Laundering of patient clothing during a hospital stay guide

Management of Laundry

Service users/patients are supported in a variety of different environments with differing degrees of control and responsibility for the management of their laundry, depending on the setting.

While basic launderette facilities are provided on all inpatient areas, many service users and carers prefer to wash their clothing items at home.

When people are ill, their clothing can often become soiled with bodily fluids such as vomit, urine and faeces.

Dirty Laundry

Dirty laundry may be placed in a white plastic bag to be washed at home. Dirty laundry is laundry which is not soiled or contaminated with bodily fluids or from a person who is known to have an infection.

Dirty laundry should be washed in line with the garments care label.

Soiled/Infected Laundry

Heavily soiled or infected laundry should be double bagged in a red alginate bag. Laundry in a red alginate bag could be contaminated with bodily fluids or from a person known to have an infection.

You must collect the clothing bag within 24 hours, or the clothing may be washed by staff. This is because it is not hygienic for us to store bags of bodily fluid-contaminated clothing for long periods. When you collect the bag, please put it into an outer bag for transport and do not reuse the bag.

The ‘service users’ clothing bag’ is designed so that you don’t have to handle soiled clothing and potentially place yourself at risk. It is still a good idea, however, to cover any cuts on your hands or wear rubber gloves if this is not possible. You should also wash your hands with soap and water after handling the bag.

The red bag should be placed in the washing machine. Do not untie or remove items from the bag. The soluble strip and tie will dissolve inside the machine allowing the clothes to be washed normally.

When washing soiled clothing it is best to wash it on the highest temperature recommended for the fabric and wash separately from other clothes. Use biological laundry detergent if possible.

It is important not to leave wet or damp clothing for long periods as this could allow any micro-organisms that remain present to multiply rapidly.

It is best to tumble dry and iron clothes on the hottest setting allowed for the fabric after laundering as this helps to further reduce the number of bacteria, making clothes safer for reuse.

It is important that those dealing with laundry have appropriate information provided prior to handling laundry.

Good standards for handling laundry

• Wash hands between handling clean and used or infectious laundry
• Don’t mix clean laundry with used or infectious laundry
• Do not shake used or infectious laundry
• Do not place used or infectious laundry on the floor or on surfaces
• Place the laundry directly into the washing machine
• Do not handle laundry at home whilst food is being prepared.

Good standards for handling infectious laundry

• Do not wash by hand
• Use the appropriate pre-wash cycle
• Launder separately from other items
• Launder at highest temperature recommended
• Do not leave laundry wet or damp for long periods
• Clean the washing machine frequently.

The infection risk of washing laundry at home is low and taking the above precautions discussed in this leaflet could minimise risks further.

Our patients matter

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust listens and responds to patients and their carers to help improve the services we deliver.

If you have any comments, compliments or concerns you can speak with a member of staff or contact our Patient Advice and LiaisonService (PALS) and Complaints Team.

Telephone: 0151 471 2377 Freephone: 0800 328 2941 Email: palsandcomplaints@merseycare.nhs.uk