

If you are looking for new laundry handling equipment fitted with caster wheels, or need to replace the caster wheels of your existing equipment, keep the following guidelines in mind to ensure the caster you choose is right for the job.

Thread guards are essential

If a loose thread or fiber from a bedsheet, towel or item of clothing gets entangled in the caster wheel of a laundry cart, it can cause significant damage to the rest of the item, causing it to unravel in the blink of an eye. As you can imagine, accidentally destroying your customer's property is not an ideal way to run a commercial laundry.

Consequently, the casters fitted to your carts and hampers should always be fitted with thread guards. These guards are built into the axle of the caster and prevent stray threads and fibers from wrapping around the axle while the caster rotates. 

Protect your flooring

Most commercial laundry buildings have tiled or coated concrete floors, which are easy to clean and maintain. However, the surfaces of these flooring types are relatively brittle and easily scratched, and using heavy-duty steel or aluminum casters on your floors can cause significant damage over time. Painted and vinyl-coated concrete floors can be especially vulnerable to scratches caused by hard casters.

You should, therefore, choose casters wheels made from relatively soft materials, such as thermoplastic rubber or polyurethane plastic. These materials are soft enough to not scratch your flooring but are still strong and durable enough to bear heavy loads of freshly-laundered fabrics.

If you want maximum protection for your flooring and have a little extra to spend, consider investing in pneumatic or semi-pneumatic casters. These specialized casters are fitted with tires very similar to those found on cars, which provide exceptional protection for your flooring and also improve traction on slippery surfaces.

Choose large diameter wheels

Whatever type of casters you choose for your laundry carts and hampers, the caster wheels themselves should be relatively large. The physics of rotation means that larger caster wheels rotate more easily, so carts with larger caster wheels will require less effort to push, especially when fully laden. They help to reduce fatigue in employees and also helps your carts and hampers roll over obstructions (such as electrical cables) more easily.

To know more about choosing material handling products, reach out to a company near you.