How many washing machines for guests?

We have currently two washers and two dryers for 185 beds available and will be adding a third set this summer when we are up to 260 beds. You are probably fine initially with one washer and one dryer for your guests and expand as demand warrants or if you find you are losing revenue due to guests going to the next hostel to complete their washing. Now if you plan on washing and drying your own linen in those same machines then you may want to go for a second set initially.

If you are using a small space you can get an up and down model to take up half the space of two floor models.

It would be a small small minority of guests who would wash their clothes everyday.

Thanks for your answer! Wow, you are using 2 washers and 2 dryers for 185 available beds (a max. of 185 guests/day). That means that I will be fine with at most (just in case) 2 washers and 2 dryers for my 50 bed hostel. I will be using another set of washer and dryer for the hostel linen.

I guess it would make sense for a backpacker not to wash his/her clothes everyday if he/she is staying several days, and so save some money. Maybe if they were to stay only one day, they would probably do their laundry that day.

At your hostel, what would you say is the average length of stay of your guests (1, 2,... more days?)?

We have 4 washers and 4 dryers in our 300+ bed hostels. That´s usually more than enough.

Make sure you´ll have 2 washers and 2 dryers, just in case one machine is out of order. Don´t buy an extra one for your own stuff - you can easily use the public machines at times when they´re not busy.

I would say 2-3 would be fine. We have 6 washers and 6 dryers for 400. We are looking at another 2 of each to maximize revenue

Canhostel, Klaus, Shannon, thank you all for the great info.

At Canhostel's, it is 92.5 beds/washer
At Klaus', it is 75 beds/washer
At Shannon's, it is 66.7 beds/washer (Soon to be 57.1 beds/washer)

Now I feel more confident that 2 washers will be more than enough for my 50 bed hostel. Great advice, Klaus, to have two machines, in case one breaks down.

Shannon, you have the lowest bed/washer ratio and still you are planning on having more washers. That's interesting. Are you finding that the higher the washer availability is, the more your guests use them?

It may also depend on what kind of guests you get.

Shannon, being in Oz/NZ means you're far more likely to get longer term guests (theres a LOT of kids out there on working holiday visas) who are more likely to need a washer/dryer at particular times - going to work, job interviews etc. More transient backpackers, as Klaus probably gets at Wombats, wont be too upset if they have to wait an extra day or perhaps until the next hostel before they do a load. CanHostel... Canmore? would also no doubt get a lot of WHP folks, being in the rockies even more so, and of course ski gear gets stinky... quickly.

If however, you're a small place by the beach, people are wearing their bathers in the sea all the time and will hardly ever wash their clothes. Ultimately, I wouldnt worry too much about a ratio of guests to washers/dryers. You need to provide that amenity of course but it may turn out to only appeal to a small portion of your guests.

My 2 cents anyway. edit: it kinda looks like im putting words in peoples mouths there a little, didnt mean to, sorry.