Hi Lisa
You are correct, i do not colour-code, except to say that if something comes in Blue then i MUST have it lol, all my stuff is blue, my mops, buckets, vacuum cleaners, car, shoes, even my hair is blue at the moment (i'll take a foto tommorrow, though i've shaved my beard off this morning so i still feel a bit naked).......but seriously, working on my own i dont need to colour-code as i have a hundred weight of cloths that i use generously - probably about 20-30 per house, and the ones used in the kitchens and bathrooms are changed often and bagged immediatly after use....the only cloth i take about with me is the damp cloth i use for damp-dusting, plus the dry one i use on mirrors and glass.
You are right to insist on colour-coding where there is more than one person doing the cleaning. The cost of laundering the cloths is a tricky one, it depends on what temperature the cleaners are using - anything less than 60 degress is pretty pointless and even 60 isnt the best - a 95 degree is the only sure-fire way of getting the cloths sterile. I have a washing machine that is only used for washing my work cloths and mops. I run it on a 95 degree 'quick' cycle, which is all that is needed, there is no need for an extended wash time as all that would do is give the cloths a really good wash which is only neccesary for removing stains. That is not important in this instance, it is the fact that the cloths have been submerged for a time in (almost) boiling water, any stains on the cloths are neither here nor there.
So there is the cost of the electricity to heat the water, and then the laundry detergent (thats the most expensive part of any wash cycle, but you only need a small amount). At a rough guess about 20-30p per cycle....I am tying to recall the formula we used to work to when i worked in a showroom selling domestic appliances....anyway i won't be far off.
Cheers
Stephen