As a restaurant manager, you know that keeping your team’s front of house aprons clean is essential to maintaining a professional appearance.
But washing and drying those aprons can be time-consuming and frustrating, especially if they’re not washed correctly. Luckily, there are some easy steps you can take to save time and frustration when it comes to washing your team’s front of house aprons.
Let’s take a look at how to do that.
Step 1: Place both waist straps of the apron together lengthwise. Holding the straps together, fold the straps in half lengthwise.
Step 2: Now that the straps are half their usual length, loop tie the apron straps together to create a knot. Pull the knot together tightly ensuring that the straps won't come undone when placed on a high spin cycle. Don't make the knot too tight as you need to undo the knot when the straps are wet.
Step 3: Wash the aprons on a 40 degree wash with a 800 revolution spin cycle. Washing on this cycle ensures that all dirt and food particles are removed from fabric while still being gentle enough so as not to damage fabrics or materials used in making your team's Front-of-house aprons.
Step 4: When the wash cycle is complete, remove the aprons from the washing machine, undo the knot and open up each apron individually before placing them on your clothes line or drying rack to air dry naturally. By not tumble drying them, you will help prevent any shrinking of materials due to over exposure to heat from tumble drying machines which can cause irreparable shrinkage.
Extra tips
Sort the washing:
Ensuring front of house aprons are kept clean and nicely presented is imperative for a professional working environment. To make the washing process easier, it's recommended to sort your aprons according to colour prior to washing them.
Separate the dark colours from the light ones to prevent any unwelcome colour bleeding that could occur. This small effort will save you time and help protect garments while preventing frustration in the long run.
Soaking and Prewash
When it comes to your aprons, care is key!
There is no need to soak your aprons before washing and you definitely don't want to bleach them.
Bleach should never be used - it will not only turn your aprons pink but also cause them to deteriorate quickly. Additionally, pay attention to the type of products used when soaking - sodium percarbonate should definitely be avoided because it can start to destroy cotton which comes into contact with the metal buckles. Finally, fabric softener should not be added either. Although fabric softener makes clothes feel softer by coating them with a waxy residue, this severely impacts their ability to absorb water and perspiration properly. Therefore, it's good practice for both hygiene and longevity sake that you refrain from using fabric softener when washing your items.
Temperature
Taking proper care of your front-of-house aprons is key for keeping them in good condition. Make sure to always check the washcare label and follow the instructions - washing the aprons at the correct temperature is essential. Most aprons can be washed in a standard 40-degree machine wash, however, do not go any higher as this could result in shrinkage or fading of the material.
Additionally, avoid tumble dryers - it's best to line dry them either outside in indirect sunlight or inside on an airer. Taking proper care of your garments will ensure they will last long and keep you looking professional!
Conclusion:
Keeping your team’s front of house aprons clean doesn’t need to be time consuming or frustrating. By following these simple steps - placing both waist strap of an apron together lengthwise; loop tying them into knots; washing them on a 40 degree wash with an 800 revolution spin cycle; and opening each one individually before placing them on a clothes line or drying rack - you can save yourself time and frustration while still keeping your team looking their best!
To learn more about removing stubborn stains from your team's Front-of-house aprons, read our ‘How To Remove Stains & Wash Garments' article for more tips!
Cream Collection has premium quality, front-of-house aprons and hospitality wear for your restaurant and hotel teams.
View our range of FOH workwear and aprons online today and place your order.