How RFID works in uniform rental programs

The quick answer

In a uniform rental program, the laundry owns the garments and answers for them. RFID gives every garment a washable UHF tag and links it, in the software, to a wearer and a customer site. Each time the garment passes a read point, at intake, drying, folding and dispatch, the record updates: where it is, how often it has been washed, whether it needs repair, and who it belongs to. The customer gets delivery and return records that come from reads, and the laundry gets the basis for allocation, loss accountability and replacement planning.

How a garment moves through an RFID uniform program

The tag itself carries only an ID number. The link to the wearer and the site lives in the software, so it can be changed when a garment is reassigned, and no personal data is stored on the tag.

What changes for the laundry

• Allocation comes from the read instead of a printed sorting list, so garments reach the right wearer.
• Balances per customer site add up from dispatch and return reads, so loss discussions start from documented figures.
• Wash counts and repair history per garment show what is worth repairing and what should be replaced.
• Purchasing follows actual circulation and wear rather than last year’s stocktake.

With the three key stations, intake, drying and folding, every garment is seen several times per cycle. A garment missed at one station is read at the next, so the data corrects itself.

What changes for the customer

The customer sees what was delivered and what came back, per site and garment type, with the same figures as the laundry. That builds trust and shortens the conversation when garments go missing.

For protective clothing and personal protective equipment, item-level records help as well. Each garment’s use, cleaning cycles, inspections, repairs and maintenance history are recorded automatically, which makes it easier to keep accurate records, schedule required inspections, see which garments need replacing and support compliance with the safety rules that apply.

Where garments are issued through cabinets at the customer site, our tags can be connected to any dispensing system. We also have our own system for issuing garments, and on request we supply the cabinet as well.

Rolling out RFID in a uniform program

The hardware is planned for the whole laundry and the dashboard for the whole RFID set-up. Only the tags start small: with one customer or one product line at one site. Tags go into new garments before they enter circulation, and the tagged share grows as you replace stock. Tagging garments already in circulation is optional and not part of a standard rollout.

• Baseline: garment types, customers, flows and where garments go missing today.
• Tag test: Saphire One, designed for 200 industrial wash cycles, tested on your garments and in your wash programs.
• Read points: intake, drying and folding first, with returns read at the customer site.
• Pilot with one customer or product line, then extend step by step.

Our page on RFID workwear and uniform tracking goes into the read points and the software for rental programs. To plan a program with us, use our enquiry form.