How to Handle Soiled Linens
Most of the time, doing laundry is a straightforward affair. However, some soiled linens and dirty clothing need special handling to get them as clean as possible. So today, the team at Elite Cleaners is here to talk about how to handle soiled linen on your own.
Did you know that Elite Cleaners offers professional linen cleaning services? Contact us for corporate linen cleaning in Wichita, KS!
How to Safely Wash Soiled Clothes and Soiled Linen: Step-By-Step Guide
Soiled linen are linens that are contaminated by food, liquids, and body fluids, like urine, feces, or vomit. When handling soiled clothes and soiled linen, cleaners should always treat them as a biological hazard and take the necessary precautions to stop the spread of infection, including:
- Wear disposable gloves and personal protective equipment
- Keep soiled linens away from the body
- Dispose of the plastic trash bag that held the dirty laundry
- Don’t place linens on uncovered surfaces
Remove Solids
First, remove any solid materials, such as food, vomit, or feces. Laundry equipment is not meant to handle solid materials, so leaving solids in the clothing or healthcare linens makes the clothes dryer less effective.
Additionally, removing solids prevents damage to laundry machinery. You can use paper towels or toilet paper to remove thick layers of semi-solid materials. Dispose of used paper towels in a large plastic bag.
Clean and Disinfect Linens
After disposing of solids, give soiled clothes or bed linens a regular wash cycle in hot water (~170°F). The hot water will wash dirty clothes and remove stains deep in the fabric.
After washing soiled clothes and bedding for ten minutes, use an approved laundry detergent. Depending on the cross-contamination level, you may or may not need to use disinfectant. Make sure to wear gloves or reusable rubber gloves.
Dry Linens
You need to completely dry the clean linen before using them again. Drying on high heat is the best way to completely clean contaminated linen, although the heat might shrink clean linens.
Elite Laundry Services
Elite Cleaners should always be your first choice when you need bed linens clean and clean clothes. We understand many people don’t know how to handle soiled linen, so let us do it instead. Schedule a pickup appointment online or drop us a line at (316) 651-5997!