Reduce the Spread of the Flu & Covid This Winter

Managing Effective Infection Control in Your Laundry

The colder months are upon us, and with that, so is the cold/flu/covid season. As much as these viruses are an inevitable part of life, their spread can be minimised in the laundry. By adhering to specific measures, infection control can be implemented by laundry staff and operators, helping to stop the spread of viruses, including covid-19, influenza, and the common cold. Aqualogic believes a hygienic and healthy laundry is of the utmost importance, especially in achieving infection control. Our team of laundry experts have shared their wisdom on infection control and put together the following information to help you increase hygiene in your laundry facility and reduce the transmission of the flu and covid this winter.

The Purpose of an Infection Control Program

An effective infection control program serves the purpose of halting the spread of infections, particularly to protect those who are most vulnerable. It plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the general community, the elderly, and those individuals suffering from existing illnesses. Hygiene practices are paramount in achieving successful infection prevention and control, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, flu season, and the prevalence of the common cold. Although the WHO (World Health Organisation) has declared that covid is no longer a health emergency, infections continue to spread, and let’s face it, we’ve all had enough time at home! By establishing a robust infection control program, you can ensure the correct hygiene standards are followed, reducing the risk of infectious outbreaks associated with these contagious diseases and ultimately minimising their spread.

Essential Requirements for Laundering

To achieve effective disinfection in your laundry, it is essential to adhere to specific requirements outlined by AS4146 guidelines, considering the unique challenges posed by COVID-19, flu, and the common cold:

Thermal Disinfection: Thermal disinfection involves washing soiled linen at a temperature of no less than 65°C for a duration of 10 minutes or at a minimum of 71°C for a minimum of 3 minutes. These thermal conditions are crucial in eliminating pathogens, including viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza viruses, and common cold viruses.

Chemical Disinfection: For heat-sensitive linens, chemical disinfection can be used as an alternative. These linens should undergo a suitable wash cycle with chemicals that provide an equivalent level of disinfection to the thermal method. It is important to choose disinfectants that are effective against the specific viruses causing COVID-19, flu, and the common cold. Some laundry facilities use ozone-based systems to achieve disinfection even in cold water.
While tumble-drying linens is generally recommended, it is important to note that it is not considered an effective form of disinfection against viruses. Linens that cannot be tumble-dried should undergo prior disinfection before line drying, taking into account the contagious nature of viruses.

Use Your Washing Machine Programs Effectively

In managing infectious linens, it is crucial to have distinct wash programs for each classification and a dedicated program specifically designed for infectious linens. Infectious linens encompass fabrics that have come into contact with individuals infected with any of these contagious diseases. The designated wash program for infectious linens, commonly known as the infectious program, ensures the required level of disinfection is achieved.

The infectious wash program combines thermal and chemical methods to achieve thorough disinfection. It is important to validate disinfection through bacterial enumeration swab tests, such as the Tectra swab test, which measures bacterial levels before and after a wash cycle. This validation process provides assurance that the laundry processes effectively eliminate viruses and bacteria.

Best Practices to Minimise Cross Contamination

Minimising cross-contamination is crucial, not only within the laundry facility but also throughout the entire linen handling process. Here are some best practices to consider:

• Pre-Laundry Handling: Any infectious linens in contact with individuals isolated due to COVID-19, flu, or the common cold should be placed in dissolvable bags. These bags should be securely sealed to prevent exposure to other linens and sent directly to the laundry. The use of dissolvable bags ensures that infected linens do not come into contact with other items during transportation and adds an extra barrier to any staff contact.
• Laundry Operations: Once the dissolvable bags reach the laundry, it is crucial that staff members do not open the bags. They should remain sealed and be loaded directly into the washing machines for cleaning. It is imperative for laundry staff to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including gloves, aprons, and face masks, to provide a barrier against potential contamination. After loading the machines, staff should remove their gloves before closing the door or touching the keypad. Once the wash cycle has been completed, you have done your part to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
• Laundry Design and Fitout: Keeping the clean and the dirty sides of the laundry as separate as possible, even going as far as to ensure the air conditioning is moving from the clean side to the dirty side and not the other way around. Making sure there is a sink with hand soap in between the two areas is also a necessary addition in having a hygienic laundry that practices infection control. Lastly, keeping your laundry trolleys to their designated transits, colour coding and clear labelling can assist with this. For example, the trolley that is used to collect dirty laundry that then goes into the washer should not then be used to take the clean laundry coming out of the washer over to the dryer.

By following these procedures diligently, you can significantly reduce the risks associated with the spread of COVID-19, flu, and the common cold, as well as any other contagious diseases, ensuring the safety of both staff and residents or customers. Prioritizing infection control in your laundry operations is paramount, especially during the colder months when respiratory viruses are prevalent.

Aqualogic is committed to providing industry-leading expertise and solutions to help you maintain the highest hygiene standards, minimize cross-contamination, and create a safer environment for everyone involved. Together, we can overcome these infectious threats and protect the well-being of your community. For more information on infection control, disinfection, and specific measures to address COVID-19, flu, and the common cold in your laundry, make an enquiry online or call us on 1300 222 119 today. Our team of laundry experts would be delighted to perform a health check on your laundry and ensure that it’s not only hygienic but it is practising good infection control.