Even during “precedented” times, healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) affect billions of patients globally every year.

More than four million patients are estimated to acquire an HCAI in the EU each year, and in 2020, acute care hospitals in the US saw a marked increase in HCAIs, the first rise following five years of falling figures.

In the wake of a global pandemic, it has never been more critical for everyone across the healthcare sector to take concerted steps to minimize the spread of infection and keep staff and patients safe.

Soiled linen is a major vehicle for potentially harmful bacteria. Total thermal disinfection during commercial washing can minimize the risk to staff and patients. One of the most effective ways to reduce an infection outbreak in any healthcare environment is through implementing an effective Laundry Cycle Management process.

Here are the key steps for an effective Laundry Cycle Management.

1. Pre-wash

Effective infection prevention begins even before items enter the commercial washing machine. These first pre-washing steps are vital to ensuring that healthcare laundry is sorted and washed at the right time and temperature for total thermal disinfection to reduce the risk of an outbreak in your facility.

Pre-sort

Firstly, pre-sort dirty healthcare laundry by textile at the point of collection. Sort cottons, synthetics, delicates, and other fabric types into separate sections of the laundry washing trolley. This ensures that each type of material is ready to be washed at the correct time and temperature, reducing the risk of contamination and damage to the material.

Separate

To avoid contamination of soiled or infected linen to the surrounding environment, it is important to use the proper packaging to separate soiled linen into a designated section of the laundry washing trolley. Establishments should have separate trolleys and areas for clean and dirty linens, with secure plastic bags for materials that could pose a risk.

Sort and check

Finally, check laundry for sharp objects or anything which could damage the material. Place any items used during the cleaning process into an appropriate bag to be transferred to laundry. Then dispose of any gloves, apron or other disposable items, and wash hands thoroughly according to the establishment’s guidelines.

2. Washing, drying and ironing

Electrolux Professional manufactures commercial washing machines designed to ensure maximum hygiene at every step of the process without compromising on costs. Our Line 6000 Barrier Washers are a cost-effective sustainable solution for any healthcare facility, providing impeccable hygiene results and ergonomic designs benefiting patients and staff.

Wash

Having properly sorted the laundry, choose the correct temperature and chemical setting for each fabric type. Keep in mind that overloading or underloading the washer will negatively affect the wash result.

Our Line 6000 washers use a pre-wash function to loosen dirt from heavily soiled fabrics. They also automatically weigh the laundry to ensure the best results with minimum water and energy consumption.

Dry and iron

Once the washing cycle has completed, unload the laundry into a clean, designated trolley and place it into the dryer. Limit as much as possible the number of times the clean laundry is handled. For the best results, avoid overloading and underloading the dryer and ensure the daily maintenance of all appliances. Lastly, the ironing process is a final thermal disinfection. Once again, laundry should be ironed according to textile type to avoid damaging the material. Ensure that both drying and ironing take place as soon as possible after washing to prevent recontamination.

3. Post-laundry

Proper care and attention to the laundry of linen plays an essential role in contamination control in hospitals, care homes and other health facilities worldwide.

Pack

Once correctly washed, dried, and ironed, securely pack clean linen to reduce the risk of contamination from the external environment. Freshly cleaned healthcare laundry should be placed into the designated clean trolley or another transportation device to be returned to the required hospital area.

Transport

Always use designated clean routes when transporting laundry to the required section of the healthcare facility. This helps avoid recontamination and is a key part of establishing a structured laundry cycle process.

Store

Storing clean linen effectively is one of the most important ways to protect it from contamination and damage by microorganisms. Replace any wood shelving with hygienic alternatives such as metal or plastic to reduce the risk of bacteria growth. Also, make sure to use the linen stored for the most prolonged period first to avoid extended storage times. 

Final thoughts

Cleaning, sanitization, and decontamination are key across many industries, particularly in hospitals and healthcare facilities where issues can lead to illness and even fatalities. Electrolux Professional has focused closely on enhancing laundry standards, with solutions designed specifically to support hygiene and avoid infections risks, with particular attention given to linen and professional clothing.

The effective use of professional barrier laundry solutions such as Electrolux Professional’s Line 6000, combines complete hygiene assurance and first-class ergonomic designs. Your staff will find them easy to use and you’ll have peace of mind that the highest-quality hygiene procedures and appliances will play an integral role in keeping residents and their families safe from infection.

To properly prevent the spread of infection in healthcare laundry settings, it is important to ensure all healthcare staff are trained to use an organized Laundry Cycle Management process in combination with professional, hygiene-efficient appliances.

Find out more about Electrolux Professional’s barrier washers and best-performance appliances here.

There are many products on the market claiming to be “green” but only the presence on the official ECOLABEL logo can give you the certainty that they respect tough environmental requirements for all relevant stages of the product’s life cycle.

This means that the Authority has evaluated the product with a global approach: from raw material selection to production processes, use and dosages, disposal and recycling, are all included in the assessment. Furthermore, product properties must ensure quality and durability). The EU Ecolabel, established in 1992, is also called the “EU Flower” and is one of the world’s most known eco-labels. The Nordic Swan is the equivalent of the EU Ecolabel, but it has a strong positioning among consumers in the Nordic region. 

Being safe for garments but also for people is fundamental: cleaning effectiveness is what everyone is looking for, even if safety should not be ignored. If a detergent is delicate with textiles, it will preserve them from excessive wear and damage prolonging their life and again being ecofriendly. In any case, with safety you don’t have to think only of textiles, but also of the sensitive skin of people using detergents and wearing the textiles washed with them. Hypoallergenic products have been dermatologically tested and are products formulated to minimize the risk of sensitization. 

Always remember that you will face different kind and level of soiling, thus having a range which can help you in all your daily work life will make everything easier. When checking effectiveness, keep in mind to verify the dosages and the suggested washing temperature. The lower the dosage and temperature are, the better is for the environment and for your pocket. Consider also the existence of a compatible spotting agent range to help solving most difficult cases instead of going through a repeated washing processes or having the need to increase temperatures or dosages in standard washing programs, losing the benefits we have already discussed. 

Consider products which can enhance hygiene due to specific chemical characteristics. Did you know that extreme pH values can inactivate coronavirus? Furthermore, high temperature exposure for a certain period of time can help that process. The combination of these characteristics can be useful and it will provide you, your customers and your staff the confidence that their well-being is safeguarded at all times.

With these simple considerations you will be able to select effective detergents, protect the environment, prolonging your customers’ textiles lifespan, ensuring to use delicate products and meet the increasing high hygiene standards. 

The selection of the proper detergents will not only make your work life easier but will help you being part of the green revolution that is taking place. 

 

Learn more about our detergents range and start reducing the environmental impact with us.

The sustainable advantages of transforming the household laundry chore into a social experience were discussed at a recent event in Gothenburg – home to Professional’s Future Laundry Studio, which is part of a unique, long-term research project.

The Laundry Studio was inaugurated in 2016 as part of the HSB Living Lab, at Chalmers University of Technology.

This apartment block is home to around 30 residents and doubles up as working laboratory where everything from social behaviors to technical features, materials and use of energy are analyzed in order to find smart, sustainable solutions for future living. You can take a virtual tour here.

It’s been a hot-spot for hundreds of visitors to date, from government representatives to research groups. And, with the Laundry Studio situated at the building’s entrance, it’s a great brand-builder too.

Given the 10-year project is now at the half-way stage, a 24-hour event, that ran April 15-16, was a fitting opportunity for partners, including Electrolux Professional, to share insights to a wider audience – over 1,500 people tuned in to watch.

Professional colleagues took part in three webinars that delved into the energy efficiency of laundry rooms, shared economy and benefits for residents as well as the sustainability perspective for housing associations.

 

Sharing is caring – and way better for the planet
Washing habits have been analyzed, centering on how behaviors can affect the environment and the opportunities that exist to make these behaviors more sustainable.

Research has examined the environmental impact of shared laundries in apartment buildings and concluded they reduce emissions by around 26% compared to domestic machines installed separately in apartment.

“The larger  environmental footprint when all apartments being equipped with their own machines is a call to review laundry behavior at large,” says Peter Sundqvist, Sales Manager Apartment House Laundry, who represented Electrolux Professional in the webinars.

“And an inviting laundry space, like our studio, has a greater chance of being well frequented.”

The results and more can be founded in the paper ‘Sharing is Caring’ which was recently published in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, written by two researchers from Chalmers who collaborate with The Research Hub.

Knowledge for future-proof laundry solutions

Indeed, the Laundry Studio forms part of the Research Hub by Electrolux Professional, which focuses on enhancing innovation and research, as well as collaborating with academia and external research centers.

“Our commitment to HSB Living Lab is an important investment we make to strengthen our innovation network, identify talent and gain knowledge to create a more sustainable future,” says Marius Stücheli, coordinator for The Research Hub in Sweden.

“These issues are becoming increasingly complex and interdisciplinary collaborations are needed, which is why we connect engineering with environmental and behavioral sciences to be able to make our future solutions even more environmentally friendly.”

Swedish speakers can capture action from the event here on YouTube.

 

About HSB Living Lab

A unique research project where researchers collaborate with the municipality and business community. Students and guest researchers reside and become part of the research themselves with the aim of finding smart, sustainable solutions for the housing of the future.

More than 2,000 sensors measure and provide information on such things as opened refrigerator doors, water consumption and thermal flows. These measured values become the basis for conclusions that can facilitate innovations for future housing. Visit the website here.