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Tips for Laundering Your Own Linens
I
know we're in the minority, but we launder our linens on-
site instead of sending them out to a laundering service or
letting staff wash their scrubs at home. We've been doing
our own laundry for all 25 years I've been at our ENT and oph-
thalmology surgery center. We started with a household
washer and dryer, but upgraded about 10 years ago to an
industrial-sized washer and dryer that can hold about 20 pairs
of scrubs at a time. We typically do about 7 loads of laundry
each day — sheets, pillowcases, gowns and scrubs. Here are
some helpful pointers if you want to do your own linens:
• Right temperature. A temperature of at least 160°F for a
minimum of 25 minutes is commonly recommended for hot-
water washing. The challenge of self-laundering is always
having hot water for the washing machine and warm water for
the rest of the building. But if you turn up your building's
water supply to 160°F, you risk scalding your surgeons, staff
• LAUNDRY DUTY If you have an on-site laundry, everyone should pitch in when they have a free hand.
Jenny
Brallier,
RN
Ideas Work
That
