If you audit a laundry business by only looking at the Cash Register, you are seeing only 50% of the picture. The real story is hidden in the trash cans, the hanger racks, and the electricity meter.
You cannot wash a suit without electricity. You cannot deliver a suit without a Hanger and a Polybag. If these resources are missing, the revenue is missing too.
Part 1: The Consumables Audit (Hangers & Bags)
This is the easiest way to catch theft because hangers and polybags (shoppers) are physical items. Staff often forget that these items leave a trail.
The "In-Out" Logic
To deliver a washed item, the staff MUST use packing material. Therefore:
Hangers Consumed = Garments Delivered
Step-by-Step Hanger Audit:
- Opening Stock: Count hangers at the start of the week (e.g., 500).
- Purchases: Add new hangers bought during the week (e.g., +200).
- Closing Stock: Count hangers at the end of the week (e.g., 400).
- Actual Consumption: 500 + 200 - 400 = 300 Hangers Used.
If your "Actual Consumption" is 300 Hangers, but your computer system shows only 250 Garments Delivered, then 50 Garments were washed off-the-record.
Revenue Loss: 50 x Avg Price = Stolen Money.
Part 2: The Chemical Audit (Detergents & Solvents)
Staff often steal expensive solvents (Perc, Softeners) or use them for personal washing. Since liquids are hard to count, we use the "Variance Tolerance" method.
| Service Type | Standard Usage | Allowed Variance |
|---|---|---|
| Dry Cleaning (Suit) | 50ml Solvent | +/- 5% |
| Washing (10kg Load) | 200g Detergent | +/- 10% |
How to audit: Weigh your detergent drums every Monday. If the consumption is 20kg, but the orders booked only justify 12kg of usage, you have a massive leak. Either staff is wasting material, or they are doing "Ghost Washing."
Part 3: The Energy Audit (Electricity & Gas)
This is my favorite method because it uses Physics. I have written a detailed case study on this here, but here is the summary:
- The Baseline: A laundry shop consumes ~4 Units (kWh) on standby (lights/fans).
- The Machine Load: Every extra unit consumed correlates to specific revenue.
- The Formula:
Total Units / Total Orders.
If your ratio spikes from 1.5 kWh/Order to 3.0 kWh/Order, it means machines are running, electricity is burning, but no orders are being entered in the computer.
Part 4: The Tagging System Audit
Every garment that enters the shop MUST be tagged immediately. The most common theft trick is "Delayed Tagging."
The Trick: Staff takes clothes from a customer, washes them, takes cash, and returns them without ever putting a tag.
The Solution: "The Mystery Shopper"
Send a friend to drop off clothes. If they receive a handwritten slip instead of a computer-printed tag, fire the manager immediately. A handwritten slip is the biggest proof of theft.
The Ultimate Laundry Audit Checklist
Use this checklist every Monday morning to keep your business 100% leak-proof.
- Inventory Reconciliation: Match Hangers/Bags used vs. Orders Delivered.
- Meter Check: Calculate Efficiency Ratio (Units/Orders).
- Chemical Weight: Weigh the Perc/Detergent drums.
- Tag Inspection: Check the racks. Is there any garment hanging without a Tag?
- Cancelled Orders: Pull a report of "Cancelled/Deleted" orders. Why were they deleted?
