Laura Flöter, Wonderland lost. New Material Collages
31. July 2019Down Town Gallery. A Krefeld bunker becomes a place of art for street art.
28. August 2019“Wipe, wash …”
“I love to walk so much
To the laundromat with you.
Because you have an idea of all the technology,
Which I don’t think I ever get.”
The BAP song “Waschsalon” (“Laundromat”) from 1981 was a real hit at that time and became a real top title for legendary parties, but it belongs to the lyrics that BAP singer Wolfgang Niedecken later distanced himself from. “Too flat, underexposed”, without any deep reason and not quite fitting to the political and cultural claim of the band, he said in an interview in 2008. Quite understandable. “Wipe, wasch…” it says in the refrain.
News from the laundry hell
Actually, washing as an activity is not one of the topics that captivate audiences and fill entire stadiums. You have to, but it’s not a real conversation highlight in itself. The washing machine and dryer, prewash and spin cycle aren’t that spectacular after all. Neither at home nor with us at our hotel. Only the quantity changes spectacularly. Towels, bed linen, tablecloths and covers, dry cloths and cleaning cloths. In a hotel there is always a lot of laundry. In the rooms, in the breakfast room and in the kitchen. Every day.
We give our guests bed linen and table linen to the laundry of our trust for washing and ironing, but there are still sheer mountains of laundry (yes, mountains!) left for us to take care of ourselves. The location: our laundry cellar, with several machines, washing machines and dryers. Washing, drying, folding, folding, perhaps also ironing. And because the whole thing is connected with a lot of work (and a lot of lugging!) we also like to speak here self-pitying of the “hell of laundry”. And each of us knows what is meant. On very hot summer days, however, the washing cellar is an extremely popular place: it is pleasantly cool.
Our laundry has to be hygienically clean and well-groomed “at the start” for our guests. This important task is beyond question. And we can’t get past the “laundry hell”.
But it is just as important to approach this task with a maximum of environmental compatibility. And we have given a lot of thought to the “how” and “with what”. What makes the laundry thoroughly and hygienically fresh and clean, and at the same time protects our environment?
Our “Machinery”
In fact, it starts with the selection of the devices. We work with professional, correspondingly larger washing machines and dryers of the highest energy efficiency class. Our electricity for our machines (not only for this, but at all!) is eco-electricity from 100% renewable energies .
We decided very early on for a water softener. Because our water is very hard due to the Rhine filtrate in the drinking water. Our water softener ensures that our water is much softer. Significantly less lime. We notice this when we clean and clean the bathrooms, on the appliances in the kitchen, and because we don’t need any softener in the detergent for our laundry. And that protects the environment: the softener that is not needed in the first place.
Washing with the “modular principle”
We do not wash with conventional detergents made from ready-to-use mixtures. These premixed detergents always contain everything at once: detergent, softener, bleach and fabric softener. No matter if and how much of these individual components you need at all.
Much doesn’t always help much. On the contrary, it only harms the environment unnecessarily. We tried many things and finally decided on a detergent of Sonett. Detergents, bleaching agents and laundry detergents come separately here, and we can use all “modules” independently of each other to the extent necessary in each case.
Depending on the degree of soiling of the laundry, the local water hardness and any stubborn stains present, the individual “building blocks” are added, so that all components are used independently of each other only to the extent really necessary.
Module No 1 is a detergent powder developed especially for the catering trade. With organic vegetable oil soap, without enzymes, without genetic engineering. With high washing power, also suitable for very heavy soiling. And 100% biodegradable. Module 2 is a washing booster. This is an additive for heavily soiled laundry that increases the protein and fat dissolving power of the detergent. Module 3 is a laundry washer. It refreshes the colours, smoothes the fibres and softens the laundry. Important for allergy sufferers: Removes detergent residues and neutralises the pH value of textiles with natural citric acid. It is fragrance neutral, without essential oils, and 100% biodegradable.
For stubborn stains, we also have special products such as gall soap and stain spray. These help with various stains such as fat, protein, cocoa, ballpoint pen, and everything else that can end up as a stain in textiles. And these products are also 100% biodegradable.
Not only for detergents consequently
In short, the laundry gets clean and looks neat. What we also like is that the manufacturer Sonett has been thinking a lot about ecology and sustainability for over forty years. So they are real eco pioneers from the very beginning, so to speak. With all consequence. The company does not use raw materials from petrochemicals, but instead relies on complete biodegradability. There are no products or components from genetic engineering, no enzymes, and the oils and essential oils used are from organic cultivation. At Sonett, sustainability does not stop with the actual product, but is actually comprehensive and reflected. Not only as a “nice text” on the informative homepage, but also in direct contact and friendly conversation. And that without any “Green Washing” and without any pleasing “Sustainability Blabla”, but informative and competent. It has convinced us.
And only for info
We don’t get percentages or discounts from Sonett or other manufacturers. And we choose all our products ourselves. We pay all products at full price and do not enjoy any special treatment. But we are simply of the opinion that we should talk about good things that convince us.