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Mini Guide
to hygienic laundry
practices
based on the RABC system/EN 14065
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Index
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electr electrolux olux mini guide mini guide 3 3 Hygienic laundry page 4 Storing and sorting dirty laundry page 6 Measures recommended under European Guidelines Advice from professionals Washing page 8 Measures recommended under European Guidelines Advice from professionals Transfer from washing to drying page 10 Measures recommended under European Guidelines Advice from professionals Drying and finishing page 12 Measures recommended under European Guidelines Advice from professional
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4 electrolux mini guide Hygienic laundry Laundry is found throughout a hospital or care home: uniforms, bed linen, catering articles, surgical dress, cleaning items (i.e. mops), patient clothing, etc. Laundry plays an essential role in patient comfort whilst protecting employees in their place of work. Laundry is a potential carrier of healthcare acquired infections. It is therefore vital to control its flow. Special measures must be taken to ensure hygiene levels are maintained. The laundr
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electrolux mini guide 5 Dirty laundry can spread germs to other areas and therefore the clean linen needs to be handled as carefully as the dirty. This requires an in-depth understanding of laundry flows, the correct use of fabrics suitable to the task and working practices which ensure the employees are aware of how their every day actions can impact the laundry operation. In the current climate whereby hospitals must be able to produce documentation to prove the quality of the processes
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6 electrolux mini guide Storing and sorting dirty laundry Measures recommended under European Guidelines European norm no. EN 14065 recommends that dirty laundry be delivered to the laundry daily in coloured textile bags as follows: Large flat laundry: One colour for bags containing sheets etc, all types of textiles, all sizes. Small flat laundry: One colour for bags containing pillow cases, bolster cases, all catering laundry, kitchen towels and aprons, handkerchiefs, hospital go
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electrolux mini guide 7 Advice from professionals ! The packing does not meet the expected barrier properties (risk of infection) Risk • Any packing or wrapping system, other than dirty laundry collection bags, specially designed for this purpose must be avoided (e.g. bin bags, sheets knotted to form bundles). • Do not use RED bags, as this colour is only for transferring “at risk” laundry. • Only use textile bags. Plastic bags are more expensive and encourage mould to form which can seriou
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8 electrolux mini guide Washing Measures recommended under European Guidelines • Guarantee a complete decontamination of the washed linen • Respect the service life of the fibres • Develop a specific approach for “at risk” laundry
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electrolux mini guide 9 Advice from professionals • Install washing equipment in a barrier configuration to prevent any dirty laundry being loaded into the washing machines coming into contact with the clean laundry being taken out of the machines • Adapt the detergents to the level of soiling • Respect the wash programmes (pH, water hardness, temperature, water levels, time laundry is in contact with the detergent, machine filling ratio) • Use bactericidal products on all textiles washed
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10 electrolux mini guide Transfer from washing to drying Measures recommended under European Guidelines • Do not store for long periods • Do not store in unsuitable places • Do not handle at the wrong time
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electrolux mini guide 11 Advice from professionals • Just in time production • Do not store laundry at intermediate points • Never sort dirty laundry in the clean area
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12 electrolux mini guide Drying and finishing Measures recommended under European Guidelines • Ensure correct temperatures and contact times are adhered to during the finishing (ironing) process • Ensure that filling ratios in the drying process are not exceeded • Reduce the number of times the clean linen is handled from the time it is taken out of the washer until it leaves the laundry room (a maximum of four handlings)
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electrolux mini guide 13 Advice from professionals • Work in a strict flow per textile family • Immediately store finished items • Recommended procedure for large flat linen (cotton and poly cotton): Unload the barrier washer Feed into the ironer Immediately store in the department, ward, trolley or patient’s/resident’s wardrobe • Recommended procedure for laundry to be tumble-dried: Unload the barrier washer Transfer into tumble dryer (never on hangers) Fold manually Immediately
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14 electrolux mini guide Protection Measures recommended under European Guidelines • Protect the laundry by storing in mobile trolleys • Follow the advised storage and delivery times
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electrolux mini guide 15 Advice from professionals • Cover with plastic microporous film and/or keep in trolleys or closed cabinets. ! Risk: Clean laundry may be contaminated during these operations. Risk • Regularly disinfect and clean premises where clean laundry is stored. • Keep premises separate from areas where dirty laundry is in transit. • Close the doors to stop air turbulence. Ensure that the air pressure in the clean area is higher than the dirty area. • Regularly disinfect and
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16 electrolux mini guide Transport Measures recommended under European Guidelines • Have a means of transport reserved exclusively for clean laundry • Use materials that can be decontaminated • Follow the advised flows to avoid clean laundry coming into contact with dirty laundry
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electrolux mini guide 17 Advice from professionals • Appropriate lorry reserved exclusively for delivery of clean laundry. • For transport vehicles, an internal disinfection procedure should be adopted. • Respect the immobilisation intervals. ! Risk: Transport conditions can favour contamination Risk of clean laundry. • Prepare clean laundry deliveries in covered trolleys or closed cabinets. • Deliver trolleys or cabinets directly to the department/ward. • Laundry must be wrapped appropriately
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18 electrolux mini guide
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Note
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Share more of our thinking at www.electrolux.com Environment Being environmentally friendly is more than just a concern to us. It means being truly conscious and totally committed to environmental issues at every stage of the industrial cycle, from design to manufacturing. The ISO 14001 certification guarantees our long-term commitment. 9JLBZU 432 9103 81 The Company reserves the right to change specifications without notice.
