In a hospital, the laundry is an essential part of the infection prevention infrastructure. Behind every fresh bed sheet and sterilised surgical drape lies a system that, if not properly planned and maintained, can directly compromise patient outcomes. An ideal healthcare laundry does deliver clean linen but also ensures the safety of patients, protects staff, and supports the clinical operations of a healthcare institution. Akash Dharamsey, Managing Director, ADD Laundry Concepts, shares some essential points to include and exclude when designing and operating a healthcare laundry.
The primary purpose of a healthcare laundry is to prevent cross-contamination between soiled and clean linen, eliminate pathogens through disinfection, and maintain a steady and efficient supply of fresh linen to various departments, from operating theatres to general wards.
Achieving this involves careful planning of layout, equipment selection, infection control protocols and workforce training. Every aspect must work in harmony to meet both hygiene standards and operational efficiency goals.
Equipment must be capable of achieving and maintaining 800C for a programmable amount of time to adhere to disinfection protocol as recommended by HICCs, MoHFW or any other regulatory body.
Akash Dharamsey
Planning an Ideal Healthcare Laundry
Segregation & Workflow Design
Physical Separation: Design the laundry with distinct zones for soiled and clean linen, ensuring a one-way workflow to prevent cross-contamination.
Negative Airflow: Implement negative air pressure in soiled areas to prevent airborne pathogens from moving to clean zones.
Clear Signage: Use clear labelling and colour coding for bins, carts and storage to avoid accidental mixing of clean and soiled linen.
Infection Control Measures
High-temperature Washing: Equipment must be capable of achieving and maintaining 800C for a programmable amount of time to adhere to disinfection protocol as recommended by HICCs, MoHFW or any other regulatory body.
Appropriate Detergents & Chemicals: Use appropriate detergents and disinfectants which are compatible with healthcare textiles.
Special Handling: Have protocols for linen and high-risk areas [ICU, OT’s, isolation wards] with separate handling and washing process.
Storage & Handling:
Covered storage: Store clean linen in closed/covered, secure areas with limited access to prevent contamination.
Dedicated Transport Use: Use separate, clearly marked bins and carts for soiled and clean linen. Bins, carts, containers must be cleaned & disinfected after use.
Personnel Hygiene: Hygiene protocol must be strictly followed by staff handling soiled and clean linen.
Equipment & Technology
Industrial Grade Equipment: Invest in barrier washers, energy efficient washers and dryers which are programable and designed for healthcare needs
Automation: Utilize auto-dosing systems for dispensation of detergents and chemicals. Use updated modern equipment which can provide real time process data to monitor process protocols on a remote computer. RFID based inventory systems implementation can help track and improve efficiency and consistency.
Regular Maintenance: Scheduled preventive maintenance and inspections help avoid breakdowns and ensure optimal operating efficiency.
Staff Training & Safety
Personnel Safety: Personnel handling infected linen must be appropriately vaccinated and must use protective gear while handling linen. Mandate use of barrier textiles and masks for staff handling soiled linen.
Training: Provide regular training & refreshers on hygiene protocol, personnel safety, infection control, material handling, equipment use, emergency procedures and regulatory compliance.
Quality Control & Monitoring
Routine Inspections: Inspect linen for cleanliness and integrity before distribution
Performance Monitoring: Track turnaround time, infection rates and linen loss to optimise operations
Feedback: Encourage clinical staff to report issues with linen quality for continuous improvement
Environmental & Compliance
Water & Energy Efficiency: Choose equipment that allow flexible programming and enable process control to minimise resource consumption
Waste Management: Follow protocol for disposal of infected or contaminated materials as per regulatory guidelines.
Documentation: Maintain records of linen processed, washing cycles, detergent usage and preventive maintenance for traceability and audits.
Best Practices & Additional Considerations
Linen Quality: Choose durable, high-quality textiles that can withstand repeated high temperature wash process
Capacity Planning: Analyse current and projected linen usage to configure equipment and staff requirement appropriately. Adopt automation and technology to your advantage.
Flexible Operations: Design the layout, workflow, processes to adapt to emergencies or increased demand
Continuous Improvement: Regularly review SOPs, infection rates and update protocols as standards evolve
An ideal healthcare laundry is built on pillars of infection control, operational efficiency, staff safety and adherence to compliance. Key planning elements include strict segregation of soiled and clean linen, disinfection, covered storage, staff training and use of industrial grade equipment. Exclude practices that risk cross contamination, compromise hygiene or violate safety standards. Healthcare laundry adhering to aforesaid principles can ensure a reliable supply of hygienically clean linen supporting both patient care and institutional reputation.
| Key Inclusion vs Exclusions | |
| Include | Exclude |
| Physical separation of clean/soiled areas | Mixed-use processing/storage areas |
| High-temp, disinfecting wash cycles | Domestic use machines/low-temp cycles |
| Covered, secure storage for clean linen | Open-air transport/storage |
| PPE and staff training | Untrained staff |
| Automated chemical dosing and tracking | Manual sorting of highly infectious linen |
| Regular preventive equipment maintenance | Skipping maintenance |
| Strict hand hygiene protocols | Handling linen without following hygiene protocol |
| Negative airflow in soiled areas | Shared air between clean/soiled zones |
| Compliance and infection control | Non-compliance with regulations |