TRSA to Host Webinar on Risks of Home Laundering Scrubs

As concerns grow over the safety of laundering healthcare uniforms at home – underscored by a new study from De Montfort University – TRSA is convening a timely webinar on June 3 to examine the risks and share best practices for ensuring scrubs are hygienically clean. The webinar is part of TRSA’s ongoing educational series on infection prevention and the safe use of reusable healthcare textiles.

Titled “The Risks of Home Laundering Facility-Provided Scrubs,” the webinar is free to attend and designed for frontline healthcare workers, infection preventionists, facility administrators, environmental services professionals and healthcare decision-makers.

Home laundering may not reliably kill all pathogens found on scrubs and other healthcare attire, potentially placing employees, patients, families and communities at greater risk. A new study, “Domestic laundering of healthcare textiles: Disinfection efficacy and risks of antibiotic resistance transmission,” funded by De Montfort University, the Textile Services Association (TSA-UK) and TRSA, found that many home washing machines fail to eliminate harmful bacteria – even at high temperatures – reinforcing long-standing concerns about the role of domestic laundering in the spread of infection and antimicrobial resistance.

“Home washing machines are not designed to meet the high standards required for healthcare hygiene,” said Joseph Ricci, president and CEO of TRSA. “This study validates what many in our industry have long known: that relying on at-home laundering can jeopardize both patient and worker safety. TRSA’s webinar will help dispel common myths about hygienically clean reusable textiles and offer clear, actionable guidance for healthcare leaders committed to infection control.”

The webinar will address:

• Why home laundering may fail to disinfect healthcare apparel
• Risks to frontline workers, patients and communities
• The role of Hygienically Clean certified commercial healthcare laundries in infection prevention
• Best practices for handling reusable scrubs and uniforms

Featured speakers include:

• Liz Barber, BSN, RN, clinical educator, HandCraft Linen and Uniform Specialists
• Scott Delin, VP, indirect healthcare sales, Fashion Seal Healthcare
• Dyan Troxel, MSN, RN, director of clinical education, HandCraft Linen & Uniform Specialists

This session is part of TRSA’s ongoing commitment to promoting Hygienically Clean certified practices and supporting infection-control efforts across healthcare settings.

To register or learn more, click here.