The Laundry Process: Sorting and Washing

Soiled linen must not be sorted, laundered, rinsed, or stored in bathrooms, resident rooms, corridors, kitchens, or food storage areas. The exception is soiled linen and clothing that is not contaminated with blood. These may be rinsed in a resident's toilet.

 

Sorting of laundry should be done in the designated laundry area. The order of sorting depends on the needs of your facility

 

Sorting after washing minimizes the exposure of laundry workers to infectious material in soiled fabrics.

 

Sorting laundry before washing protects both the machinery and fabrics from hard objects (e.g., residents' property) and reduces the potential for recontamination of clean fabrics. Sorting laundry before washing also allows for customization of laundry formulas based on the mix of products in the system and types of soils encountered.

 

Sorting Laundry

Linen must be washed, dried, stored, and transported in a manner which will produce hygienically clean linen. The washing process must have a mechanism for soil removal and bacteria kill. Normal laundry cycles should be used according to the washer and detergent manufacturer's recommendations.

 

Cleaned wet textiles, fabrics, and clothing are then dried, pressed as needed, and prepared (e.g., folded and packaged) for distribution back to the facility.