Hygienically Clean Certification

Hygienically Clean certifications recognize linen, uniform and facility services companies’ commitment to cleanliness

Why Hygienically Clean

Hygienically Clean certifications recognize your facilities commitment to cleanliness through validation of processes and third-party, facility audits and quantified microbiological testing.

Our certification verifies that processes used in your facility meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and Best Management Practices (BMPs) across all laundry customer market segments.

Businesses highly conscientious about the sanitation of their work practices and processes need to become more confident that these do not contribute to human illness. Hygienically Clean certification helps achieve this objective by ensuring textile products laundered for businesses meet key disinfection criteria. Items are washed, dried, ironed, packed and delivered using techniques to produce textiles that meets Hygienically Clean’s cleanliness specifications.

What are the Benefits of Hygienically Clean Certification?

Hygienically Clean certifications maximize your competitiveness and credibility to customers by receiving third-party verification that conforms to internationally recognized standards for clean product quality.

Reflects positively on your staff’s capabilities. Adherence to standards testifies to the skill and knowledge of your teams who run the textile services operations.

Recognizes substantial effort. With the highest degree of backing and credibility that Hygienically Clean can offer, your facility is recognized for your dedication to preventing contamination from spreading.

Adds credibility to all you do. Certification acknowledges management’s concern for “green” techniques, cleanliness and safety, creating a halo effect that positively influences customers’ perceptions of your approach to other aspects of your business.

Many businesses that use textile services demand laundries provide the highest possible level of product cleanliness. Working with a Hygienically Clean certified laundry reassures them that their textile products are valuable assets in their efforts to maximize hygiene in their workplaces.

How Does it Work?

Eligibility

To attain Hygienically Clean certification, your facility must pass a series of qualifying microbiological tests, document BMPs in a Quality Assurance manual, and pass an onsite audit for validation of your demonstration of BMPs.

Certification

Certification is awarded on a three-year basis. Microbiological sample tests are required quarterly and facilities are inspected every three years for renewal.

The Hygienically Clean website is still available for your customers’ use.

Learn More about Each Certification and its Requirements

Food Safety

New Single Application Renewal Single Application

When food manufacturers and processors review textile services options, every laundry under consideration should be Hygienically Clean Food Safety certified. This certification reflects your commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by audits and your capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbiological testing. Your dedication to compliance and processing uniforms and linens using BMPs as described in your Quality Assurance (QA) manual is validated. The QA manual is the focus of the auditor’s evaluation of your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Best Management Practices (BMPs) and HAACP principles to minimize risk.

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Food Service

New Single Application Renewal Single Application

Hygienically Clean Food Service certification recognizes textile services operations supplying the restaurant industry and other food service establishments. This certification reflects your commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by audits and your capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbiological testing. Your dedication to compliance and processing uniforms and linens using BMPs as described in your Quality Assurance (QA) manual is validated. The QA manual is the focus of the auditor’s evaluation of your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Best Management Practices (BMPs) and HAACP principles to minimize risk.

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Healthcare

New Single Application Renewal Single Application

When hospitals and other healthcare facilities review linen, uniform and facility services options, every laundry under consideration should be Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified. This certification reflects your commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by third-party audits and your capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbiological testing your dedication to compliance and processing healthcare linens and garments using BMPs as described in your Quality Assurance (QA) manual is validated. The QA manual is the focus of the auditor’s evaluation of your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Best Management Practices (BMPs) and critical points to minimize risk.

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Hospitality

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When hoteliers and managers of other lodging establishments review textile services options, every laundry under consideration should be Hygienically Clean Hospitality certified. This certification reflects your commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by audits and your capability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbiological testing. Your dedication to compliance and processing uniforms and linens using BMPs as described in your Quality Assurance (QA) manual is validated. The QA manual is the focus of the auditor’s evaluation of your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Best Management Practices (BMPs) and HAACP principles to minimize risk.

Learn More

Program Comparison Matrix

Hygienically Clean certifications are achieved through:

Attainment of cleanliness levels verified by microbial testing
Documentation of Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Facility inspection that approves this documentation and observes evidence of BMP implementation

Tables below list required BMPs for textile services to be certified as:

Hygienically Clean Healthcare (HCH)
Hygienically Clean Hospitality (HCHOSP)
Hygienically Clean Food Safety (HCFS)
Hygienically Clean Food Service (HCFSVR)

Quality assurance (QA) documentation must explain how each BMP is performed, i.e., how the facility complies with each BMP.

	HC Healthcare	HC Hospitality	HC Food Safety	HC Food Service
Plant Facilities
Functional separation of soiled and clean areas	X
Equipment list, maintenance, calibration	X	X	X	X
Cross contamination prevention		X	X	X
Pest control plan	X	X	X	X
Housekeeping
Equipment cleaning, care	Covered in OSHA requirements	X	X	X
Cleaning of work surfaces, stations, slings	Covered in OSHA requirements	X	X	X
Cleaning of carts (customer, internal, any other)	X	X	X	X
Cart liners		X	X	X
Cleaning supply selection, measurement, use	X	X	X	X
Cleaning schedule	X	X	X	X
Laundry Processing/Procedures
Soiled linen handling	X	X	X	X
Wash formulas	X	X	X	X
Hot-water washing	X	X	X	X
Low-temperature water washing	X
Use of disinfectants, e.g. chlorine	X	X	X	X
Final pH	X	X	X	X
Extraction	X	X	X	X
Drying	X	X	X	X
Garment processing		X	X	X
Transportation	X	X	X	X
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)		X	X	X
OSHA Compliance
Hazard communication required practices	X	X	X	X
Hazard communication compliance advisory	X	X	X	X
Bloodborne pathogens	X
Hepatitis B vaccine declination	X
Facility Inspections
Initial qualification	X	X	X	X
Triennial inspection	X	X	X	X
Operational flow chart confirmation		X	X	X
ATP Testing of Hard Surfaces		X	X	X
Microbial Testing
Initial qualification	X	X	X	X
Significant process change	X	X	X	X
Optional	X	X	X	X
Non-compliance	X	X	X	X
Minimum performance, RODAC, cfu per square decimeter, quarterly	≤ 20	≤ 50	≤ 50	≤ 50
USP 62 specified microorganism test, semi-annual	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent

Apply Now

Thank you for your interest in the Hygienically Clean Certification Program. To apply for or renew your Hygienically Clean certification, please download the application by selecting the appropriate button below. Please email or mail the completed application to the Certification Department. We look forward to working with you throughout your certification process.

Food Safety

New Single Application Renewal Single Application

Food Service

New Single Application Renewal Single Application

Healthcare

New Single Application Renewal Single Application

Hospitality

New Single Application Renewal Single Application

Multi-Program

New Multi-Program Application Renewal Multi-Program Application

Producing Hygienically Clean Textiles E-Learning Course

Producing Hygienically Clean Textiles provides supervisors, managers and other operations employees with a solid understanding of the best management practices (BMPs) for processing hygienically clean textiles (HCT) for healthcare, food safety, hospitality and food service. This interactive, self-paced course is user-friendly with links to videos, checklists and other resources. The course takes about 40 minutes to complete, including knowledge check point questions throughout and a final comprehensive 10-question assessment at the end. A score of 80% or above on the final assessment is necessary to receive a completion certificate. The certificate of completion is automatically personalized and generated at the completion of the program.

Purchase Single Course Now
Purchase Multiple Course Accesses

Effective April 2019, the Hygienically Clean Advisory Board has committed to ensuring each plant has at least one dedicated Hygienically Clean expert. Each expert is required to complete this course.

Who Should Take This Course:

General, Plant, Production and Safety Managers
Route, Sales, Operations, Line and Customer Service personnel

Participants will gain practical, immediately applicable knowledge into the daily tasks required to ensure your plant is consistently producing high-quality hygienically clean linens and uniforms.

Access the e-learning course through the On-Demand Learning Center.

Audit Process

Hygienically Clean certification requires your facility to pass an independent, third-party audit that confirms your dedication to compliance and processing using Best Management Practices (BMPs) as outlined in the Hygienically Clean standard. The focal point of the audit is the evaluation of your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and demonstration of BMPs as described in your Quality Assurance (QA) Manual, along with HACCP principles, if applicable, that minimize risk.

The audit confirms essential evidence that:

Employees are properly trained and protected
Managers understand legal requirements
OSHA-compliant
Facility operates effectively

The Audit process consists of two parts:

Initial review of your QA Manual conducted by the Auditor prior to your Audit.
Comprehensive audit of your facility focusing on the demonstration of your SOPs as outlined in the QA Manual and the Hygienically Clean standard.

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Advisory Board

The Hygienically Clean Advisory Council works extensively with TRSA members, scientific experts and clients to advance and refine best practices for safe and hygienic commercial laundering. Council members represent the spectrum of laundry stakeholders such as commercial launderers, nurses, doctors, chemical manufacturers and research scientists.

Advisory Board

Find a Certified Laundry Now

The stakeholders in your business are increasingly concerned about its commitment to product cleanliness. They need to be assured of your efforts to maximize safety and health. You require as much verified proof as possible to demonstrate that you are achieving these goals.

Using a Hygienically Clean certified laundry contributes mightily to this endeavor:

Textile services companies that earn the Hygienically Clean designation have turned to a third party to attest to their business practices that prevent laundered goods from becoming a source of contamination.
Conformance by textile services operations to this internationally recognized standard for hygiene reflects high performance in multiple aspects of laundering. Certified operations have mastered responsive and timely customer service as well as excellent goods quality.

A textile services operation that earns Hygienically Clean certification and maintains TRSA membership is committed to high productivity and workplace safety rates, achieving the highest levels of excellence in these metrics as well as efficiency, cleanliness and environmental protection. TRSA members report their best practices collectively to benchmark (foster improvement) individually.

The new economy demands more scientific assessments of the health impacts of management practices. Your use of a Hygienically Clean certified laundry indicates your personal conscientiousness and willingness to perform to the highest standards in matters related to all these issues.

For Your Customers

The Hygienically Clean website is still available for your customers’ use.

FAQs

What products and frequency of testing are required?

The process should test the majority, if not all, products laundered at your facility. Testing must be conducted on two different textiles in each of the first three months of testing for eligibility. Once certified, testing must be done on a quarterly basis and if there is a significant change in your laundry process that may affect compliance with the Standard (i.e., major washing equipment or chemistry changes). Testing on the two most prominent textile items processed must be conducted to confirm your facility remains in compliance.

How are textiles selected to be tested?

Textiles should be properly cooled and dried and selected from the end of the processing line as if they are being sent to your customers.

Can you infer a direct relationship between product cleanliness and processing quality?

No. Laundries are extremely diverse and their individual plant processes are often significantly different even within the same companies based on machinery, product mix, chemicals, etc. Inferring relationships is subjective; Hygienically Clean’s certification programs are quantitative. There has been a paradigm shift as healthcare facilities are compelled to verify quality objectively. Specifying water temperature, chemicals, finishing, etc. does not guarantee that a laundered product is hygienically clean.

As the authority on certification of processes, the International Standards Organization (ISO) emphatically states that certifications of processes do not reflect product quality.

What tests are used?

Microbiological and Yeast/Mold testing must be performed using the following test methods: Replicate Organism Detection And Counting (RODAC Plate) quarterly and United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 62 semi-annually.

We use USP62, a test for the absence of seven specified microorganisms on nonsterile textiles. The Pass/Fail criterion is Absent of these microorganisms.

RODAC Plate test determines the total amount of aerobic microbial (TAMC) and yeast and mold (TYMC) is appropriate for healthcare, food safety and all others (less than or equal to 20 cfu PSD or 50 cfu PSD).

Is certification available outside the United States?

Yes, Hygienically Clean standards are based on Domestic and International Standards

How are the linen samples sent out for testing?

Samples are sent to the testing laboratories in sealed plastic bags such as zipper bags found in grocery stores. Learn more.

What materials do the Hygienically Clean programs provide to interested facilities to aid in the decision-making process?

Materials can be found in our Resources Sections.

How many opportunities does a facility have to pass initial sample testing?

If you fail any test during your initial sample testing period, you have 30 days to make corrections and retest. You are provided with three chances during each phase of the testing period to pass. If you fail three consecutive times during any of the initial sample testing period, you must restart the process from the beginning.

Which Hygienically Clean program is most appropriate for industrial uniforms and industrial garments?

An industrial launderer who services food manufacturing/processing businesses should participate in Hygienically Clean – Food Safety.

Can I obtain a Quality Assurance manual template?

Yes we do have a Quality Assurance (QA) Manual template we offer to build the QA manual. QA manuals may be created electronically or printed using our template as a guide. Please contact us at certification@trsa.org for more information.

What happens when a certified plant fails a test?

You have 30 days to retest that same textile for the failing test to bring your facility back into compliance. Three consecutive failures will result in a suspension of your certification and will generate a supplemental audit. Your facility will be brought back into compliance after the supplemental audit verifies compliance to the Standard.

Am I required to keep a copy of the standard in our plant?

Yes, as it is the only document containing all information explaining the requirements for a Hygienically Clean certification.

What happens if I miss a quarter of testing?

If you miss a quarter of testing, you will be notified by us regarding that missed quarter and will be provided with an opportunity to submit those textiles for testing by the required due date. Two missed quarters of testing will result in a suspension of your certification. Three missed quarters of testing will result in a revocation of your certification. If you are suspended or revoked, you will not be displayed in our directory and requires notification to customers that textiles are no longer certified hygienically clean. You will also be required to remove all Hygienically Clean certified logos in your marketing items.