Laundry and Disinfection

Transmission of most viruses and bacteria is from person to person or contact with body fluids. It is believed that transmission from inanimate objects, such as clothing, is extremely rare. Through a combination of soil removal, pathogen removal, and pathogen inactivation, contaminated laundry can be rendered hygienically clean. Hygienically clean laundry carries negligible risk to visitors, guests and workers, provided that the clean textiles, fabric, and clothing are not inadvertently contaminated before use.

Some important points to consider are.

When selecting linens, always go with white and 100 percent cotton where possible. Why? They may be boring but are easy to disinfect with hot water. Linens that are bright colours and a synthetic blend cannot stand up to the rigors of disinfecting chemicals.
When handling soiled laundry, you must wear PPE and always keep soiled linen away from your face and body.
Always wash the linen as soon as possible to prevent cross-contamination in the hamper with other items.
Your washer can harbour germs and bacteria and should be cleaned regularly especially after an illness. This is especially important if you mainly use cold water for washing.

Dry cleaning, a cleaning process that utilizes organic solvents (e.g., perchloroethylene) for soil removal, is an alternative means of cleaning fabrics that might be damaged in conventional laundering and detergent washing. Several studies, however, have shown that dry cleaning alone is relatively ineffective in reducing the numbers of bacteria and viruses on contaminated linens and microbial populations are significantly reduced only when dry-cleaned articles are heat pressed.