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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. Fortunately, WASHCO has shared their step-by-step process to help give you guidance on which detergents and chemicals will help you achieve your goal.
Why is care home laundry so important?
Care home laundries must adhere to the HTM 01-04 guidelines to ensure the safety of their residents against infection, especially with linen. At WASHCO, we have a “Guide to infection control for care home laundries,” which outlines how to ensure these regulations are met, including the processes for timings, chemicals, and staff training.
Poor laundry processes and lack of adherence to the guidelines could result in the sickness or possible death of a vulnerable adult. This is why the laundry room of any care home is inspected thoroughly by the CQC, which will put a care home into special measures or close it down, even face prosecution in more serious circumstances.
Not only does this cause stress for the staff and damage the reputation of the care home, but it provides doubt and distrust among residents and their families.
CARE HOME REGULATIONS
4 steps for Effective Care Home Laundry
Step one: Detergents
Detergents are available as solids, liquids and powders. We only provide liquid detergent as it works well at all water temperatures.
When it comes to detergents, you have three options: biological, non-biological and Phosphate free. For care homes, we typically recommend biological detergents as 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
An emulsifier works by transforming regular water into an effective rinsing solution. Alone, water isn’t good enough to clean or rinse. However, an emulsifier is created by combining solvents, detergents and water softeners to cut through stains, grease and soiling, making it perfect for laundry rooms and a necessary step in cleaning linens to regulatory standards.
Step three: Destainer
It’s important that you work with your supplier to ensure you have the right destainer to suit your laundry. Many professional detergent providers have 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 an Oxygen Based Destainer called 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 extra help when needed.
Step four: Fabric conditioner
A good fabric conditioner can save you valuable time on your laundry. Auto-dosed into the final rinse, it helps reduce wrinkles and prevent static on fabrics, making ironing easier and faster. It also helps 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. It maintains a long-lasting freshness as it releases a second burst of fragrance when fabrics are touched.
To find out more about WASHCO and how we can help with all of our laundry care needs, read our helpful guides listed below.
Why Choose WASHCO?
For more information on WASHCHEMICALS, WASHCO or laundry regulations, contact our team online, and we’ll be able to discuss your laundry requirements.