Industrial Washing Machines South Africa

A useful starting point: budget approximately 3–5 kg of linen per occupied room per day (towels, bed linen, staff uniforms). A 60-room hotel at 80% occupancy processes roughly 145–240 kg/day, pointing to a 22–36 kg washer-extractor or two 18 kg machines in parallel. Small to medium hotels typically need 9–18 kg machines; large properties with 100+ rooms generally require 36 kg models or a bank of machines. Unicorp assesses your room count, linen types, and daily throughput before recommending the right configuration. Contact us for a free capacity assessment.

Hardmount machines (like the Speed Queen SC Series and Girbau RM Series) are bolted to a concrete floor and extract at up to 200G. They are lower-cost to install and suited to ground-floor concrete slabs. Softmount machines (Speed Queen SY Series, Girbau HS Series) use internal spring or hydraulic suspension to absorb spin vibration – they require no floor anchoring and extract at up to 400G. Higher extraction force removes significantly more moisture before drying, cutting tumble-dryer run time and total energy cost per load. Softmounts are also preferred for upper-floor installations where floor vibration must be minimised.

A barrier washer-extractor (also called a pass-through washer) has two doors on opposite sides of the drum. Soiled linen is loaded through the dirty-side door in a contaminated zone; laundered linen is removed from the clean-side door in a separate hygienic area. The physical separation prevents re-contamination and is the foundation of RABC (EN 14065) compliant laundry operations. Barrier washers are required or strongly recommended for hospitals, clinics, aged-care facilities, food-processing workwear operations, and any laundry where cross-contamination must be demonstrably controlled. Contact Unicorp if you are unsure whether your operation requires barrier washer-extractors.

Medium speed machines (SC Series, Girbau RM) extract at up to 200G and are typically hardmount. High-speed machines (SY Series, Girbau HS) extract at up to 400G and are typically softmount. The higher G-force removes significantly more moisture from linen, which cuts drying time and energy costs. The right choice depends on your floor construction, throughput requirements, and utility costs.

Yes. Unicorp supplies and supports industrial washing machines throughout South Africa – including Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Port Elizabeth – as well as Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and other sub-Saharan markets. Contact us to discuss delivery and installation at your location.

Energy consumption depends on machine capacity, water temperature, and whether the machine uses a variable-speed (inverter) drive. A typical commercial washer-extractor uses between 0.8 kWh (small 9 kg model, cold wash) and 3.5 kWh (36 kg machine, hot wash with heating element) per cycle. Speed Queen’s SY Series inverter drive reduces energy consumption by up to 33% versus fixed-speed motors. At Eskom’s Time-of-Use tariffs, scheduling heavy loads during off-peak hours (typically 22:00–06:00) can meaningfully reduce your monthly electricity bill. Speak with a Unicorp consultant for a running-cost estimate based on your specific throughput and site tariff.

Running costs depend on machine capacity, cycle programming, and your site’s water and electricity tariffs. Speed Queen’s SY Series inverter drive reduces energy consumption by up to 33% versus fixed-speed motors, and OPT moisture sensing cuts unnecessary water use. Girbau’s Aquafall cascade system reduces water consumption by up to 59% per cycle. Speak with a Unicorp consultant for a cost estimate tailored to your planned throughput.

Yes – Speed Queen machines are backed by the manufacturer’s warranty with Unicorp providing local warranty support, spare parts, and technical assistance across South Africa. The SC Series is built and tested to 10,400 cycles, the most rigorous durability standard in the commercial washing machine industry. Contact us for full warranty terms on your selected model.

Yes. Contact Unicorp to request a quote for Speed Queen or Girbau washing machines. Our consultants will discuss your capacity requirements, site conditions, and planned throughput to recommend the right equipment. We can also quote complete laundry room packages including tumble dryers, finishing equipment, and ancillary products.