Stain Removal in Hotel & Hospital Linen

In the hospitality and healthcare sectors, linen is one important item with which guests come in contact directly. It should look good and also be well maintained for longevity. If properly handled, linen management can set even an economy lodging property above its competitors in perceived value in a relatively inexpensive way.

One of the main challenges in linen maintenance is in giving it a stain-free finish. Simply defined, a stain is discolouration brought about by contact with a foreign substance which is difficult to remove. However, each stain has to be treated differently. A stain could be due to first-aid in an accident but the treatment of such stains require immediate action. Some of the treatments for first-aid related stains include blotting, grease absorbent, salt absorbent and often a cold water rinse. It is virtually impossible to guarantee stain removal, as the agents that are used to remove the stain often have an adverse effect on the fibre contained in the fabric.

Removing stains is one of the most challenging parts of doing laundry. But once you learn the basic steps for tackling a stain and the correct products to use, many types of stains can be treated in similar steps, making the job much easier.

However a set of general rules for stain removal may serve as a guideline

• Identify the stain

• Deal with the stain as quickly as possible

• Remove excess staining material immediately

• Test the stain removal agent on an inconspicuous place

• Avoid hot water on an unknown stain

• Use simple methods before resorting to the use of chemicals

• Use milder agents then stronger ones

• Repeated mild applications are better than one strong one

• Ensure that the stain removing agent has been neutralised or washed away

There are two major factors which are responsible for ensuring correct stain removal.

One, the stain removal agent and the other, the method of stain removal. It is important to select the right stain removing agent because of multiple fibres and the fibre blends that are used in the fabric which could get damaged by the agents used.

Stubborn stains can be a real challenge in today’s commercial laundry facilities, as stains can have a negative effect on production leading to a smaller profit margin.

The key to not setting stains or avoiding a mountain of rewash is sorting. Proper sorting can eliminate headaches and money getting washed down the drain. Make the minimum effort to pre-sort those pillowcases & terrys and your production times and rewash will be greatly reduced. If the stains are caught during the sorting process, they can be pre-spotted and processed without incident.

Stages of stain removal operations:

• Soiled Retrieval

• Soil sorting

• Washing

• Processing

• Packing & despatch

Different types of stains found especially in the hotel and hospital linen include kitchen oil, lubricants, food, beverages, mud, dirt, blood, ink, lipstick, and so on. Most stains are removed by dissolving them with a solvent. The solvent selection depends on two factors: the agent that is causing the stain, and the material that has been stained. Different solvents will dissolve different stains, and the application of some solvents is limited by the fact that they not only dissolve the stain, but also dissolve the material that is stained. We should be cautious while using such solvents.

These are some of the solvents that can be used for stains:

• Detergents

• Oxidizing solvents

• Reducing solvents

• Lacquer solvents

• Softners

• Acids

• Alkalis

• Soda

• Bleaches

One of the most neglected aspects about good housekeeping is that it requires the support of a good laundry. More often than not, hotels spend large amounts of money on linen (for rooms as well as baths) since it makes a statement about the quality of accommodation offered by the hotel. What goes largely ignored however, is the fact that to maintain this quality one needs an efficient and good quality of linen processing on-premise laundry.

In an in-house laundry, one is able to choose the right chemicals to ensure higher production and also ensure longer life of linen and uniforms. With external laundries, it is at times difficult to get the kind of output required by hotel operators, like in case of back to back check-in of a conference or a large group.

Many stains can be avoided by proper handling of linen, storing in laundry bags (not on floor) and placing in racks.

N Chandrashekar

CEO-ProSolutions.