Editing Washing machine (section)

==Commercial use==
{{more citations needed section|date=October 2020}}
[[File:Laundry in Paris.jpg|thumb|Commercial washing machines and dryers (at left) in a self-service laundry (Paris, France)]]
[[File:Laundromat ontario.jpg|thumb|Commercial washing machines in a self-service laundromat (Toronto, Canada)]]
A commercial washing machine is intended for more intensive use than a consumer washing machine.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Katayama |first1=Michiko |last2=Sugihara |first2=Reiko |date=2011-02-14 |title=Which type of washing machine should you choose? |journal=International Journal of Consumer Studies |volume=35 |issue=2| pages=237–242 |doi=10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00977.x| issn=1470-6423}}</ref> Durability and functionality is more important than style; most commercial washers are bulky and heavy, often with more expensive stainless steel construction to minimize [[corrosion]] in a constantly-moist environment. They are built with large easy-to-open service covers, and washers are designed not to require access from the underside for service. Commercial washers are often installed in long rows, with a wide access passageway behind all the machines to allow maintenance without moving the heavy machinery.

===Laundromat machines===
Many commercial washers are built for use by the general public, and are installed in publicly accessible [[laundromat]]s or laundrettes. Originally, they were operated by coins (similar to older [[vending machine]]s), but today they are activated by [[currency acceptor|money accepting devices]] or [[Magnetic stripe card|card readers]]. The features of a commercial laundromat washer are usually more limited than those of a consumer washer, usually offering just two or three basic wash programs and an option to choose wash cycle temperatures. Some more-advanced models allow extra-cost options such as an additional wash or rinse cycle, at the choice of the user.

The typical front-loading commercial washing machine also differs from consumer models in its discharge of spent wash and rinse water. While the consumer models [[pump]] used washer water out, allowing the waste drainage pipe to be located above the floor level, front-loading commercial machines generally use only [[gravity]] to expel used water. A drain valve at the bottom rear of the machine opens at the appointed time during the cycle, allowing water to flow out. This requires a special drainage trough equipped with a filter and drain, and routed behind each machine. The trough is usually part of a cement platform built for the purpose of raising the machines to a convenient height, and can be seen behind washers at most laundromats.

Most laundromat machines are horizontal-axis front-loading models, because of their lower operating costs (notably, lower consumption of expensive hot water).

===Industrial washers===
<!-- [[File:Lapauw Combi 2000.jpg|thumb|A 1980s Belgian {{convert|180|kg|0|abbr=on}} load industrial washer in a Hotel in Brussels (horizontal axis, front load)]] -->
[[File:Lapauw Combi 1000.jpg|thumb|upright|A 1980s Belgian {{nowrap|90 kg}} load industrial washer (horizontal axis, front load)]]
By contrast, commercial washers for ''internal'' business operations (which are often referred to as "washer/extractor" machines) may include features absent from domestic machines. Many commercial washers offer an option for automatic injection of five or more different chemical types, so that the operator does not have to deal with constantly measuring out soap products and fabric softeners for each load by hand. Instead, a precise metering system draws the detergents and wash additives directly from large liquid-chemical storage barrels, and injects them as needed into the various wash and rinse cycles. Some computer-controlled commercial washers offer the operator detailed control over the various wash and rinse cycles, allowing the operator to program custom washing cycles.

Most large-scale industrial washers are horizontal-axis machines, but they may have front-, side-, or top-load doors. Some industrial clothes washers can batch-process up to {{convert|800|lb}} of textiles at once, and can be used for extremely machine-abusive washing tasks such as [[stone washing]] or fabric [[bleaching]] and [[dyeing]].

An industrial washer can be mounted on heavy-duty [[shock absorbers]] and attached to a concrete floor, so that it can extract water from even the most severely out-of-balance and heavy wash loads. Noise and vibration are not as unacceptable as in a domestic machine. The machine may be mounted on [[hydraulic cylinders]], permitting the entire washer to be lifted and tilted so that fabrics can be automatically dumped from the wash drum onto a [[conveyor belt]] once the cycle is complete. 
 
One special type of continuous-processing washer is known as the [[tunnel washer]]. This specialized high-capacity machine does not have a drum where everything being washed undergoes distinct wash and rinse cycles. Instead, the laundry progresses slowly and continuously through a long, large-diameter horizontal-axis rotating tube in the manner of an [[assembly line]], with different processes at different positions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.isopasse.com.br/dicas/lavadora-de-roupas-melhor-marca/|title=Lavadora de Roupas - Qual a melhor marca?|last=Guilherme|date=2017-08-17|website=Isopasse|language=pt-BR|access-date=2018-12-16}}</ref>