The Role of Commercial Laundry Equipment in Healthcare Facilities
Healthcare centers rely on a bevy of third-party providers to supply them with the proper equipment to adequately manage the facility. One of the essential components of a healthcare center is its laundry facilities. With hundreds to thousands of patient gowns and nurse and doctor uniforms to clean daily, hospitals and clinics need to be able to rely on modern commercial laundry equipment to meet the demand for clean clothing and hygiene standards. This significant demand and crucial service means commercial laundry equipment in healthcare facilities is vitally important. Modern equipment in quality laundry facilities helps healthcare centers run efficiently to continue providing the best care possible for their patients.
The Importance of Hygiene in Healthcare
It is obvious that clean and sanitized facilities are paramount in the healthcare industry, and this extends to hygiene. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report revealed that 1 in 31 hospital patients can develop healthcare-associated infections during their stay. Patients developing an infection can prolong their stay and increase healthcare costs. One critical aspect is the cleanliness of the facility, including its linens, patient gowns, and staff uniforms. Having commercial-grade laundry equipment in hospitals and healthcare facilities can help maintain proper cleanliness standards to combat the risk of infections. These modern laundry systems use high temperatures and specific wash cycles to help eliminate bacteria and viruses on dirty linens.
Features of Healthcare Laundry Equipment
The equipment healthcare facilities use to wash, and dry clothes differs from those in residences. These modern systems feature components designed to handle professional healthcare needs by offering:
- High-Temperature Washing: With temperatures exceeding 161 degrees Fahrenheit, commercial laundry equipment can properly disinfect linens.
- Commercial-Grade Detergent: These systems can use detergents and other disinfectants to sanitize linens properly.
- Large Capacity: The size of the commercial equipment helps large facilities meet the daily need for laundry, ensuring they always have access to clean and sanitized clothes.
- Energy Efficiency: New energy-efficient laundry machines can use less water and power to help reduce costs.
Improving Patient Care
Having clean, sanitized linens helps prevent infections from spreading and improves the patient’s experience. A healing environment should include a clean space where patients feel comfortable in their beds and gowns. Modern laundry systems for healthcare providers also increase efficiency, so patients don’t have to wait for clean sheets. Access to steady loads of clean gowns and linens helps the staff focus on more important aspects, like patient recovery.
Enhancing Staff Safety
Healthcare workers face a variety of dangers in their jobs. When dealing with infected patients, staff should be able to rely on commercial laundry equipment to provide an added layer of protection. Commercial laundry equipment can feature barrier washers, which lessen the risk of a staff member directly contacting soiled linens during the laundry process.
Healthcare staff with access to efficient laundry systems will be happier knowing they can rely on the equipment to protect them and efficiently clean large amounts of laundry. This process helps reduce the time and effort needed to manage large laundry operations. The staff can then dedicate more time to improving patient care, which increases satisfaction for the patient and the staff.
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Reducing Costs and Increasing Efficiency
Healthcare providers want to provide the best care possible but must still consider the costs involved. Commercial-grade equipment for laundry can significantly reduce costs and improve efficiency throughout the facility. Automated systems frees staff to focus on other cleaning duties and reduces labor costs. Modern laundry equipment is much more efficient, which helps reduce utility bills by using less power and water to run properly. It can extend the life of linens since new equipment won’t produce as much wear and tear on the fabrics. Another benefit of upgraded commercial facilities is that high-capacity machines can handle more oversized loads in a shorter time. It also helps healthcare centers comply with requirements regarding the cleanliness of the facility, which helps avoid fines.
As washing machine equipment evolves, facilities must keep up with the latest upgrades. Properly maintaining equipment is essential to ensure its longevity and help the facility avoid paying for new systems or constant fixes to outdated equipment.
Upgrading Commercial Laundry Equipment in Healthcare Facilities
With costs rising in every industry, finding ways to reduce operational expenses is vital. This can start with an upgrade of healthcare facilities’ laundry facilities. This reduces water and electricity costs, increases staff efficiency, and lessens the chances of spreading infections and viruses. Purchasing advanced laundry equipment can be the key for healthcare centers looking to improve patient care and reduce overhead costs.
If your healthcare facility faces the challenge of maintaining existing equipment or needs to find replacements, Commercial Laundries has the latest and best brand-name equipment, such as Maytag, Speed Queen, and Whirpool. We have comprehensive maintenance programs to help the equipment run as efficiently and long as possible. Our team of trained technicians can also help diagnose and fix problems with your current equipment.
When upgrading commercial laundry equipment in healthcare facilities, these centers can rely on our over 50-year service to ensure the best results. Our family-owned business is recognized among the best in the commercial laundry industry. For more details on how we can upgrade your commercial facility today, please contact us at 305-889-7966 to discuss our latest products and services.
External Source
● Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)