Remaining Moisture Content and Laundromat Energy Use
Last reviewed 2026-09-12 by Jaken Energy editorial desk. Next review scheduled 2027-03-12.
Direct answer
Remaining moisture content is the moisture left in laundry after washing, expressed as a percentage of fabric weight. Higher RMC means dryers run longer, increasing gas therms or electric kWh per load. Washer extraction efficiency and spin speeds strongly influence laundromat drying energy beyond dryer age alone.
Definition: Remaining moisture content
Commercial laundry operations manage RMC through washer programming, extract cycles, and textile type. EPA WaterSense and DOE laundry materials emphasize that drying energy depends on how much water must be removed—not only burner efficiency.
Owners evaluating dryer upgrades should baseline RMC-related run times, not only equipment nameplate efficiency.
Laundromat example
After lowering final extract speed on older washers, a store sees dryer cycles extend two minutes per load—therms rise despite unchanged dryer hardware.
Related terms
Sources
- WaterSense Commercial Laundry — U.S. EPA
Supports: Water heating ~90% of washer operating energy
- Commercial Laundry Energy Use — U.S. Department of Energy
Supports: Water heating ~50% of commercial laundry primary energy
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