Let’s be honest; the decision to adopt a uniform policy was an easy one. The benefits of uniforms are well-documented. They help improve a company’s image and further branding efforts, they promote a sense of teamwork and boost morale, they improve productivity and thus profitability, and so much more. It is no wonder why more than 32 million Americans wear a uniform to work each and every day. As we said, the decision to adopt a uniform policy was an easy one.
Now for a tougher one…
Uniform Rental vs. Purchasing Uniforms
Both purchasing and renting uniforms have their benefits. However, buying uniforms means that you will need to manage cleaning, maintenance and repairs, and replacements, which can greatly add to your overall costs. Uniform rental, meanwhile, represents a much more manageable investment.
Cleaning
If you buy your uniforms, you have two options when it comes to cleaning. 1) You can also purchase industrial washing machines and handle cleaning in-house. However, this means a higher investment upfront and the continued cost of cleaning supplies and labor (those uniforms won’t clean themselves). 2) You can trust your employees to take their uniforms home each day to clean. This, however, can also lead to problems. For starters, time can be an issue. Between work, the kids, and other duties, some employees may struggle to find the time to clean their uniforms. This means they will show up to work the next day in soiled clothes. Talk about an eyesore. Secondly, cleaning itself can be a struggle, especially if employees’ uniforms get very soiled at work. Take auto repair shops, for instance. It can be tough to rid clothing of grease and oil stains at home.
If you opt for uniform rental, cleaning is handled for no extra charge. Your uniform rental company will pick up your employees’ dirty uniforms, launder them, and return them as part of your service. What could be easier?
Repairs and Replacement
If you buy your uniforms and something happens, such as a tear, what happens next? You either pay someone to repair the uniform, pay to replace the uniform, or bite the bullet and let your employee walk around in tattered clothing. None of those options are in your best interests as a business owner.
With a uniform rental program, repairs are handled as part of your service agreement. Missing buttons, broken zippers, holes in pockets, and other repairs are taken care of in a timely fashion. And when a uniform has reached the end of its useful life, your uniform rental company will replace it at no additional charge.
Managing Uniforms
For a business that is constantly hiring new employees, uniform rental is a much more cost effective solution. Just think about it. If you opt to buy your uniforms, you will need to purchase new uniforms for each new employee. That adds up quickly, especially if your employees need multiple sets of uniforms. Then, when an employee leaves, what do you do with his/her uniforms? You have to collect, clean, and sort the used garments for reissue, or let them walk out the door with the employee. That is money out of your pocket.
With uniform rental, you can make adjustments to your rental service as your work force increases (or decreases). This is much easier and more affordable than purchasing a new set of uniforms every time you hire a new employee.
And So Much More!
Lord Baltimore Uniform Rental
Lord Baltimore offers proven, dependable solutions that will help your business succeed. Our high level of customer service, coupled with our affordable prices has made us the go-to linen provider throughout Maryland, Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania, and Delaware. We offer our customers an alternative to the high volume corporate commercial laundries that are all too often big on volume but short on service.
At Lord Baltimore, we are confident in our ability to provide you with service above and beyond uniform rental industry standards.
To find out if Uniform Rental is right for your business, please contact Joe Bateman at 800-292-1224 or by visiting LordBaltimoreUniform.com. We also handle towel rental for gyms and salons; apron, towels, uniforms and mats for restaurants; and uniform, shop towel, fender cover and mat rental for manufacturing and automotive industries.
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