Money

A simple laundry supplies inventory: stock cards and reorder points

By the Labahan team · October 18, 2026 · 4 min read

Running out of detergent on a busy Saturday means sending someone to the sari-sari store and paying retail. Too much stock means cash sitting on a shelf, and sometimes walking out the door. A simple inventory system fixes both, and it fits on one sheet of paper per item.

What to track

Track anything you buy again and again and that costs you money if it runs out or goes missing:

Count each item in the unit you buy and use it in: packs, kilos, liters, rolls or pieces. Write the unit at the top of the card and never mix units on one card.

The stock card

One card (or one page in a notebook, or one sheet tab) per item. Every time stock comes in or goes out to the washing area, write a line. The balance is always last balance + in − out.

Example stock card for detergent powder, counted in 1 kg packs:

Keep the stock in one place, and let only the person on duty take from it. “Out” means taken from storage to the washing area, not poured into a machine; you don’t need to write down every scoop.

The reorder point: when to buy

Example: the shop uses about 3 packs of detergent a day. The supplier delivers 4 days after you order. You want 2 extra days in case of a busy weekend or a late delivery. Reorder point = 3 × (4 + 2) = 18 packs. When the balance on the card reaches 18 or below, order that same day.

How much to order? Enough for your usual buying cycle. If you prefer to buy every two weeks, order about 14 days of use (here, 42 packs, rounded to the supplier’s box size). Bulk prices can be lower, but don’t tie up cash in more than you’ll use before the next delivery, and check expiry dates on liquids.

Monthly count

Once a month, on the same day, count everything on the shelf and compare it with the card.

1. Count before opening or after closing, when nothing is moving.
2. Write the counted number next to the card balance.
3. If they differ, find out why while people still remember: an unrecorded delivery, a refill that wasn’t written, a math mistake.
4. Start the new month with the counted figure.

Spotting unusual use

The card tells you how much you used. Your loads tell you how much you should have used. Compare them.

Example: your detergent label says one scoop of 50 g per load. Last month the shop did 400 loads, so you expect about 400 × 50 g = 20 kg. The card shows 26 kg went out. That’s 6 kg, or 30%, more than expected.

Common reasons:

• Overdosing. Staff add “a little extra” to every load. Mark the right scoop and post the dose by the machines. Too much detergent can also leave residue and a smell.
• Loads not recorded. More detergent went out because more loads were washed than were written down, which means sales are missing too.
• Spills and leaks. Torn sacks, open bottles, damp storage.
• Items going home. It happens. A card with names and dates makes it less tempting.

Do the same check for plastic bags and stub paper: bags used should be close to loads released. For what supplies add to each load’s cost, see our cost per load guide, and for keeping cash and stock purchases in line, the daily cash count.

How Labahan helps

On the Pro plan of Labahan Manager, each supply counts itself down from the loads you record: per machine load for detergent and fabcon, per stub for plastic bags, or by hand for things like LPG. Low-stock alerts work like the reorder point above, a delivery you record adds to the stock, and Count stock corrects the number after your monthly count. With the Kilos report on, the monthly report also compares the detergent you bought with what your loads should have used.