Behind the Scenes: Lots of Laundry!

In a new series on our blog, we are taking you behind the scenes of Helping Hounds Dog Rescue by sharing more about the people, processes, programs, and partners involved in running our organization.  

The hundreds of dogs we welcome into our facility each month bring not only never-ending joy, but also never-ending laundry. We like to make sure all of our dogs are comfortable and cozy in their kennels, which usually means a sheet and/or blanket for each bed (especially during the winter). We change the linens as needed, such as when paws get muddy, water buckets get spilled, or accidents are had, which is common among our young puppies. We use a lot of towels when giving baths and cleaning, and we wash toys, stuffies, and sweaters/coats as they get used by any given dog. Our dogs’ hygiene and safety is paramount, so we are always monitoring when things need to be washed or cleaned.

At our old building on Kinne Road, we relied on two sets of standard residential washing machines and dryers in two cramped rooms. Our volunteers kept the laundry going all day, and 10 to 20 loads per day was pretty typical. As a result, we wore out washers and dryers fairly often, which left us scrambling to find replacements. Any time we went a day or two or three without a washer or dryer, we quickly fell behind on the never-ending mountain of laundry.

We are so grateful to have a new spacious laundry room, affectionately referred to as the Laundromutt, in our new building, which has made the process of doing laundry much easier! Knowing the importance of laundry to the daily life of our rescue, we allocated a larger space so we could fit a commercial washer and dryer as well as several large shelving units in which to store clean, folded sheets, blankets, and towels. We are now able to do 40 pounds of laundry at once (comparable to 4-5 loads in our old residential machines), which has increased our efficiency.

We are looking for a sponsor for our beautiful Laundromutt. This is one of the few remaining naming opportunities in our new building and a great way to support our life-saving mission while leaving your mark at the rescue. The sponsor’s name will be added to our Laundromutt sign (in a high-traffic area) in appreciation of the donation. To learn more about sponsoring a naming opportunity, click here or contact our Executive Director Kathy Gilmour.