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LAUNDRY First Line Defence Amanda Dufrane, Regional Segment Manager – Care at Electrolux Professional,


explores how care providers can create cleaner, more efficient laundry processes and avoid having to make do with an inadequate laundry system that could encourage the spread of nasty infections.


Modern healthcare cleaning professionals work in an industry that has seen a steady increase in concerns regarding disinfection in laundering, with the ever-present possibility of cross infection leading to a disease outbreak.


Paying proper care and attention to the laundering of linen can have a huge impact on infection control, especially in a healthcare environment where bacteria are commonly found in bed sheets, pillow cases, blankets and throws.


The laundering of care workers’ uniforms is also of the utmost importance. Care workers are constantly in contact with the sick, so laundry needs to provide a top defence against micro-organisms and cross infection. Established precautionary standards should be implemented to prevent both staff and patients from direct contagion. In line with this, staff should always change their clothes after handling soiled bed sheets.


In some cases, regardless of a washing machine’s performance, if the laundering environment is inadequate then workers cannot come close to guaranteeing cleanliness. At Electrolux Professional we have conducted extensive research into how to create the most functional and reliable laundering environment to provide the fastest and safest machine operation.


The latest innovations in the field of barrier washing solve many common safety issues and we would urge all those responsible for disinfecting


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linen to consider it as a solution. The Electrolux Professional Line 5000 healthcare solution has been designed so the machine doors are loaded on the dirty side of the machine and removed on the clean (opposite) side. This means that when the washing is taken out, there is absolutely no chance of re-contamination where the soiled sheets may have left bacteria behind.


are constantly in contact with the sick, so laundry needs to provide a top defence against micro- organisms and cross infection.”


To assure best practice, all washing cycles in the advanced process must have either a thermal disinfection cycle that reaches 71◦C for at least three minutes or 65◦C for at least ten minutes. Alternatively, the equipment must commence a chemical disinfectant process that satisfies the requirements in the section ‘Disinfection of linen’ in the ‘Management and Provision’ volume of CFPP 01-04. Heavily soiled items should also pass through a pre-wash sluice cycle before entering a general load.


“Care workers


Operators can look to manufacturers to guarantee further peace of mind. Unique to the Electrolux Professional Line 5000 is the Electrolux Hygiene Watchdog, which ensures that any wash programme is performed in full before it allows unloading on the clean side. Additionally, healthcare cleaning operators can benefit from the Certus Management™ Information System (CMIS), which provides the highest level of control and traceability throughout the whole hygiene process. Plus, to increase usability, there are also large Quick Start buttons for frequently used wash programmes. There is also the potential to install up to 200 personalised wash programmes.


These features offer further peace of mind to both the machine operator and the manager responsible for the overall disinfection of laundry at a site. Investing in an On Premises Laundry (OPL) presents the opportunity for significant cost savings too, as there won’t be a need to outsource any work to professional laundry services as safety can be assured under your own roof. The increased productivity and efficiency also results in more wash loads being performed per day.


Like any organisation or business, hospitals and care homes have targets to meet in all aspects of their operation. Working with manufacturers and seeking bespoke industry laundering solutions can enable them to guarantee safety and prevent contamination through bed sheets and clothing.


www.professional.electrolux.co.uk www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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