WASTE, POLLUTION & SUSTAINABILITY Green Clean


Thea Cooper, Business Account Manager at the Professional division of Miele, discusses how to ensure your care home’s laundry facility is as eco-friendly as possible.


The King’s Fund, a charity that looks at how to improve the health and social care sector, claims that the NHS accounts for 25% of public sector CO2 emissions in the UK. As the sector continues to face financial challenges, the charity highlights sustainability measures as a way to reduce spend and reduce the harm done to the planet. In fact, keeping the use of resources low can improve patient care too, since it saves money that can be spent on additional staff or other resources. The care sector has the potential to be more sustainable, but needs to take the time to work out how it can become more energy-efficient.


One place to start is in the laundry. Making the daily laundry more energy efficient isn’t just about using an energy-efficient washing machine or using the eco-friendly setting. A holistic approach is required in order to identify ways to make laundry less harmful to the environment and also more cost-effective. Here are some key considerations to make:


1. Understand your washing machine’s load ratio


Care homes should consider how much laundry they process, in order to establish what load capacity they require in a washing machine. Laundry managers need to know what the load capacity means in real terms – e.g. what does 8kg or 10kg of laundry actually look like? This will ensure that only the necessary amount of energy and water is consumed. However, it’s important not to overload the machine as this could be counter-productive because items won’t be washed effectively and might need to be washed again.


2. Brush up on programme knowledge


The many programmes and settings that commercial washers and dryers offer aren’t just there to wash to certain temperatures or protect fabrics; they can contribute to your sustainability efforts too. Different programmes provide the optimum temperature depending on the item getting washed and how soiled it is. Without making full use of the different modes, it’s likely that some items will be washed at unnecessarily high temperatures, or for too long. As a result, the care home uses an excessive amount of energy and water. Staff should take the time to understand or receive training on when and how to use different programmes and settings.


3. Choose a machine that’s built to last


Don’t just consider laundry equipment’s energy and water usage; care home managers should think about the whole lifecycle of the machine and how long it is likely to last. When shopping for new laundry equipment, care homes could consider whether the parts can be recycled at the end-of-life. Choosing a brand that’s been tested to last a long time will reduce the number of instances when parts need replacing, minimising the amount of waste created and the need to buy a new one so soon. And choosing from a supplier with a good service record will mean that the care home can maintain the quality of equipment and prolong its life. Care home laundry workers shouldn’t forget about their own vital maintenance work. For example, they should unblock and clean tumble dryers aſter every cycle to ensure that it works at its maximum efficiency.


4. Make the most of moisture


Ensuring that laundered items aren’t leſt ‘too dry’ can work to a care home’s advantage, not just in terms of eco-friendliness, but easier laundry processes too. Some commercial dryers have a residual moisture feature that allows the user to leave a chosen amount of water moisture during the cycle. This ensures that the machine doesn’t use more energy than required to dry the items, and also makes ironing them easier than if they were bone dry. Care home managers should look for a dryer with this option.


Achieving a sustainable laundry facility benefits not only the environment, but the care home’s finances too. Partnering with an expert in commercial laundry will make sure the choice of equipment and the way it’s run, managed and serviced is as environmentally-friendly as possible. Sustainable practices are no longer just a gimmick to add to a business’ CSR image; it’s an expectation from customers and the government, and care homes aren’t exempt.


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