Fairleads Retirement Village

Established in 1970, Methodist Homes for the Aged look after the wellbeing of nearly 2000 people at 13 locations in the Gauteng and North-Western provinces. As a non-profit organisation MHA enjoys a hard earned reputationas one of South Africa’s most innovative aged care groups providing a high level of service to its residents.

Anita Prinsloo, manager of Fairleads Retirement Village was approached by OTEK in 2013. Anita is always on the lookout for new ways to be moreefficient in the operations in the retirement village. After looking into the potential benefits of ozone Anita instigated a demonstration of the OTEKsystem in their laundry.

In June 2013 the OTEK system was installed on the Ipso 23kg and Speed Queen 14kg washing machines.

Anita was pleasantly surprised by just how well the OTEK system performed. According to Anita, “The results were truly impressive”. ConsequentlyAnita had no hesitation in recommending the OTEK system to her colleagues during their Group Training Session.

Installing the OTEK laundry system has not only delivered cost savings on energy bills but also means that with the shorter washing times achieved with the OTEK system their existing machines can cope with any increases to washing requirements. Reduced time, cold water and lower chemical dosage also means extended linen life, reducing this capital outlay in the future. This is achieved without any fabric softener being used which represents a further saving. A reduction in detergent also means softer linen with no residual chemical left in the linen so it is muchkinder to the residents skin. According to Anita, “Everything is a lot faster, the linen is brighter and softer with a fresh smell.”

Two of the 200 litre hot water geysers were able to be turned off meaning that the laundry is operating purely on cold water. Anita decided to leaveone geyser as a backup and the other one was moved to the hair dresser as they kept running out of hot water when washing the resident’s hair.That is now a problem of the past thus providing a better service for the residents and a saving on any new capital purchase.

To ensure an effective installation and ongoing performance Anita was keen for the OTEK team to schedule regular follow up visits. “OzoneTechnologies helped us make the transition to the new system very smoothly with thorough training for all the laundry staff on the new equipment as well as the revised laundry procedures and processes. I have absolute confidence in the new system and I particularly liked the fact that JCwho initially introduced the system to me was involved in the set up and training of staff rather than seeing lots of different people.”