Hygienically Clean Healthcare: 29 Plants Certified in 2021
In the past year, 13 laundry plants achieved Hygienically Clean Healthcare Certification for the first time and another 16 recertified to this quantified, validated standard and measure for hygienically clean textiles in North America. This certification program reflects an effort by laundry operators to ensure the safety of textiles used in hospitals and other medical facilities.
Since its launch in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification has affirmed the effectiveness of laundries in protecting healthcare operations by verifying quality-control procedures in linen, uniform and facility services operations related to the handling of textiles containing blood and other potentially infectious materials.
Achieving this certification reflects a laundry’s commitment to best-management practices (BMPs) in laundering as verified by on-site inspection and their ability to produce hygienically clean textiles as quantified by ongoing microbial testing based on established hygienically clean healthcare textile methods and standards.
Joseph Ricci, president and CEO of the Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA), which developed the Hygienically Clean certification program, praised the new and recertifying laundries for their efforts to ensure textile safety in healthcare settings. “We congratulate these companies for their dedication to healthcare safety as evidenced by their recent certifications,” Ricci said. “This achievement proves their commitment to infection prevention, and that these laundries take every step possible to prevent human illness.”
The Hygienically Clean Healthcare certification confirms an organization’s ongoing dedication to infection prevention and compliance with recognized industry standards for processing healthcare textiles using BMPs as described in its quality assurance documentation, a focal point for the Hygienically Clean inspectors’ evaluation. The independent, third-party inspection also must confirm that:
- Employees are properly trained and protected
- Managers understand regulatory requirements
- The facility complies with Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements
- The physical plant operates effectively
Initially, to achieve certification, laundries pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles with reductions in the presence of yeast, mold and harmful bacteria to safe levels, according to internationally accepted standards. They also must pass a facility inspection. To maintain their certification, they must pass quarterly RODAC and semi-annual USP 62 testing (RODAC results are less than or equal to 20 cfu per square diameter and USP 62 results must show an absence of specified microorganisms). This requirement ensures that as laundry conditions change, such as water quality, textile fabric composition and wash chemistry, laundered product quality is maintained consistently. Re-inspection occurs every 3 years.
This process eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results that verify that textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs for hospitals, surgery centers, medical offices, nursing homes and other medical facilities.
Certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) , the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AMI) , the American National Standards Institute(ANSI) and others. Since TRSA’s introduction of Hygienically Clean Healthcare in 2012, the program has brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for hygienically clean healthcare linens and garments that are used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.
Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with Hygienically Clean launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.
Hygienically Clean reflects the evolution of healthcare laundry certification in light of growing global concerns about infection control. The program documents practices that ensure the elimination of potentially harmful microbial content, while adding quantifiable verification of continuous improvement in overall cleanliness.
Newly Certified Plants
- AmeriPride, Phoenix, AZ
- Alsco Inc., Roanoke, VA; Atlanta, GA
- City Uniforms and Linen – Findlay, OH
- Crown Linen LLC, Haines City, FL
- Ecotex Healthcare Linen Service, Mississauga, ON
- Emerald Textiles, Los Angeles, CA
- Halifax Linen Service, Roanoke Rapids, NC
- Jefferson County Medical Center Laundry, Louisville, KY
- Linen King, LLC, Memphis, TN
- Loop Linen, Westwego, LA
- Vantage Healthcare Linen Service, Erie, PA
- WRC Inc., Dothan, AL
Recertified Plants
- Alsco Inc., Raleigh, NC ; San Diego, CA
- Belmont Laundry, Springfield, MA
- CleanCare, Pittsburgh, PA
- Crothall Laundry Phoenix, AZ
- Economy Linen & Towel Service Inc., Dayton, OH
- General Linen Service, Somersworth, NH
- HandCraft Services Inc, Richmond, VA
- Lavartex: Servicios Estrella Azul de Occidente S.A. de CV, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Maverick Industrial Services, Weslaco, TX
- North Texas Healthcare Laundry, Grand Prairie, TX
- NOVO Health Services, Williamsport, PA
- Paris Healthcare Linen Services, Charlotte, NC
- Taylor Linen Co. Inc., Zanesville, Ohio
- United Linen Services, Shreveport, LA
- Ventura Uniform Service Inc., Kenner, LA