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Protect your laundry and keep it stain and infection-free with our recommended 4-step process for care homes.
Achieving clean, infection-free laundry involves more than just high-performance machines. You need to be confident that you have the right detergents and chemicals which work in perfect harmony with your equipment. The simple 3-step process below gives you guidance on which detergents and chemicals will help you deliver that goal.
Step one: Detergents
Detergents are available as solids, liquids and powders. We recommend using liquid detergent as it works well at all water temperatures.
When it comes to detergents you have two options: biological or non-biological. Biological detergent has sometimes been avoided in the past due to concerns that it can cause skin irritation. However, with the development of modern formulas, this is far less likely.
For care homes, we typically recommend biological detergents such as our WASHCHEMICAL Biological Laundry Detergent. They boost cleaning performance and are excellent at removing protein stains on white and coloured cotton and polycottons due to the enzymes they contain. When choosing your detergent, you should always check it works effectively at low temperatures and contains optical brighteners. Optical brighteners increase your laundry’s whiteness and brightness, helping you maintain your linens for longer.
Step two: Emulsifier
We recommend using an emulsifier which is designed to break down fats and greases. It is particularly good at removing lotions and emollients stains from bedding and towels.
Step three: Destainer
It’s important that you work with your supplier to ensure you have the right destainer to suit your laundry. Within the WASHCHEMICALS range, we provide customers with the option to choose between a low-temperature destainer or hydrogen peroxide.
As the name suggests, a low-temperature destainer is ideal if you are washing a lot of fabrics at cooler temperatures. It can auto-dose to your machine during the initial sluice wash. This allows it to safely tackle any stubborn stains and also reduces wash time – perfect for busy care homes. As it can remove stains from temperatures as low as 20°C you may also benefit from a reduction in energy use.
For any sheets and linens that can be washed at higher temperatures, we recommend care homes use a destainer containing hydrogen peroxide. This produces fantastic cleaning results on soiled linens such as sheets, working at higher temperatures.
Another handy option is stain removing powders. They are ideal for pre-soaking or adding to the drum during the wash, giving you that extra help when needed.
Step four: Fabric conditioner
A good fabric conditioner can actually save you valuable time on your laundry. Auto-dosed into the final rinse it helps reduce wrinkles and prevents static on fabrics. This makes ironing easier and faster. On top of this, it also helps to protect your linens so you won’t have to replace them as often.
When exploring options, check for fabric conditioners that use encapsulated fragrance technology such as our WASHCHEMICALS Fabric Conditioner. It maintains a long-lasting freshness as it releases a second burst of fragrance when fabrics are touched.
To find out more about WASHCO’S range of laundry chemicals and detergents, click the DOWNLOAD button below.