Laundry

Large organisations such as hospitals, carehomes and hotels often require a constant flow of clean clothes, linen and usually have their own on site laundry premises.

It is one of the most important function of the  organisations.

All clothes and linen should be collected by the designated laundry personnel in carts especially for soiled linen and not clean linen. All carts should  be covered to prevent the spread of airborne pathogens all employees should  use protective gear and safety precautions.

When the retrieved linen is brought to the wash room it is then to be sorted as items my require different wash techniques for example stains such as blood and faeces may require longer wash times at higher temperatures. Also sharp objects must be routinely sorted before the wash and carefully removed again personal protective equipment is needed and standard safety precautions.

Exposure to soil and pathogens can be limited by two things. One, of course, is the use of personal protective equipment: barrier gowns, gloves, eyewear, foot coverings and face masks. These items should be worn when handling soiled linen. Infections can also be eliminated by proper hand-washing with antibacterial soap. Employees should wash their hands after handling any linen, whether soiled or clean.

The next stage is the washing stage all linen should be weighed according to washing machine load limit and dosed with the appropriate mix of chemicals according to manufacture instructions.