“Laundry is cheaper.”

It’s an understandable conclusion. Cotton towels can be washed and reused, so comparing the price of a reusable towel with a fresh towel for every client can make traditional laundry look like the cheaper option.

But the purchase price of the towel isn't the full cost of laundry.

To make a fair comparison, you need to look at what it actually costs your salon to get a clean, dry towel ready for every client.

That means factoring in staff time, water, electricity, laundry products, equipment and replacing towels — not just the initial cost of the towel.

So, what should you include when running the numbers?

1. Staff time

This is one of the easiest laundry costs to overlook.

Someone needs to:

• collect used towels

• load and unload the washing machine or prepare for laundry collection

• transfer towels to the dryer or hang them

• fold them

• store them

• make sure clean towels are available throughout the day

It might be fitted in between clients or completed at the beginning or end of the day, but it's still staff time.

Even one hour spent on laundry each working day adds up to hundreds of hours over the course of a year.

Ask yourself: How many paid staff hours does your salon spend managing towels every week?

Then multiply that by your actual hourly employment cost.

2. Water

Every load of towels requires water.

The amount will depend on your washing machine, while the cost will depend on your local water provider.

Rather than relying on a generic estimate, check the water consumption of your machine and look at how many loads you're actually running.

For example:

Litres per wash × loads per week × 52 weeks

That will give you a much clearer picture of how much water your towel laundry requires each year.

3. Electricity

Washing is only part of the process.

You may also be using electricity to heat the water and, if you're tumble drying, to get towels dry and back into circulation quickly.

Again, the easiest way to understand the cost is to look at the energy consumption of your own washing machine and dryer alongside your current electricity tariff.

A small cost per load can become a much larger operating expense when multiplied across every working week of the year.

4. Detergent and laundry products

Then there are the products needed to keep reusable towels clean.

Depending on your setup, that could include:

• laundry detergent

• stain treatments

• additional cleaning products

Hair colour and other salon treatments can be particularly hard on towels, potentially increasing both cleaning requirements and the frequency with which towels need replacing.

Individually these costs may not seem significant, but they still belong in your total laundry calculation.

5. Washing machines and dryers

Already own your washing machine and dryer?

They're still costing the business money.

Machines need servicing and repairs, and eventually they need to be replaced.

If your salon is running multiple loads of towels throughout the week, it's worth including these equipment costs when comparing laundry with a towel system that doesn't require washing and drying.

6. Replacing cotton towels

Reusable doesn't mean permanent.

Salon towels are regularly exposed to:

• hair colour

• bleach

• chemicals

• repeated washing and drying

• everyday wear and tear

Over time, stained, damaged or worn towels need replacing.

Look at what you've actually spent replacing towels over the last 12 months. It may be more than you think.

So, what does one clean towel really cost?

This is where the comparison becomes much more useful.

Instead of asking:

“How much does a cotton towel cost compared with an Easydry towel?”

Ask:

“What does it cost my business to provide one clean, dry towel for one client?”

For reusable towels, your calculation should include:

Staff time + Water + Electricity + Laundry products + Equipment/maintenance + Replacement towels

Add those costs together and divide them by the number of towels your salon uses.

That gives you a much more realistic cost per clean towel.

What about Easydry?

Easydry works differently.

A fresh towel is used for each client, removing the need to wash, dry and fold that towel afterwards.

There is:

• no towel washing

• no towel drying

• no laundry detergent for towels

• no folding

• no stained towel to replace

• no towel waiting to come out of the dryer during a busy day

Instead, you have a predictable cost for each fresh towel you use.

That can make it easier to understand your towel cost per service and remove a time-consuming process from the working day.

And there’s an environmental benefit too

Removing towel laundry doesn’t just remove an operational task — it also removes the water and energy used to wash and dry those towels after every client.

Easydry towels are made from FSC-certified fibres and are certified compostable, giving salons an alternative that combines operational efficiency with environmental benefits.

So when comparing towel systems, it’s worth considering more than cost alone: water, energy, waste and the overall environmental impact of your towel routine all matter too.

Laundry vs Easydry: are you comparing like with like?

With traditional towel laundry	With Easydry
Purchase and replacement of towels	Predictable cost per towel
Staff time managing laundry	No towel laundry
Water for washing	No water used laundering towels
Electricity for washing/drying	No energy used laundering towels
Detergent and laundry products	No towel laundry products
Washing/drying equipment	No laundry equipment required for towels
Equipment servicing and repairs	No towel-laundry equipment maintenance
Washing, drying, folding and storing	Fresh towel ready for each client

 

This doesn't mean the answer will be identical for every salon. Your costs depend on your size, staffing, towel usage, equipment and laundry routine. That's exactly why it's worth running your own numbers.

A simple way to calculate your salon's laundry cost

Start with these questions:

1. How many towels do you use each week?

Don't estimate based on how many towels you own. Look at how many actually go through the laundry.

2. How many loads of laundry does that create?

Check your average week rather than your busiest or quietest.

3. How much staff time does laundry take?

Include collecting, loading, unloading, drying, folding and putting towels away.

4. What are you paying for water and electricity?

Use your actual bills and tariffs where possible.

5. How much do you spend on laundry products?

Look at your detergent and other laundry-related purchases.

6. What does your equipment cost?

Include servicing, repairs and eventual replacement.

7. How much do you spend replacing towels?

Check your purchases over the last year.

Add everything together.

You now have a much better picture of what laundry is actually costing your business.

Is laundry cheaper?

Maybe.

For some salons and some operating models, it could be.

For others, once staff time and the complete laundry process are included, the calculation can look very different.

The important thing is not to make the decision based solely on the fact that a cotton towel can be reused.

Compare the total cost of getting a clean towel onto every client.

That's the number that matters.

Want to run the numbers for your salon?

If you're currently using cotton towels, have recently moved back to laundry, or simply want to understand whether your existing system still makes financial sense, the Orb Distribution team can help you compare your current setup with Easydry.

Have an idea of your weekly towel usage, number of laundry loads and staff time spent managing towels, and we can help you look at the costs relevant to your business.

Talk to the Orb Distribution team about your salon's towel costs.

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Every salon operates differently. Laundry costs vary according to staffing, equipment, utility tariffs, towel usage and operating practices. Any comparison should therefore be based on your business's actual costs rather than general industry estimates.