9 June 2020

Laundry and hygiene for the hotel industry: measures required to combat COVID-19

Now more than ever, laundry and hygiene are essential for the hotel industry 

 

In this post, we want to talk about laundry and hygiene for the hotel industry; we would like to show you all of the issues to take into account, in terms of safety measures and cleaning protocols for bars, restaurants and hotels, in this expected return to normality.

As a company that manufactures and sells industrial laundry machinery, we will start with the measures that any restaurant or hotel with its own laundry should take, both for the processing and washing of garments, as well as to ensure that the safety of the users is not endangered at any time.

General considerations and recommendations focussed on hygiene in laundries 

 

lavandería e higiene para hostelería

  • It is worth adjusting the levels of cleaning according to two clear variables:
    • The type of garments
    • Requirements of the garments and service clothing depending on each restaurant or business.
  • It is important to keep the dirty clothing area and the clean clothing area as separately as possible.
  • It should be noted that, if we eradicate the infection in the laundry, we abruptly stop the cycle and the process of infection in the restaurant.
  • As a general rule, garments should spend the minimum time possible in the laundry, and only the strictly necessary contact should be maintained with each item. Water soluble bags are also a good solution in order to avoid contact with the dirty clothing at any time.
  • It is important to use trolleys in each area of the laundry.
  • Keep the dirty linen the least amount of time possible and prevent any item from being left out around the facilities.
  • It is crucial to establish a method of working and optimise it according to the needs of each laundry.
  • Always maintain utmost cleanliness throughout the laundry: machines surfaces, floor, toilets…

Safety and hygiene protocols for COVID-19 

  1. Limit the entrance of people from outside of the laundry
  2. Use category 3 nitrile protective gloves and FFP3 self-priming masks, especially when handling dirty clothing.
  3. Check pockets and clothing, pre-stain removing if necessary, on a table or space that can be disinfected quickly and simply.
  4. Place the finished clothing in bags and store them in closed, clean spaces and protected from dust or dirt.
  5. It is also crucial to regularly carry out a disinfection wash in the washing machines, without clothing inside, and with special products for this purpose.
  6. Do not forget to clean and disinfect the manual soap dispensers, as well as the surfaces that come into contact with the clothing.
  7. In terms of tumble dryers, they should be kept clean of fluff and dirt.
  8. It is important to clean and disinfect the loading door of the washing machine after placing the clothing inside.
  9. At Domus, we strongly recommend the use of microfibre cloths.
  10. The floor should be cleaned with a water solution containing disinfectant.
  11. Maintain the hygiene of the laundry lights since they are also a source of infection.
  12. It is advisable to maintain the hygiene and safety measures throughout the premises, not just in the laundry, since there is no point disinfecting clothing and then infecting them when they come into contact with a table or chair in the restaurant.

Contact us if you need to ask any questions about laundry and hygiene for the hotel industry, or about any of our self-service laundry machines.