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How soiled or contaminated laundry is handled is very important for the safety and well-being of residents and staff. What is the difference between soiled and contaminated laundry? Laundry is soiled if it has been handled or used. Laundry is contaminated if there is blood or other body fluids (semen, vaginal secretions, saliva with visible blood, etc.) present on the item.
If a person has an infectious disease (hepatitis, MRSA, other multiple drug-resistant organisms) or is on contact precautions, then their feces or vomitus also causes laundry to be contaminated. To be safe from potentially infectious materials, as well as for good hygiene practices, you should always wear gloves when handling soiled or contaminated laundry. You should also remove or change to clean gloves before handling clean laundry.
Laundry also includes state-owned items such as linens, towels, washcloths, and clothing protectors.
Soiled laundry should be handled as little and as carefully as possible. Dirty linens are to be placed in laundry bags and closed at the area of use instead of carrying them uncovered to other locations.
All bathing areas in the homes have containers for soiled laundry.
Clothing that is contaminated with blood or other body fluids should be removed immediately and washed in the area. This includes both resident and staff clothing.
NOTE: If your clothing becomes contaminated it must be washed at JIRDC. Your supervisor will assist you in getting clothing from the Treasure Shop if you do not have a change of clothes.
All home bathing areas have separate containers for clothes and linens that have been contaminated by blood and other potentially infectious body fluids.
State-owned items that are contaminated with blood and body fluids are washed at Broughton Hospital.
Contaminated laundry that is being sent to Broughton Hospital must be placed inside a water-soluble bag. The water-soluble bag is then placed inside a heavy-duty red plastic bag.
STEP 1
Sort clothes. Clothes are to be separated by color as follows: Dark fabrics White and lightcolored fabrics
Clothes should also be sorted by water temperature to be used. Check labels in clothing for washing instructions.
STEP 2
Set washer to desired wash cycle. Fill washing machine with water.
STEP 3
Add laundry detergent. The amount of detergent to be used depends on the machine. Each machine will have specific instructions regarding how much detergent to use.
STEP 4
Put sorted clothing loosely into the machine. DO NOT OVERLOAD. NOTE: Dark fabrics should be washed together. White and light-colored fabrics should be washed together.
STEP 5
Close the lid or door of the washer. The machine will start washing.
STEP 1
STEP 2
Staff must rinse clothing soiled with feces or vomitus. The photo illustrates rinsing clothing in a hopper.
STEP 2 (cont.)
If a hopper is not available, rinse the clothing in a commode or in an area where a sprayer can be used.
STEP 3
Carefully inspect all rinsed clothing. No solid feces or other body waste such as vomitus should be visible on the clothing that will be placed in the washing machine.
STEP 4
STEP 5a
STEP 5b
If the washing machine is not available, rinse the clothes and place them in a red biohazard bag to be washed later.
IMPORTANT!
If a person has an infectious disease (hepatitis, MRSA, other multiple drug-resistant organisms) or is on contact precautions, clothes should be washed separately. The washing machine must then be disinfected after the clothes finish washing. The procedure for sanitizing machines with Clorox follows.
5. If the washing machine is available, wash soiled clothes immediately. If the washing machine is not available, rinse the clothes and place them in a red biohazard bag to be washed later.
Washers will also be sanitized between loads when clothes that belong to someone with hepatitis, MRSA, other multiple drugresistant organisms or with contact precautions are washed.
STEP 1
Set washer to desired wash cycle. Fill the empty washer (no clothes inside) with water.
STEP 2
Designated staff (the person who will be sanitizing the washer) puts on gloves and protective goggles.
STEP 3
Designated staff measures 2 cups of Clorox bleach and pours it into the washer.
STEP 4
Designated staff closes the lid or door of the washer so that the machine starts washing. It is critical that the washer completes the wash, rinse, and spin cycles.
STEP 5
Designated staff places a Washer Being Sanitized Do Not Use tag on the washer.
This alerts all staff not to place any clothes in the washer during this wash cycle.
STEP 6
STEP 7
Sanitization of the washer(s) in the home is included on the appropriate shift exchange checklist. The checklist is signed off by the outgoing and incoming shift personnel each day.
IMPORTANT!
Staff will report any foul odors that are detected from the washer(s) after a wash cycle to the Home Coordinator. The Home Coordinator will make sure that a work order is completed.
Broughton Hospital is also responsible for washing and drying comforters that belong to individuals and are their personal property.
TIP: When purchasing comforters, buy a comforter that is a 50/50 blend. These withstand the washing and drying process used at Broughton.