The challenges of operating a non-profit service dog organization are many. And then there’s laundry – blankets, towels and bedding. Speed Queen saw this as one challenge we wanted to tackle for Custom Canines Service Dog Academy in Madison, Wis. We placed our TR7 top load washer and matching DR7, with new dedicated pet cycles, at the facility for the ultimate test of the cycles and our commercial quality.
“The quality definitely stands out,” said Nicole Meadowcroft, president of Custom Canines, of the first impression her team had of the commercial quality of the new machines. However, first impressions don’t get things clean and remove dog hair.
No more wet dog smell battles
On the wash side, Meadowcroft said she and the organization’s staff noted immediately the freshness.
“The towels come out smelling clean, not like wet dog,” she said, adding that in the past staff would utilize enzymes and would still need to wash towels and other items up to three times to rid them of that ‘dog smell.’
“In my opinion, this is a huge win.”
With a variety of breeds being trained, including golden retrievers, labs, and German shepherds, or as Meadowcroft calls them, German “shedders,” removing dog hair from loads is a major challenge. But, Speed Queen’s dryer pet cycles compliment the top load TR7 to deliver exceptional results. Running the DR7’s pet hair removal cycle before washing has worked flawlessly.
“I never see the gobs of hair left in the [Speed Queen] washer like I did in the other washer…that’s impressive to me,” she said.
The Speed Queen duo has also impressed on the dry side as well.
One dry cycle efficiency
“We haven’t had to re-run a load in the dryer,” Meadowcroft said, adding that previously, staff would need to empty the lint filter of hair multiple times and go through additional dry cycles. “I’ve been super impressed…it’s saving us a lot of time.”
Meadowcroft liked the savings the new washer and dryer have brought in terms of efficiency (not wasting water or utilities by washing and drying loads multiple times), which also drives greater productivity, while dedicated pet cycles on the dryer eliminates guesswork on processing loads. These are all important benefits for a non-profit relying on donations.
“So far, we are thrilled.”
Custom Canines places 18 to 30 service dogs a year, working with people of a variety of disabilities, including children with autism, those in wheelchairs, those who are visually impaired, and military veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress. To learn more about the organization or donate, visit customcanines.org.