The Test Kit No One Carries Anymore
I’ve spent 40-plus years in laundry chemicals, working with hotel laundry operations and commercial accounts. Over that time, I’ve watched plenty of trends come and go. But one tool has never stopped earning its keep: the laundry test kit. Lately, though, I notice fewer sales reps and techs bother carrying one.
Back When Powders Ran the Show
I started at Economics Lab, before the rebrand to Ecolab, when powdered detergents dominated the market. Our job was convincing skeptical customers to switch to liquid. To do that credibly, we had to actually understand their laundry process — not just pitch product. That’s where the test kit came in.
Pull water samples from the wash, rinse, and final extraction. Test them. Now you know exactly what’s going wrong and exactly what to fix. That’s not a sales pitch — it’s diagnosis.
A Reminder Over July 4th
This came back to me recently. My stepdaughter and son-in-law were getting their pool ready for a party, and their pool guy tested the water before touching a single chemical. Obvious move, really. After all, you wouldn’t want a doctor prescribing anything without running tests first — so why would laundry be any different?
Why It Still Matters
A real test kit gives you pH, titration, alkalinity, water hardness — the actual data. That’s what builds trust. Plus, it sets you apart immediately: walk into a service call with a test kit, and you’re telling the customer something specific — I’m not here to sell you a jug of chemical, I’m here to find out what’s actually wrong.
In an industry full of slick decks and buzzwords, the test kit is refreshing simply because it’s true. It gets you real answers, and it gets you real results.
What’s your take — are test kits still part of your sales process, or have they fallen by the wayside?
Thanks to @AquaPhoenix for the photo.
If you want more tools like this for running a tighter operation, check out the Resource Library — checklists, guides, and templates built from the field, not a classroom.
And if you’ve got a story about test kits, water chemistry, or anything laundry-side — or if you’re a manufacturer or distributor looking to break into hospitality — come share it on the podcast, or check out what I’m building at Bauer Consulting. Reach out.
In my opinion test kits are a must! It is how you build a good wash formula and trouble shoot any problems out from there. Many changes can occur inside the wash wheel and not every washer or water level switch is created equal. From washer maintenance, water source changes, increase in soil loads and dispenser consistency. The kit can help you track it and make informed changes.
I would definitely not trust the doctor that’s just going to guess without testing.
Good article, thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Justin, and I agree