Laundering Safety

Sheets, towels, gowns, blankets and other washable items used in health care facilities often come in contact with body fluids that can be dangerous for those who wash them. Contaminated and soiled linens can carry diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis.

If you’re handling or washing laundry items during the course of your workday, take note of the following safety precautions that are designed to help you prevent accidental exposure.

Handling Tips

• Touch the laundry as little as possible with your hands.
• If you notice that linens are soiled, bag them separately in the location where they were used, instead of mixing them with other linens to be sorted later.
• Place wet, contaminated laundry in a leak-proof, color-coded bag (usually red) and/or container.
  • This container should have a bio-hazard symbol on it to designate the laundry as dangerous and containing human excretions.
• Hold contaminated laundry bags as far away from the body as possible and avoid squeezing the bag excessively because it may cause puncturing.
  • Seal the bag tightly to avoid leakage.
  • Use carts or laundry chutes designated for soiled linens to transport the bags.

Washing Tips

• Do not wash soiled linens with non-soiled laundry.
• If some of the items you will be washing are soiled, never wash them with other items of the same kind unless they are also soiled. Combining sheets, towels or gowns is appropriate when soiled, but never combine a non-soiled gown with a soiled one simply to wash like items together.
• Use hot water to clean and disinfect soiled laundry.
  • Cycle should be at least 25 minutes long and water should be at least 160° F.
  • Use chlorine bleach for added disinfecting power.
  • Add a mild acid to neutralize the alkalinity in the tub to disinfect the linens.
• Only combine like items after they have been properly washed and disinfected.

This flyer is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or legal advice.© 2009-2010, 2018 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved