Specific sector requirements
Retirement homes, social care centres and home-care services handle textiles that require guaranteed hygiene: incontinence, biological fluids and specific protocols to prevent cross-contamination between residents.
A care-home laundry needs professional disinfection products, documentary traceability and auditable protocols.
Specific products
Recommended protocol
- Segregate contaminated loads in double bags
- Disinfection with Sanitex at 4 g/kg in the penultimate rinse (minimum 5 min)
- Bleaching with Oximatic Plus on white loads
- Hipo-Soft fabric softener for residents with sensitive skin
- Periodic Machine Clean maintenance of the equipment
- Documentary record of every disinfection cycle
Separating the dirty and clean flows
In a care home, much of the hygiene of the laundry is decided before it goes into the washer. The laundry should work in one direction only:
- Dirty area: laundry received in closed bags, without opening or sorting them in view of residents.
- Washing: the washer is loaded straight from the bag, without shaking the laundry.
- Clean area: drying, folding and storage without crossing paths with trolleys or bags of dirty laundry.
- Staff: gloves and protection as indicated on the product labels, and hand hygiene when moving from one area to the other.
Why each product goes in at its own stage
- Main wash with Biogold Q: a sanitising enzymatic detergent, at 5–10 g per kg of dry laundry depending on soiling, at around 40 ºC.
- Penultimate rinse with Sanitex: 4 g/kg with a minimum contact time of 5 minutes. Its quaternary ammonium formula is neutral and non-oxidising, and safe for fabrics.
- Bleaching with Oximatic +: on white loads, at 2–6 g/kg with a peristaltic dispenser.
- Final rinse with Hipo Soft: 5–10 g/kg; free from preservatives and colourants, with a low-allergen perfume.
If Sanitex goes in at another stage or with less contact time, the cycle no longer follows the protocol, even if the laundry comes out clean.
Documentation for inspections
- ✓Technical data sheets and safety data sheets for each product, compliant with the REACH Regulation and with CLP labelling.
- ✓A written washing protocol for each type of laundry, with product, dose and stage.
- ✓A calibration record for each pump and a log of every cycle run with Sanitex.
- ✓A record of the training given to laundry staff.
Mistakes that break the protocol
- Overloading the washer: the laundry does not get evenly wet and the product does not reach every item.
- Mixing products: the data sheets say not to mix with other chemicals.
- Unchecked pumps: a pump out of calibration doses less than the protocol says without anyone noticing.
- Skipping maintenance: a regular empty wash with Machine Clean removes scale and the sources of bad smells in the washers.
More on this risk in cross-contamination.
Do you run a care home or social care centre?
A complete solution with products, protocols, training and documentary traceability.
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Price per pack size for self-service laundries and recommended dosage. We will reply to your request.