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.

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.

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.