Par level
The quantity of each linen item a business keeps in rotation — enough to cover service plus items in the wash. Providers size programs by par.
Linen Service Glossary
The vocabulary of commercial linen contracts and route service, defined without the sales gloss. Understanding these 23 terms is most of what you need to read a linen contract like an operator.
Route day
The fixed weekday a provider’s truck services your area; deliveries and pickups happen on this schedule.
Exchange service
The standard rental model: soiled items are picked up and replaced with clean ones in the same stop.
COG (Customer-Owned Goods)
A program where the business owns its linen and pays only for laundering, usually per pound.
Loss & damage (L&D)
Billing for items not returned or ruined; a common source of invoice disputes — ask how counts are audited.
Emblem fee
One-time charge for adding logos or name tags to rented uniforms.
Auto-renewal
Contract clause that extends the agreement automatically unless cancelled within a notice window.
Fuel / environmental surcharge
Percentage add-ons to the base invoice; frequently negotiable.
Par audit
A periodic count of items in circulation to true-up billing.
Bar mop
Absorbent terry towel used behind bars and in kitchens; usually the cheapest rented textile.
FR garments
Flame-resistant workwear required in many industrial settings; rented under specialty programs.
Hi-vis
High-visibility safety garments (ANSI-rated) for road and site crews.
Fill rate
Percentage of ordered items actually delivered — the truest measure of a provider’s reliability.
Route density
How many stops a provider serves in an area; denser routes generally mean lower prices.
Hygienically clean
Healthcare laundering standard indicating validated pathogen reduction and documented handling.
Soil/clean separation
Keeping soiled and clean textiles physically separated in plant and transport; mandatory in healthcare.
Minimum charge
The floor amount billed per stop regardless of volume.
Pool scrubs
Shared, size-assorted scrubs rather than garments assigned to a specific wearer.
Turnover linen (STR)
Linen packages timed to short-term-rental booking calendars.
Stop charge
Fixed delivery fee applied per visit, separate from item rates.
Rag-out
Retiring a textile that no longer meets quality standards; in rentals, replacement is the provider’s cost.
Certificate of insurance (COI)
Proof of provider insurance often required by property managers before service starts.
Linen abuse
Damage from misuse (bleach, burns, mechanics’ use of napkins) that can trigger loss-and-damage billing.
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