Convincing Customers About Laundry/Linen Cleanliness (Part 1)

Textiles: Mike Justice, Beck's Classic Manufacturing, Brentwood, N.Y.

I have had the perspective of a vendor selling products to commercial laundries for over 30 years, so my take on this question will be somewhat different than an operator’s.

Over my career, predominantly calling on healthcare laundries, I have seen a dramatic improvement in chemistry, equipment and improved handling of linen as it is processed through commercial laundries with a focus on not only improving efficiency and lowering pounds per operator hour (PPOH), but also delivering clean and hygienic textiles.  

I have also witnessed inspections and surprise visits from the infection prevention departments of hospitals in laundries across the country, holding the laundries accountable to follow specific guidelines through the processing, handling and delivery of the linen.   

Additionally, with the certifications available to laundries to achieve and ensure compliance with overall standards, I have witnessed the industry dramatically improve the delivered product to the healthcare facility.     

The issue I see is getting the word out.  

Ways to do this could be advertising in your marketplace, inviting customers to your laundry for tours, posting pictures and information within the hospitals about the laundry, and possibly even social media campaigns. 

These simple suggestions could help improve the impression of our industry and educate the public that commercial laundries produce clean and safe textiles.

Commercial Laundry: Edward Arzouian, Bates Troy Inc., Binghamton, N.Y.

In our healthcare linen sector, the question of cleanliness and third-party accreditation and/or quantified (measurable) sanitizing results is becoming much more frequent. In fact, in many of our contracts with healthcare facilities and providers, this is now a standard clause.

We understood and appreciated the importance of a third-party accreditation even before our clients began to request it. Bates Troy Healthcare Linen Services has been an accredited healthcare laundry and certified since 2007, formerly with the Healthcare Linen Accreditation Council (HLAC) and now with TRSA Hygienically Clean. 

We were one of the first 25 laundries in the country to complete the accreditation process almost as soon as it became available to us. That means we have undergone inspections and the certification process in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, and most recently in July 2025. That will be 21 years of combined certification.

TRSA’s Healthcare Hygienically Clean certification provides a quantitative measurement of our linen’s cleanliness in addition to a qualitative review of our processes. The processes and best practices produce the cleanliness clients are seeking and, also importantly, document it. Hygienically Clean certification represents a higher level of cleanliness, which is ultimately what the customers and patients want in a healthcare environment.

It is worth pointing out that hygienically clean does not mean linens are sterilized. Sometimes there is that misconception. The linens are sanitized.

To quote TRSA, “Hygienically Clean establishes a benchmark for reducing pathogens on textile products to levels that pose no threat to human health. The following research provides scientific, quantitative definitions that clearly establish and validate these cleanliness levels, underscoring the growing importance of quantifying and verifying textile hygiene in the U.S. healthcare industry.”

The TRSA accreditation is not limited to the healthcare linen sector. It is also offered for food safety, food service and hospitality.

When clients are looking to discuss cleanliness in more general terms, from the point of view of retail business and individuals, commercial laundries can also refer to a more effective “wash pie” (time, temperature, mechanical action and chemicals) than can be achieved in a non-commercial washing setting. Our equipment and chemicals are simply better. From the perspective of dry cleaning, the level of processing and finishing equipment speaks for itself in the end product, which is very difficult to replicate without that specialized equipment.

Finally, another talking point or validation of the cleanliness of your product is the cleanliness and appearance of your facility, plant or shop. If you are running a storefront operation, have your front end looking good. If your equipment is visible, have the best in view. If you have a large facility, have a dedicated housekeeping staff.   

Assign them clear and verifiable tasks that they document. Also, have a plan, policy or procedure for plant tours or visits by clients and prospective clients. More often, clients are exercising this option to inspect your site, which is usually available to them in their contracts. 

If you pass a nicely pressed and packaged suit or shirt across your sales counter or pick up a bundle of sheets with crisp folds and neat lines and hand them to your client with a smile, that goes a long way, too.

Linen Supply: Dyan Troxel, HandCraft Linen Services, Richmond, Va.

Here are 10 talking points I use to reassure our healthcare customers that the patient linen they receive is not only clean but hygienically clean:

1. We are Hygienically Clean certified by TRSA, which means we meet the standards for best management practices to consistently produce safe, clean textiles.
2. To maintain certification, we pass quarterly testing by a third-party inspection to ensure we consistently maintain hygienic processes.
3. In addition to quarterly testing, our quality control department performs chemistry and water quality tests several times a day to ensure hygienic standards are met.
4. Wash processes are monitored in real time for temperature, water levels, mechanical action, chemistry and time.
5. We wash linens at a minimum temperature of 140 F.
6. Each wash cycle takes at least 25 and a half minutes.
7. For each item type, we use specific chemical formulas that a chemical company prescribes.
8. The sanitizer used kills 99.9% of microbial growth hazards.
9. We offer plant tours to have our customers see us in action.
10. We maintain our strict processes to ensure hygienically clean linen because we believe every patient should have hospital linen that they feel safe in.

Check back tomorrow for the conclusion with insights from uniform/workwear manufacturing, equipment manufacturing and consulting services experts.

Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].