Infection control


Circle, it is built on the principle that four factors must be correct to achieve high standards of cleanliness: 1. Mechanical effect. 2. Temperature. 3. Time. 4. Chemical.


Mechanical effect Mechanical effect is making sure that the laundry is being agitated enough, receiving the right level of physical force from the water and rotating of the drum to remove dirt and stains. This is why it is important that machines are not overfilled because it reduces the agitation of individual items in the centre of the machine.


Temperature and time The combination of temperature and time are key in ensuring that thermal disinfection is achieved. Based on the government’s current HTM01-04 ‘Decontamination of linen for health and social care’ guidelines, a hot wash is recommended as part of the longer wash cycle at 71˚C for at least three minutes or 65˚C for at least ten minutes. Alternatively, a chemical disinfection


process may be adopted as long as it meets the requirements of ‘Disinfection of linen’ under HTM01-04. Commercial machines have the right


programmes available to achieve thermal disinfection, including sluice washes that need to be used for infected or foul linen.


Intelligent laundry systems It can be difficult to track that the right programmes are being used and to have the confidence that the correct temperatures are being reached and maintained for the length of time required to achieve thermal disinfection. Like many areas of the care home one


way of achieving this is through the use of the latest IoT technology, i.e. smart


washing machines and dryers, which provide homes with full visibility and real- time temperature validation throughout the entire laundry process. These innovative machines contain embedded electronics, software, sensors, actuators and network connectivity to enable them to link to a dedicated central cloud portal. Through this cloud portal, homes can see what is happening with their laundry with real- time reporting and tracking. They also allow service providers


to identify remotely when and why a machine may not be working, helping minimise downtime in a busy laundry. The remote diagnoses feature has been particularly useful for care homes during the pandemic due to visitor restrictions.


Chemical Unsurprisingly, the use of chemicals is also key within the process. Care homes need to refer to the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations) sheet or any labelling on the product to ensure that they have the right dosage levels dependent on the level of soiling. On top of ensuring the dosage is


correct, the chemicals need to be used


It is usually better to have a mix of machines rather than one large machine. This makes it easier to process different types of linen according to their textile family, giving a better wash and drying result


48


Store & handle linen correctly HTM 01-04 gives clear guidance on the process staff should use when handling dirty linen. Key points within the process are: l All staff who handle dirty linen should wear the correct PPE, including aprons and gloves, and should wash their hands when entering and exiting the laundry.


l Dirty linen should always be segregated by category (standard or enhanced)


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com • August 2021


for the right length of time and at the right temperature. Some chemicals will only activate once a certain temperature is reached and, for example, need the right amount of time for a degreasing detergent to take effect depending on the chemicals used. Automatic dosing systems are one


option that can be used to ensure you only use the correct amount of product each time, helping to clean laundry effectively, lower chemical costs and reduce the risk of clogging and breakdowns.


Ozone – what does it do? Ozone is a relatively new technology that care homes across the UK are utilising to help beat nasty bugs. The key benefit of ozone is that it kills infection at low temperatures using safe O3


gas. This


allows germs to be killed on heat-sensitive items such as personal clothing and mattress covers. However, while it removes germs at a


low temperature it will not remove stains or discolouration – so, disinfected but not clean. In other words, you still need heat, temperature and mechanical action to effectively deal with stains.


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