12. Cleanliness

Allowances will be made if the facility is in use at the time of the inspection. It is inevitable that because of the tumble dryers, there will be a certain amount of dust about - but an assessment is made of whether it has been allowed to accumulate or not.

Positive Aspects:
A high standard of cleanliness and overall attention to detail, with floors, ceilings or roof voids, ledges, pipework, light fittings, extractor fans, interiors and exteriors of all installed machines all in pristine condition.

Windows clean and well presented both inside and out.

Soap dispensers on washing machines and fluff collectors in the tumble dryers clean and well presented.

Negative Aspects:
Neglected inaccessible areas e.g. under and behind machines, corners high and low, dusty ledges.

Unclean greasy sinks or dirty long-term cobwebs and dirty skirting board or walls.

Unclean seating or shelving, fly marked or long term dusty lighting.

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13. Interior layout and maintenance of facility

Positive Aspects:
The free space available is considered. There should be sufficient room for people to move around comfortably and pass each other going from one piece of equipment to another albeit the doors to the machines are open.

After using the machines, people should have space and worktops to easily fold and bag the clothing.

A good level of lighting taking into account both natural and artificial lighting. 

Good ventilation, bearing in mind the use of the tumble dryer/s.

Well maintained and protected electrical connections.

The facility should be well maintained with sound flooring and wall coverings.

Negative Aspects:
When using the ironing board, use of it is obstructed or it obstructs the use of other equipment. 

When sinks are in an uncovered area. 

Faded and peeling paintwork, worn marked or torn floor covering. 

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14. Range of equipment

For maximum marks each of the following should be provided:

• Sinks for hand washing
• Washing Machine
• Spin Dryer
• Tumble Dryer
• Irons
• Ironing Board
• Laundry Basket
• Chairs/seating
• Flat surfaces
• Refuse bins
• Hooks
• Ashtrays or no smoking signs

A spin cycle on a washing machine is acceptable as an alternative to a spin dryer.

Ironing boards and irons may be in situ or available for hire in which case there should be a notice to this effect. 

Laundry baskets or bowls are required to be used to transfer washing from one machine to another.

A table or flat surface is required on which to fold clothes. The tops of machines, ironing boards, or chairs are not acceptable for this purpose.

Hooks are required to hang coats or ironed clothes. Some parks will provide a rail for ironed clothes and this is acceptable, but a hook will still be required to hang an outdoor coat on.

If smoking is permitted, an ashtray should be made available. Alternatively there must be a no smoking sign. 

When any of the above items is missing, their relative importance is considered. A missing ashtray or notice would not be considered so important as the total absence of ironing facilities. The total range is the issue rather than each individual item.

All items would be required for a full score, with concession likely to be made if a relatively less important item is temporarily missing. One or two items missing would generally see a score of 8/10, three or four would generally result in 7/10 etc.

Where there is a facility which serves one specific purpose such as an ironing room, drying room or washing lines, the Quality Advisor would not expect to find the full range of facilities but the assessment will be made of cleanliness, quality and maintenance of the facility etc. as appropriate i.e. ''Range of Equipment'' is not applicable in this instance.

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15. Quality and maintenance of equipment

In assessing provision the Quality Advisor will bear in mind the likely use of the facility.

Positive Aspects:
Machinery which is in good working order and well maintained.

Provision of clear simple instructions on use of the equipment.

Particular attention is paid to the ironing board cover and the sole of the iron. They should be clean and suitable for use.

For the convenience of the customer it is better to have an iron and board in situ and available for use than to be required to fetch it from reception or from the owners home. The facility can be provided with or without extra charge.

Negative Aspects:
Broken, poorly maintained, rusting, marked, graffiti covered or leaky equipment. Equipment which is only TEMPORARILY out of order is accepted and this would be recorded on the assessment form.

Damaged or marked tables, seating or baskets.

Broken sinks without draining boards, damaged, rotting or broken draining boards, missing plugs and plug chains. 

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