Laundry Cost per Pound Calculator

What is this laundry cost per pound calculator?

Laundry cost per pound divides the operating costs assigned to a processing period by the dry pounds handled during that period. It gives a unit-cost view for budgeting and like-for-like comparisons with outside services.

How to use the calculator

Use dry pounds processed and labor hours from the same period. Enter a loaded hourly rate and the associated supplies, utilities, and allocated overhead. Include only the costs belonging to this workload, and avoid counting the same expense in two fields.

Check the input assumptions

Review the help text beneath each field before calculating. Enter amounts in US dollars where shown and use consistent units. Change one assumption at a time to understand which inputs affect your result.

Formula and worked example

Example calculation

Processing 3,000 dry pounds uses 80 hours at $24, or $1,920 of labor. Add $180 supplies, $300 utilities, and $600 overhead. Total cost is $3,000, equal to $1.00 per dry pound.

These numbers illustrate the calculation; they are not recommended rates or industry benchmarks.

How to interpret your result

Compare costs only when services cover the same scope, such as sorting, washing, drying, finishing, and delivery. A low internal figure may reflect omitted overhead rather than a more efficient operation.

What the estimate leaves out

The result depends on your cost allocation and does not determine a customer price or profit margin. It does not account for missing expenses, linen replacement, losses, or quality differences unless included in the supplied costs.

Frequently asked questions