Press releases

90 years of commercial laundry care with Miele - modern technology from the outset

Gütersloh/Hanover, March 25, 2014 No. 016/2014
90 Jahre Profi-Wäschepflege von Miele

From the first drum-type washing machine to Profitronic controls, heat-pump technology and high-performance flatwork ironers

Since 1924, Miele has developed and produced commercial laundry machines. Today, Miele offers its commercial customers a carefully matching system consisting of washer-extractors, tumble dryers and flatwork ironers, guaranteeing gentle fabric care, cost-efficient operation and effective processes. These 21st. century innovations have a long and proud lineage dating back to the very first machines. A synopsis of events.

1924: In the 1920s, wooden-tub washers from Miele were to be found in many private homes. This new technology soon caught the attention of laundries, hotels, hospitals, convalescent homes and large estates although they needed considerably bigger machines. The solution was to come from Miele's Gütersloh plant in the form of a coal-and gas-fired drum washer. The previously common wooden-tub washers with a paddle-type agitator were replaced by an electrically driven horizontal-axis metal drum. For the first time, it was no longer necessary to pour hot water into the tub as water was now heated in a side container which formed an integral part of the machine. The drum consisted of sheet copper, with perforations created from the inside working outwards in order to ensure the gentle treatment of laundry. The first model from the '00' series had a load capacity of almost 8 kg of laundry. Slowly but surely, Miele added more models to the range, some of which had a 30 kg capacity and were heated with steam.

1930s: During the decade marked by world economic crisis, Miele's focus was on drum-type washing machines which met the most demanding of standards. For the most part, these were given male names such as Hanno, Helmut or Hektor and 'convinced with their solid design, heavy copper drums and enamelled base'. Instructions provided detailed tips and tricks on how to use the machines – from sorting laundry to pre-soaking and the correct cycle time and temperature.

End of the 1940s: Miele presents a flexible drum partition for washing machines. This allowed various types of textiles to be washed separately but gently, including curtains, drapes, crocheted tablecloths and other delicate fabrics.

1950: Miele launches its first flatwork ironers for commercial laundries to be followed in 1958 by the first commercial tumble dryers. The dryers for launderettes and in-house laundries were even fitted with a coin payment system. Even these early machines offered anti-crease action and switched off automatically at the end of a drying cycle. With this comprehensive portfolio, Miele became a well-established name in the field of shipboard laundries. By now, the company built washing machines and tumble dryers according to the specifications issued by Lloyd's and the American Bureau of Shipping. The Esso tanker 'Düsseldorf' also features Miele laundry technology.

1963: In response to clients' calls for simplicity, Miele first introduces its single-knob controls, allowing the relevant load type to be selected with ease. The alternative for problematic laundry in hospitals, paediatric clinics, old folks’ homes and nursing homes was punchcard controls. This not only ensured the correct temperature but also controlled chemo-thermal disinfection. New, too, is a washer-extractor for 66 kg of dry laundry.

1977: With the 'Little Giants', Miele for the first time offers high-speed washer-extractors and tumble dryers with a load capacity of between 5 and 6 kg. These were no larger than domestic machines but were much faster and more ruggedly built – and ideally suited for use in guesthouses, small hotels and small businesses such as bakeries and hairdressing salons. By this time, the drum and suds container were made from stainless steel.

1986: Miele takes over the Cordes company, a manufacturer of commercial flatwork ironers based in near-by Oelde. The new site becomes Miele's 7th. production plant. Later, the production of ironers is relocated to Miele Lehrte near Hanover, Miele’s competence centre for commercial laundry technology. In 1989, Miele launches its first barrier washer-extractor for processing infectious laundry according to the strict regime prescribed by German health and safety guidelines, making this an ideal product for use in hospitals and nursing homes. Separate loading and unloading hatches were arranged at right angles to each other. In the Eighties, Miele also developed special programmes which are still to this day highly successful. These include programmes for the mops and floor polishing discs used by contract cleaners through to the reprocessing of down-filled duvets and anoraks.

1990: Miele dryers are for the first time equipped with the new 'Air Recycling' technology: This system returns about 60% of waste air back into the drying process, thereby saving approx. 15% energy and speeding up the process by another 15%. This principle, which has since been further honed and improved by Miele, has stood the test of time.

1991: Miele laundry technology is now available under the 'Miele Professional' logo and sets two new milestones. Firstly: The aqueous wash system called WetCare, developed jointly with the Wiesbaden textile chemistry specialist Kreussler. This system facilitates washing the type of textiles which had hitherto been considered problematic or even 'not washable'. This was made possible through low temperatures and an extremely gentle drum rhythm. And, secondly: The new washer-extractors with Multitronic controls. This technology had its origins in computer production, allowing customised wash cycles and the free combination of, for instance, temperature, wash times, mechanical action and detergents. For the first time, Miele was able to forecast the remaining cycle time from as early as the first rinse cycle.

1995 onwards: By now, Multitronic had given way to Profitronic controls, with 10 fixed programmes and 89 vacant programme slots for customised programmes. This approach allowed the compilation of programmes for very specific laundry types, for instance programmes for reprocessing fire-fighters' apparel introduced in 1997.

2004: The most recent controls, Profitronic M, provides 199 programme slots and features on the new laundry machine generation called 'Innovation M' for load capacities of 10 to 20 kg. These machines clearly set themselves apart from their predecessors in terms of design: For the first time, all washing and drying cycles are listed in a graphic display. As required, users are free to modify individual programme parameters. Energy, for example, can be saved by telling the machine that it is washing a half load.

2009/2010: Octoplus is the name given to a new range of Miele Professional compact washer-extractors and tumble dryers with a capacity for 8 kg of laundry. These machines offer users a variety of user interfaces – from simple to sophisticated – and programme packages for a wide range of target groups such as small businesses, restaurants and nursing homes. From 2010 onwards, Professional dryers can be heated cost-effectively using heat-pump technology. And, with the SlimLine generation, Miele meets calls for tumble dryers with a reduced width and footprint.

2012/13: Hot water now provides a further alternative heating method for Professional dryers, with the promise of huge energy savings. And the new Professional flatwork ironers from Miele Professional also set new standards: They are able to process more than 200 kg of laundry per hour, equating to more than a tonne of laundry per day. 2013 marks the launch of a new generation of washer-extractors able to produce ready-to-use mops and cleaning cloths, impregnated with detergent and disinfectant and pre-conditioned for use.

2014: Miele Professional celebrates 90 years of commercial laundry care together with its customers – for examples with a range of special models to be introduced in the course of the year.

(1.250 words, 8.588 characters incl. spaces)

Company profile: Miele is the world leader in the field of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floorcare products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). The company, founded in 1899, has 8 production plants in Germany and one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2012/13 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.15 bn, with sales outside Germany accounting for 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 17,250 with two-thirds in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany. 

Download as PDF Download incl. media (zip)
Your contact

Anke Schläger
+ 49 5241 89-1949
anke.schlaeger@miele.com

Media information

Description Download
Always at the forefront of laundry technology: Miele advertisement from the 1920s.
High Resolution JPG
Highly professional even in those days: A laundry fitted with Miele machines in the Fifties.
High Resolution JPG
Today's Professional technology: A washer-extractor and a tumble dryer from the Octoplus generation.
High Resolution JPG