Hospitals have among the most demanding and specific laundry requirements of any public organisation. Not only do these institutions require reliable, round-the-clock laundering, but consistent hygiene and infection control standards are of the essence, too.
As such, hospital administrators face several key challenges when equipping and managing on-site laundry facilities – from procuring the appropriate equipment to ensuring that staff are trained to the required standard.
Here at Reliance, we’re proud to work with hospitals across Ireland, helping them with their commercial laundry requirements. This has given us unique insights into the day-to-day challenges that hospital laundries face, along with the tried-and-tested solutions that can help.
With this in mind, join us for a closer look at hospital laundry equipment and key considerations for healthcare staff.
The key considerations for hospital laundry managers
Let’s explore five essential considerations that must be considered to ensure successful and efficient laundry processing…
- Infection control: Infection control is a priority on the ward and this extends to the laundry room too. Linens and garments must be disinfected in line with regulatory standards while maintaining peak hygiene practices.
- Cross-contamination: In a similar vein to infection control; preventing cross-contamination is essential in hospital laundry settings. ‘Clean’ and ‘dirty’ zones should be implemented to ensure that soiled and clean items cannot come into contact with one another. A barrier washer is also recommended to ensure zero contamination during cleaning.
- Capacity: Typically, a high throughput of laundry is required in hospitals, with some facilities operating on a continuous, 24-hour basis. Of course, the required capacity does depend on the size of the hospital and the capacity of the laundry room.
- Energy efficiency: Energy-efficient washing machines can help to control overall operating costs, without compromising on hygiene and cleanliness.
- Intuitive and ergonomic: To assist day-to-day performance and usability while ensuring minimal staff onboarding and training, it’s recommended that hospitals source ergonomic laundry appliances with ergonomic, durable, and easy-to-use controls.
Types of laundry machines required in hospitals
One of the main challenges associated with hospital laundry rooms is the variance in laundry requirements. These facilities must handle a wide array of items, ranging from…
- Staff uniforms and scrubs
- Bed linen
- Towels
- Soft furnishings
Recommended commercial laundry equipment for hospitals
Given our experience in working with hospitals across Ireland, we’re uniquely placed to offer guidance on the types of commercial laundry equipment that would be best suited to different healthcare facilities. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the appliances that we recommend in hospital laundry settings.
Barrier washing machines
Barrier washing machines are a prerequisite of any healthcare laundry room, ensuring reliable infection control and zero risk of cross-contamination cycle after cycle. These specialist commercial washers feature a physical barrier design, wherein dirty linens are fed into one side of the appliance before being removed, washed and cleaned, on the other.
Industrial tumble dryers
We recommend investing in an industrial-grade tumble dryer in a hospital laundry setting. These durable, high-capacity machines are designed to run on a near-continuous basis, drying hundreds of kilograms of clean laundry to a consistent standard. They also ensure maximum speed and efficiency per load, for tangible energy savings.
Commercial irons
Commercial ironers are a step above any domestic equivalent, with unique features that make them suitable for maximum throughput garment and flatwork pressing. We recommend a roller or rotary industrial iron for hospital laundry rooms, as these hard-working machines make light work of even the most demanding ironing applications.
We hope this guide has shone a light on the unique requirements of hospital laundry rooms, along with some of the solutions that we recommend. If you’re a hospital laundry manager or facilities administrator looking to upgrade your commercial laundry equipment, contact the Reliance team today.