• About us
    • Back
    • Who we are
    • Careers
    • ESG
    • Accreditations
    • Blog
    • Testimonials
    • Back
  • Total Care
    • Back
    • Total Care

      A unique, all-inclusive package, specially designed for you.
      You pay nothing upfront, and get free installation with 24/7 emergency support, access to myJLA, and remote equipment monitoring for proactive care.

      All for a simple monthly fee.
      Discover Total Care
      JLA Connect
      Total Care is now fully connected
      Remote monitoring from JLA Connect helps you track energy usage, cut downtime and make sure your laundry equipment is running at its best.
      Discover JLA Connect
    • Back
  • Help & advice
    • Back
      • Existing customers

      • Need an engineer?
      • Accounts billing
      • Service & support
      • Energy SMART hub
      • Expert authors
      • myJLA
      • Contact us
      • Manage your account online with MyJLA

        myJLA supports the smooth running of your business, with statements, job sheets, site information and essential documents all in one place.

        Sign in
        Register your interest
    • Back
  • Sectors
    Back
      • Care Homes
      • Construction
      • Contract Cleaners
      • Education
      • Equine & Stables
      • Facilities management
      • Football clubs
      • NHS and Healthcare
      • Health clubs
      • Holiday parks
      • Hotels & spas
      • Housing
      • Launderettes
      • Prisons
      • Pubs & restaurants
      • Public sector
      • Vets & animal care
    Back
  • Energy SMART
  • Blog
  • Search
  • MyJLA User Icon
    • Back
    • Manage your account online with MyJLA

      myJLA supports the smooth running of your business, with statements, job sheets, site information and essential documents all in one place.

      Sign in
      Register your interest
    • Back
JLA
  • Laundry
    Back
      • Commercial washing machines
      • Coin-operated washing machines
      • Barrier washers
      • Stacked systems
      • View all commercial washing machines
      • Commercial tumble dryers
      • Coin operated tumble dryers
      • Stackable
      • Safe technology
      • View all commercial tumble dryers
      • Commercial irons
      • Dryer ironers
      • Rotary irons
      • Hand finishing equipment
      • View all commercial Irons
      • Infection control
      • Medical macerators
      • Bedpan washers
      • Air filtration systems
      • View all infection control
      • OTEX
      • Laundry
      • Mould compliance
      • View all OTEX
      • Laundry solutions
      • Contactless laundry equipment
      • Commercial laundry service contracts
      • Managed laundry solutions
    Back
  • Catering
    Back
      • Cooking appliances
      • Commercial ovens
      • Commercial fryers
      • Commercial grills
      • Commercial griddles
      • Commercial hobs
      • Commercial induction
      • Bratt pans
      • Fridges & freezers
      • Commercial fridges
      • Commercial freezers
      • Commercial ice machines
      • Blast chillers
      • Food warmers
      • Bain Maries
      • Hot Cupboards
      • View all food warmers
      • Dish & glasswashers
      • Commercial Dishwashers
      • Glasswashers
      • Utensil washers
      • Catering solutions
      • Commercial kitchen installation
      • Kitchen furniture
    Back
  • HVAC
    Back
      • Heating
      • Boilers
      • Wall mounted
      • Floor standing
      • Hybrid heating systems
      • Commercial boiler service contracts
      • Total care for heating
      • View all heating
      • Hot water
      • Hot water cylinders
      • Water storage heaters
      • Sterile equipment services
      • Air conditioning
      • Commercial air conditioning
      • Commercial air conditioning service contracts
      • Air handling units
      • Cellar cooling systems
      • Total Care for air conditioning
    Back
  • Fire & building services
    Back
      • Fire
      • Emergency lighting
      • Fire extinguishers
      • Fire alarms
      • AOV systems
      • View all fire safety
      • Passive fire safety
      • Commercial fire doors
      • View all passive fire safety
      • Fire risk assessments
      • Fire safety training
      • Security systems
      • Building services
      • Electrical services
    Back
  • Detergents
    Back
      • Laundry detergents
      • Commercial laundry detergents
      • Auto dosing pumps
      • Catering detergents
      • Commercial kitchen chemicals
    Back
  • Call us free:
    01422822282
Get a quote
JLA
Contact us by phone
Call us free:
01422822282
  • Commercial laundry equipment
    • Commercial washing machines
      • Coin-operated washing machines
      • Barrier washers
      • Stacked washing machines
      • All commercial washing machines
    • Commercial tumble dryers
      • Coin-op dryers
      • Stacked tumble dryers
      • Safe technology
      • All commercial dryers
    • Commercial irons
      • Dryer ironers
      • Roller ironers
      • Hand finishing equipment
    • Infection control
      • Medical macerators
      • Bedpan washers
      • Air filtration systems
      • View all infection control
    • OTEX
      • Laundry
      • Mould compliance
      • View all OTEX
    • Contactless laundry equipment
    • Managed laundry solutions
    • Commercial laundry service contracts
  • Commercial catering equipment
    • Cooking appliances
      • Commercial ovens
      • Commercial combi ovens
      • Commercial range ovens
      • Commercial convection ovens
      • Commercial fryers
      • Commercial grills
      • Commercial griddles
      • Commercial hobs
      • Commercial induction hobs
      • Bratt pans
    • Refrigeration
      • Commercial fridges
      • Commercial freezers
      • Commercial ice machines
      • Blast chillers
    • Dishwashers & glasswashers
      • Commercial dishwashers
      • Undercounter dishwashers
      • Passthrough dishwashers
      • Commercial glasswashers
      • Utensil washers
    • Food warmers
      • Bain Maries
      • Hot Cupboards
      • View all food warmers
    • Water boilers
      • JLA water boiler
    • Modular
    • Furniture
    • Commercial kitchen installation
  • HVAC
    • Commercial heating
      • Commercial boilers
      • Hot water cylinders
      • Water storage heaters
      • Hybrid heating systems
      • Commercial boiler service contracts
      • Total care for heating
    • Commercial air conditioning
    • Commercial air conditioning service contracts
    • Air handling units
    • Cellar cooling systems
    • Total Care for Air Conditioning
    • Sterile Services
  • Fire & building services
    • Fire
      • Emergency lighting
      • Fire extinguishers
      • Fire alarms
      • AOV systems
    • Passive fire safety
      • Commercial fire doors
    • Fire risk assessments
      • Fire safety training
    • Commercial security systems
    • Building services
    • Electrical services
  • Detergents
    • Laundry detergents
    • Auto dosing-pumps
    • Catering detergents
  • Total Care
    • Discover Total Care
    • JLA Connect
  • Sectors
    • Care Homes
    • Hotels & spas
    • Pubs & restaurants
    • Education
    • Holiday parks
    • Health clubs
    • Housing
    • Facilities management
    • Football clubs
    • Launderettes
    • NHS & Healthcare
    • Prisons
    • Public sector
    • Vets & animal care
    • Equine and Stables
  • Blog
  • About us
    • Who we are
    • Careers
    • ESG at JLA
    • Testimonials
    • Accreditations
    • Total Care from JLA
  • Help & advice
    • Need an engineer?
    • Accounts & billing
    • Service & support
    • Energy SMART hub
    • Expert authors
    • myJLA
    • The JLA app
    • Contact us
  • Log in to myJLA
  • Contact
?>

Day: 15 May 2019

We know the current lockdown measures are having a huge impact on lots of businesses, particularly in hospitality and retail – whether you’ve been forced to close fully, or scale back significantly. However, closure also presents a rare opportunity to catch up on maintenance that could help you hit the ground running when things return to normal. 

Adjusting to current challenges and working out how your premises needs to be maintained during this time can feel daunting – but by taking advantage of a challenging situation and using the ‘spare’ time you now have, you can ensure your most critical facilities and equipment are ready to work at their best when lockdown is lifted. Below, we‘ve put together a quick list of the basic things you can do to look after your key equipment and core systems.

Review your fire safety plans and processes

Even at the best of times, day-to-day priorities can get in the way of properly taking stock of the way you approach fire safety. Now, with changes to the way we all work, as well as changing restrictions and possibly reductions in your staff numbers, it’s more important than ever to make sure your plans are up-to-date.

From legally required inspections of your alarms, fire doors and extinguishers to carrying out a full fire risk assessment, there’s plenty to check across your premises. This list of the vital things you should review while your building is closed for business is a good start, but it’s important to seek help from a fire safety expert if you need further all-round support.

Put your heating into lockdown mode

Although you may not need to keep customers and staff warm while your business is closed, leaving your heating on (and even having it managed remotely) can continue to protect your building’s pipes, furnishings and electrical devices.

While the latest lockdown has left the hospitality and retail businesses with unwanted time on their hands, it does provide the perfect opportunity to carry out basic preventative boiler maintenance and also get any essential servicing works completed without disruption.

Maintain your fridges and freezers properly

It’s important to fully clean and maintain your chillers and freezers before leaving them unused during lockdown. By following a few simple steps, you can make sure your most important kitchen appliances are ready to get back up and running when your business is able to re-open.

‘Hibernate’ your dishwashers

Preparing your commercial dishwashers by going through the right care and maintenance checklist can protect them during downtime when the time comes to use them again – the last thing you need when you can re-open is a breakdown that leaves you with a pile of dirty dishes and stops you serving your customers for even longer.

Carry out laundry housekeeping

If you have an onsite laundry for uniforms and tableware, you’ll want to ensure your washers and dryers are in full working order (and hygienic) when you need them again.

This handy laundry maintenance guide will help you tick off some important boxes and make sure everything’s done safely and that your machines are in the same condition when you switch them back on.

Double check the support that’s available

A number of schemes have been put in place by the government to support businesses, including grants up to £9,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure; the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme for smaller businesses; and the Job Retention Scheme which helps you protect your workforce.

You’ve probably looked into these before, but some schemes have been improved upon and extended, so it’s worth using this time to double-check the financial support you could be eligible for.

If you need help with maintenance or compliance during lockdown and beyond, contact our friendly team – we’ll be happy to talk through any legal obligations you need support with, or arrange site visits where possible to assist with any servicing or repairs you might need.

Get expert help

Similar blogs you may like

Loading...
  • Testimonials

Enhancing laundry at Sidney Sussex College

  • 25th Nov 2024
Discover how Sidney Sussex college worked closely with JLA's Circuit Go platform to plan and manage a full upgrade for the site.
  • General

Investing in the future of care at Berkley

  • 12th Nov 2024
JLA’s commitment to social value includes supporting people and businesses within our communities. This year, we contributed £49,500 from our apprenticeship levy to fund essential staff training and development at Berkley, a UK Top Employer and operator of 12 luxury care homes across England.

The risk of infections spread by contamination is an ever-present concern for many businesses. And for a number of hospitals – and those looking to meet laundry guidelines for care homes – one of the major tools in the battle against contamination has proven to be an ozone washer system – which uses a natural gas to kill 99.999% of infections.

What is an ozone laundry system?

An ozone laundry disinfection system uses safe O3 gas at low temperatures instead of high heat or chemicals that can damage garments and linen fabrics. Harnessing the natural power of ozone, this innovative way of washing kills bacteria, moulds, yeasts and viruses and eliminates the risk of cross-infection in laundry.

The process provides disinfection verification for audit trails and inspection documentation, with simple controls to ensure effective use. O3 itself leaves a pleasant fragrance, and leaves towels fluffier that traditional methods will.

How does ozone laundry work?

By converting ‘free’ air from around the washing machine into 90% oxygen, splitting this into ozone and injecting particles into a wash, the system removes the need for water heating and safely lifts stains out of fibres while the natural gas eliminates the smallest trace of harmful bacteria. Natural disinfection also eliminates wastage on the balance sheet, cutting detergent, energy and water costs by up to 35%.

Watch our ‘How OTEX works’ guide here.

Why choose an ozone washer system?

For healthcare organisations, OTEX’s built-in validation provides the means to prove that their methods meet ‘Essential Quality Requirements’ as well as ‘Best Practices’, as set out by the new Choice Framework for local Policy and Procedure (HTM 01-04).

9 ozone laundry benefits for your business >>

With the ability to print ‘disinfection verification receipts’, OTEX users can comply with the guideline that “linen should be processed using a disinfection cycle complying with the specified level of reduction in bacteriological contamination and this process will be required to be validated”. Training is provided by JLA and advice is also given on how to categorise contaminated or soiled linen, as well as the handling of laundered items.

Easy installation

OTEX machines from JLA are installed on-site, with a Total Care package that provides 7-day breakdown cover for your commercial laundry equipment and a 24/7 helpline, ensuring businesses have total peace of mind that their laundry system is both effective and reliable.

Find out more about OTEX ozone disinfection >>

Case study: York Hospital

York Hospital, the flagship hospital of York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, installed the OTEX ozone disinfection system for the disinfection of their microfibre cloths and mops as part of its plan to bring Domestic Services back in-house.

Wendy Dale, domestic services manager at York Hospital, says:

“Microfibre mops and cloths basically act like magnets for bacteria. What impressed us most about JLA was their OTEX innovation. The system’s ability to thoroughly disinfect and also reduce costs was a major factor when it came to choosing them as our supplier.”

“The OTEX washer system uses mostly cold water and faster wash cycles, dramatically reducing utility and detergent costs, and cutting labour bills by saving time.”

“Our laundry is in operation round the clock seven days a week, processing over 4,000 microfibre mops and cloths a day,” continues Wendy, “so being able to save energy was vital. JLA actually metered the electricity supply to the laundry and established that OTEX was saving us 82% compared to a conventional laundry. An added bonus is that we are using half as much detergent because of the way the system processes laundry.”

The disinfection system is so successful that York Hospital bosses recently announced the passing of a year without a patient acquiring the MRSA superbug infection.

Similar blogs you may like

Loading...
JLA auto-dosing pump
  • Laundry

Exploring the benefits of auto-dosing pumps

  • 17th Apr 2025
Automatic detergent dispensers are a proven way to maintain quality and reduce wastage in your laundry room, keeping your costs, and carbon footprint, as small as possible.
  • Laundry

Enhancing the laundry room set-up in professional football clubs

  • 16th Apr 2025
Football stadiums and training grounds have numerous challenges in the laundry room. Whether it is balancing tough grass stains and keeping the kits comfortable for players or reducing infection risks whilst maintaining fast turnarounds, there are numerous key considerations.

The latest Hospitality Report from accountancy firm Gerald Edelman has revealed that food accounted for more than 25% of pub sales in 2018/19 and the food-led pub industry will be worth a huge £19.5billion within the next 5 years.

By choosing the right commercial catering equipment and ‘heavy-duty’ kitchen appliances, there are ways to maximise your existing space, make it cost-effective and manage your processes more efficiently. Take a look below for the most important factors to consider when selecting kitchen equipment.

Key things to consider when selecting commercial appliances for your kitchen...

Is your equipment suitable for a commercial kitchen?

It goes without saying that you should never use domestic equipment in commercial kitchens.

Not only are such appliances unable to keep up with the day-to-day demands of professional kitchens, but understandably, most manufacturers won’t honour warranties for products designed for domestic use when used for commercial purposes.

Are your kitchen appliances fit for purpose?

Will your catering equipment be able to meet demand and produce food in the quantities you require?

As well as the size and quality of the kit, also consider its power capabilities. Less powerful equipment is unlikely to be able to keep up, while you could end up shelling out more on maintenance costs due to regular breakdowns.

Discover the benefits of a commercial combi oven

Are they energy efficient?

When it comes to kitchen equipment, rather than focusing on the up-front expense, it pays to consider the whole lifetime cost.

Commercial kitchens consume approximately 2.5 times more energy per square foot than any other commercial space. However, significant savings can be achieved by using energy-efficient appliances. Indeed, energy efficient kitchen equipment could result in a 20% reduction on your utility bills, delivering savings that drive straight to your bottom line.

Does your equipment meet current and impending legislative requirements?

Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) is legislation that could actually save your business money.

MEPs for commercial refrigeration products aim to steer us all towards more energy efficient models, with the efficiency of refrigeration products tested and ranked on a scale of A-G. All commercial kitchen operators should now consider upgrading their equipment to help lower costs.

Do your commercial appliances meet food safety requirements?

There are more than a million cases of food poisoning a year in the UK. Many of these cases are the result of eating food prepared in a professional kitchen.

It is an offence to ‘render food injurious to health’ or to sell food that does not meet safety requirements – with severe penalties, including unlimited fines, or even imprisonment for failure to comply. Specially designed catering equipment such as blast chillers can help ensure this legislation is met, reducing your exposure to risk, looking after the health of your customers, and protecting your hard-earned reputation. You can read our guide to the Food Safety Act here.

Are your commercial kitchen appliances future-proof?

If your business has ambitious expansion plans, will your catering equipment grow with you or hold you back?

Once you’ve selected the kitchen equipment you want, also check to make sure a new model isn’t coming out anytime soon. If it is, is it worth waiting a couple of months to secure the new kit? If not, can your current model be upgraded, or will it become obsolete and/or difficult to maintain and find replacement parts for?

Will your equipment fit?

Consider your existing space and how any new commercial kitchen appliances will work alongside your current layout.

Where space is at a premium, modular kitchen equipment may offer a more practical solution. Likewise, multi-functional items such as combi-ovens provide an excellent space saving solution.

Can your commercial appliances cope with emerging food trends and dietary requirements?

The food and catering industry in the UK has changed dramatically over the last few years in the face of changing dietary requirements, allergies, and food intolerances.

As such, today’s commercial kitchens must be structured in a way to avoid cross contamination and cater for broader customer tastes. Today’s commercial kitchens should have a layout that means you can avoid cross contamination when using ingredients like nuts, eggs, wheat and other common allergens. Fryers carry a particularly high risk of allergen cross-contamination, and it only takes a minuscule amount of an ingredient to cause an allergic reaction. In many cases, planning for separate or twin tank fryers is recommended.

Does renting commercial kitchen appliances make financial sense?

In many cases, renting equipment may end up making far more sense than purchasing outright, particularly if this includes a regular maintenance package to keep your kit in top-notch condition. Rental options may also make long-term sense – allowing you to upgrade with the needs of your business – without any significant up-front financial outlay.

How much will your kit cost you to maintain?

Keeping your catering equipment in perfect working order isn’t just essential for ensuring food quality and consistency; it’s business critical. As such, maintenance costs should always be taken into account when choosing new kitchen equipment.

It’s a false economy to wait until something goes wrong; with the expense of calling out an engineer every time you have a problem far exceeding the costs of regular maintenance. Not to mention the impact of unnecessary downtime. Likewise, you should always consider the reliability of any equipment, and whether, if it breaks down, it will be easy to source replacement parts.

Find out about our unique Total Care subscription package

Are you considering upgrading your catering equipment to help improve hygiene standards and protect your valuable reputation? Find out how you can do just that – while saving money:

Contact our experts

Similar blogs you may like

Loading...
  • Catering

Commercial catering equipment guide for football clubs

  • 16th Apr 2025
Football clubs and stadiums use a wide range of catering equipment for day-to-day operations. From hospitality suites to the stadium bar and training ground kitchens to on-site event venues, a host of reliable and efficient catering equipment is critical.
  • Testimonials

Kitchen upgrades kick off a new FM partnership with Pinnacle Group

  • 15th Apr 2025
Learn how JLA helped Pinnacle Group with the installation of equipment ranging from energy-saving combi ovens to custom fabrications like stainless steel tables, hand wash stations and janitorial sinks.

Recent Posts

  • New SCA white paper: smoke control maintenance for compliance
  • Your useful guide to LEV systems
  • How to maximise the benefits of CCTV in your business
  • Exploring the benefits of auto-dosing pumps
  • What is sick building syndrome, and how can we prevent it?

Recent Comments

    Archives

    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • December 2021
    • April 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • February 2020
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • July 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • January 2019
    • September 2018
    • May 2018
    • October 2017
    • August 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • August 2016
    • May 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • March 2015
    • January 2015
    • November 2014
    • May 2014

    Categories

    • Catering
    • Energy saving
    • Fire safety
    • General
    • HVAC
    • Hygiene
    • Laundry
    • Testimonials

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org
    Need help? Call us on

    01422822282

    Facebook Linkedin
    About JLA
    • Who we are
    • Careers
    • ESG at JLA
    • Accreditations
    • Blog
    • Total Care from JLA
    • Testimonials
    • Who we are
    • Careers
    • ESG at JLA
    • Accreditations
    • Blog
    • Total Care from JLA
    • Testimonials
    Solutions
    • Commercial laundry equipment
    • Catering equipment
    • HVAC
    • Fire safety
    • Infection Control
    • Commercial laundry equipment
    • Catering equipment
    • HVAC
    • Fire safety
    • Infection Control
    Sectors
    • Care Homes
    • Construction
    • NHS & Healthcare
    • Health clubs
    • Holiday parks
    • Hospitality
    • Hotels & spas
    • Housing
    • Facilities management
    • Football clubs
    • Pubs & restaurants
    • Equine and Stables
    • Vets & animal care
    • More sectors
    • Care Homes
    • Construction
    • NHS & Healthcare
    • Health clubs
    • Holiday parks
    • Hospitality
    • Hotels & spas
    • Housing
    • Facilities management
    • Football clubs
    • Pubs & restaurants
    • Equine and Stables
    • Vets & animal care
    • More sectors
    • Privacy & cookies
    • Terms & conditions
    • Modern slavery
    • Covid-19
    • Responsibility
    • Site map
    • Privacy & cookies
    • Terms & conditions
    • Modern slavery
    • Covid-19
    • Responsibility
    • Site map

    Talk to our experts today

    Find out more By providing your email address we can send you information about JLA's products & services and special offers which we think might be of interest to you.
    Keeping your information safe >>