Laundryguard O3 provides a laundry disinfection safety net

17 Sep 2009

PHS Laundryserv’s unique Laundryguard O3 system provides a laundry disinfection safety net, ensuring that all laundry is thoroughly disinfected

With the recent media coverage surrounding the spread of MRSA and C. difficile, along with the Governments introduction of targets to reduce cases of such, awareness of the need for thorough disinfection has never been higher. With better hygiene practices being implemented across the caring sectors, now is the time to make sure your sites infection control procedures are as comprehensive as possible. The introduction of PHS Laundryserv’s unique Laundryguard O3 system provides the care sector with a laundry “disinfection safety net”, ensuring that ALL your sites laundry is thoroughly disinfected.

When it comes to infection control, the laundry is often overlooked, as it’s common knowledge that thermal disinfection cycles should be used on contaminated laundry. However, as with many things in life, the theory and the practice don’t always match up! Laundryserv have found that sites don’t always use thermal disinfection wash programmes correctly for a number of reasons. Staff ignorance through either a lack of training or understanding is one reason, whilst forgetfulness also plays a factor, as it’s all too easy to place items that need disinfection in the washer, but set the programme to a non-disinfecting wash cycle. However the more worrying finding is the reduced use of thermal disinfection programmes due to time restrictions. A thermal cycle can add a substantial amount of time to each wash, reducing the volume of laundry that can be processed in a shift, and with many sites having overtime restrictions, there’s more pressure than ever to get the most laundry done in the shortest possible timeframe.

With fabrics and linen identified as a cross contamination risk, many NHS trusts have brought in guidelines for consultants to remove ties and only wear short sleeves to reduce the risk of transference of infection via fabrics. For example Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have introduced a “bare below the elbows” dress code. This highlights the seriousness with which disinfection of contaminated or potentially contaminated laundry should be treated. Laundryserv’s unique Laundryguard O3 system allows customers to ensure that even on a non-thermal disinfection cycle, all wash loads are disinfected, providing complete laundry protection.

The Laundryguard O3 uses established technology, intelligently applied to create a validated laundry disinfection system. Extensively tested in real laundry situations by NHS laboratories in Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the system has proven scientific backing that it destroys both MRSA and Clostridium difficile, as well as other bacteria, viruses and moulds during the laundry process. PHS Laundryserv, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial laundry equipment, has developed the Laundryguard O3 system to aid customers in their fight against superbugs and cross contamination.

O3 has been used as a key element in disinfection and purification for many years across many industries, including the treatment of bottled and mains water and in food manufacture. Laundryserv has taken this technology and adapted and refined it to create an intelligent laundry system that ensures complete disinfection on
every wash. The system automatically adds O3 into the rinse cycle of all wash programmes, removing operator error (either accidental or deliberate), providing disinfection without increasing the length of standard wash programmes. By using the system on all wash cycles it also ensures that any laundry that may have accidentally become cross contaminated in the laundry collection process is also automatically disinfected. Because the Laundryguard O3 system doesn’t use high temperatures or harsh chemicals, it is suitable for use on all fabrics - even delicates.
 
As well as the core disinfection benefits, the Laundryguard O3 system also provides the added benefits of
· Reduced drying time: O3 helps to open fibres, allowing more water to be removed in the spin cycle, so if the laundry contains less moisture, it requires less time in the dryer.
· Fresher smelling fabrics and a fresher smelling laundry: O3 creates the “smell of fresh air” which commonly occurs after a thunderstorm, and in a laundry it does the same - it leaves fabric smelling fresh and clean, and helps deodorise the laundry environment!
· Improved fabric softness: as the O3 helps to open and plump up the fibres, so fabrics feel softer.
· Reduced costs: due to a reduced requirement for the heating of water for thermal disinfection as well as reduced drying times energy consumption and therefore costs are lowered.