Why Soft-Mount Washers Are Becoming the Top Choice for Laundry Shop Upgrades

In recent years, the laundry industry has been growing toward equipment upgrades. According to Third-party industry data, smart washing machines in the market have risen from 25% in 2023 to 41% in 2025. Also, equipment with IoT functions is developing quickly. Its market penetration rate has reached 34%. This is expected to exceed 50% by the end of 2026.  

During this period, more laundry operators are turning to soft-mount washers. Compared with traditional hard-mount machines, soft-mount washers are gaining ground in new and renovated stores. They are becoming increasingly common from high-end laundry shops to community laundries. So why are so many operators choosing soft-mount washers? The answer isn’t about the latest technology. It lies in their costs and efficiency.

Cut Installation Costs

Hard-mount washers must be securely bolted to a strengthened concrete foundation or steel base. Before installation, a construction team should design, pour, and cure the foundation, then drill and grout. The expenses vary with region and site. Each machine may cost thousands of yuan and can take several days or weeks to construct.

Soft-mount washers are completely different. The internal suspension system can absorb vibration by itself. No strengthened concrete or expensive steel base is required. Machines are placed on a level floor that can support static and dynamic loads and then leveled by a technician. Installation often finishes within several hours, without waiting for the concrete. Hard-mount washers require lower purchase prices. But with added infrastructure fees, the total installation costs may approach or exceed that of a soft-mount machine. For operators who want to open laundry shops on the upper floors, soft-mount is often the only feasible choice.

Advanced Structures

The gap between hard-mount and soft-mount washers is more than installation. Soft-mount washers have higher requirements for machine structure and manufacturing processes.

In hard-mount washers, the washing components are rigidly fixed to the frame with no internal damping. During high-speed extraction, the forces cannot be absorbed by the machine. Thus, they are transmitted to the concrete foundation through bolts. That’s why hard-mount machines require a robust floor.

Soft-mount washers connect to the base via a suspension system of springs and dampers. This system allows the inner drum to move within a controlled range. It can absorb over 95% of vibration in operation. For example, Kingstar industrial washers take this further with a double-layer spring design and added isolation pads. Thus, the vibration reduction rate reaches up to 98%. Minimal vibration and noise allow them to be installed on any floor. This design upgrade improves soft-mount washers’ installation flexibility and performance.

Save Utility Costs

Soft-mount washers have advantages in extraction G-force. Hard-mount washers’ G-force is often between 100G and 200G, while soft-mount washers’ can exceed 300G. Kingstar industrial washers reach up to 400G.

What does higher G-force mean in practice? More water is removed from the linen before drying. According to industry tests, compared with a 100G hard-mount machine, a soft-mount washer extracts over 15 lbs (about 6.8 kg) of moisture per load. The lower residual moisture directly cuts the energy required for drying.

Take the Kingstar client’s real experience as an example. Before upgrading to Kingstar wet cleaning machines, it had problems drying down jackets every winter. A low extraction rate reduces drying efficiency for down jackets. So the store often needed to air-dry the garments for a certain time and then dry them. They also dried down jackets in 2-3 loads with low efficiency. Besides, low extraction efficiency caused water marks on down jackets. Rewashing further increased workload and costs (such as water, electricity, gas, and chemical detergents). The store hasn’t made specific calculations. Originally, operators worked until 10 p.m. or even later to handle over 100 pieces of garments every day. But after upgrades, they can finish all work before 8 p.m.

Therefore, the water removed by wet cleaning machines reduces the following drying costs. It also affects the entire laundry shop’s operation and labor investment.

Improve Throughput and Drying Efficiency

A laundry shop’s competitiveness relies on how much it can process per hour. Soft-mount washers deliver here.

High extraction efficiency sharply cuts wash-to-dry cycle time. This saves 15% to 20% on drying time per load. That means soft-mount washers can handle more garments during the same working time. Some laundry shops replace hard-mount washers with soft-mount ones. They handle three times as much laundry as before in the same shift.

Other Advantages

● Smarter equipment layout

Because no concrete foundation is required, soft-mount washers can be placed closer. More machines can be installed in the same space. This boosts space efficiency and profit, especially in high-rent laundry shops.

● Lower noise and vibration

It is critical for laundry shops in residential areas, shopping malls, or hotels. Less noise means fewer neighbourhood complaints and a better customer experience.

● Easy to relocate

Hard-mount machines are effectively permanent. Removing foundations can cost more than the equipment value. Soft-mount machines are installed independently. So they can be easily moved and reinstalled if you relocate and reconfigure.

● Wider site options

Soft-mount machines work on upper floors, timber-framed buildings, and floors with underground heating. When selecting a location, operators have more choices. They are no longer limited to lower spaces with heavy concrete foundations.

● Kinder to thebuildings

Soft-mount machines absorb vibration internally. They do not put pressure on the structure. This means lower renovation costs and dispute risks for tenants.

Conclusion

Soft-mount washers require a higher upfront price than hard-mount machines. However, if you factor in installation, operating and energy costs, production capacity, and site flexibility, their lifecycle advantage is noticeable.

For laundry operators considering equipment upgrades, choosing a soft-mount washer is not only buying a machine, but also selecting a more competitive operating model: lower energy use, higher efficiency, flexible space, and quieter working environments. As the laundry industry grows more competitive, these advantages are converting into profit margins.

Soft-mount washers may cost more upfront, but they are worth the investment. Your competitors earn more with less energy, shorter time, and more flexible space. Therefore, selecting soft-mount machines means keeping pace with the times.

Q&A

Q1: Are Kingstar industrial washers soft-mount?

A1: The 100kg and 120 kg forward-tilting washers require expansion bolts. Other Kingstar heavy-duty industrial washers are soft-mount.

Q2: How does a Kingstar soft-mount washer reduce vibration?

A2: It uses a bottom-suspended design combining double-layer seated springs, rubber anti-vibration feet, and dampers.

Q3: Which reduces vibration better, bottom-mounted or suspended design?

A3: Bottom-mounted. By optimizing the base and damping processes, Kingstar reaches up to 98% vibration reduction. Suspended industrial washers often claim around 95%. However, its actual performance heavily depends on frame rigidity and weight. If the frame isn’t rigid enough, the vibration reduction performance may be reduced.

Explore Kingstar soft-mount washer models, or get your store upgrade plan.