Troubleshooting Your Laundry Room in Prison Architect: Learn how to make your laundry room effective in Prison Architect

Managing your prison efficiently in Prison Architect means making sure every room operates smoothly—including the laundry room. A properly functioning laundry room is vital not only for prisoner hygiene and mood but also for the overall cleanliness of your institution. If you're experiencing issues such as clothes not being delivered, prisoners standing idle, or laundry baskets not moving as they should, a series of troubleshooting steps can help get your laundry back on track. Let’s walk through some common issues and solutions to ensure your laundry workflow is seamless.

Tips 1:

**Check Room Requirements:** Begin by ensuring the room is correctly designated. Your laundry must have at least one laundry machine, one ironing board, and one laundry basket. Make sure all objects face the right direction and are not blocked by walls, doors, or other items—placement can impact access and function.

Tips 2:

**Assign Workers Properly:** Only prisoners with access and jobs assigned through the deployment 'Prison Labour' menu will staff your laundry room. Check if the room is accessible to qualified prisoners and that your regime includes work time.

Tips 3:

**Ensure Proper Utilities:** All laundry machines require power to function. Check your electrical grid to confirm machines have power—a common oversight leading to idle laundry rooms.

Tips 4:

**Monitor Paths and Access:** Prisoners need clear, unblocked paths to both the laundry room and cells where clothes are delivered. Locked doors, blocked passageways, or improper zoning (staff-only areas that interfere with prisoner movement) can stop laundry service in its tracks.

Tips 5:

As a designer, I always emphasize the role of efficient spatial arrangements. Consider optimizing your room's workflow—space the laundry machines and ironing boards to avoid congestion, and use secure doors to limit disruptions. If you’re rethinking your entire prison’s internal flow, implementing tools like room planners can be invaluable for testing layouts before making changes.

FAQ

Q: How many laundry baskets do I need in my laundry room?

A: The optimal number depends on the size of your prison. As a general rule, one basket per 8-15 cells is sufficient for smooth operations.

Q: Why aren’t my prisoners working in the laundry room?

A: This may be due to missing 'Prison Labour' assignments, lack of eligible prisoners, or an insufficient regime allowing for work time.

Q: Laundry isn’t reaching certain cells—why?

A: Check path accessibility to those cells, confirm cell doors aren’t locked, and ensure the proper deployment of prisoners assigned to laundry duties.

Q: My laundry machines won’t work even though they’re powered. What’s wrong?

A: Verify that nothing blocks the machines, the electrical grid reaches all devices, and that machines are not damaged or awaiting repairs.

Q: Can I redesign my laundry room without disrupting operations?

A: Yes, but it's advisable to adjust layout during off-peak work hours to minimize interruption. Preplanning with design tools can help you visualize changes before implementing them in-game.