LAUNDRY Wash Away Your Worries Laundry Equipment Direct shares its top tips on how care


homes can create a more efficient laundry routine, freeing up time to spend with patients.


416,000 people live in care homes, equating to 4% of over 65s in the UK. However, with an ageing population – the 65+ population has increased by 21% over the last ten years – care homes are under growing pressure. Additionally, in 2015/16, 77 local authorities reported at least one care home closing in their area.


http://enrich.nihr.ac.uk/page/understanding-care-homes https://www.ageuk.org.uk/Documents/EN-GB/For-professionals/Research/The_Health_and_Care_of_Older_People_in_England_2016.pdf?dtrk=true


With significant spending cuts to elderly care, homes are feeling the strain. Time must be cut, whilst care levels remain high. However, streamlining the laundry process could be one way in which to save time and money, helping to alleviate the problems caused by spending cuts.


HERE ARE OUR SUGGESTIONS FOR KEY STEPS TO TAKE WHEN STREAMLINING THE LAUNDRY PROCESS:


Separate Laundry Laundry should always be separated into three piles in order to prevent cross-contamination.


The first pile is for dirty linen, which should be washed first.


The second pile is for infected or soiled laundry, and this includes blood or other bodily fluids. This should be placed in a sealed bag, which isn’t opened until it’s ready to go in the machine. It goes without saying, this shouldn’t be washed with other laundry. You could store them in an alginate bag, which will dissolve in the wash. Training care home workers on how to treat soiled laundry is particularly crucial, to discourage the spread of bacteria.


The third pile is for clean linen, which can be put on a separate trolley, ready to send back to owners.


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Create a Cleaning Rota Working in a care home is hectic, even before laundry is factored in. With so many loads to wash, whilst you may not be able to predict the amount of soiled laundry, you can at least prep for dirty laundry.


money, helping to alleviate the problems caused by spending cuts.”


Designate specific days and times for washing, so staff know when to collect dirty laundry, and residents know when to expect it back.


Once you’ve separated light washing from dark, you should schedule in separate loads for towels, sheets and clothing, to avoid overfilling machines.


Dry Laundry on Low Heat With so much washing, the tumble dryer is the easiest place to dry laundry. However, excessive use of dryers can shrink items, which will result in additional costs for care homes when they have to replace shrunken items.


Reduce the risk of shrinkage by drying laundry on a low heat. Other precautions include washing items beforehand in cold water. The only exception to this is soiled and infected laundry, which must be washed on a high temperature, disinfection cycle to kill bacteria.


“Streamlining the laundry process could be one way in which to save time and


Clean Appliances Regularly cleaning your appliances will not only prevent the spread of bacteria, it will also help them last longer, saving your care home money in the long-run.


Run a maintenance wash at least once a month for your washing machines. Take the time to scrub the detergent drawer, filter and door seal; leaving it open to let fresh air circulate.


For tumble dryers, you should always clean the lint drawer aſter every wash. If lint is leſt in, it can dry out and possibly set alight.


Ventilation is key in your laundry room. Choosing a room on the outside of the building means tumble dryers can take air from outside, and fresh air can circulate the room, discouraging the growth of bacteria.


By taking these steps, you can increase the speed of the laundry process at your care home, leaving you with extra time to spend with patients.


www.laundryequipment-direct.com www.tomorrowscare.co.uk


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