Workwear - Rent or Buy?

Which option puts you more in control of hygiene standards – buying your own workwear outright or renting it over a period of time?

It’s a topic of discussion we have with companies thinking of switching to a rental service – which is the best option

for their business? Let’s take a look.

Outright purchase

Buying your company workwear outright puts the responsibility of laundry and repair in your hands. These services can be managed via an outsourced party, or you can request that each member of staff takes care of their own workwear. Relying on your own staff isn’t always dependable and it’s not so easy to monitor cleanliness and state of repair. It’s a precarious strategy that risks cross-contamination.

You’ll also need an area to store workwear so you have replenishment stocks available when needed. You should consider too the costs of replacing workwear should the company undergo a name change, or change of corporate identity. It doesn’t look good to have members of the same team sporting a mix of logos and company colours.

When new employees join, you’ll need provision to provide them with a prompt supply of workwear without unacceptable delays.

Rental

A rental agreement has a laundry and repair service as standard, providing your teams with a regular supply of clean workwear, according to their daily, weekly or monthly needs. There is no capital outlay. Workwear is provided on a weekly basis including the cost of laundering and repair.

Food and drink workwear is supplied and laundered according to strict standards of hygiene to comply with current legislation.

With the help of an assigned account manager and online access to place requests and monitor the laundry process, it’s easier to make adjustments according to the needs of the business, keeping tighter control over costs

The key issue here is control. If you’re looking to control standards of workwear hygiene and costs of supply, laundry and maintenance, it’s best to opt for rental with a reputable provider that understands your business and your workwear needs.