Uniforms/Workwear Manufacturing: Steve Berg, Encompass Group LLC, Pelican Rapids, Minn.
Depending on what industries you serve, cleanliness can take on different definitions.
In the healthcare sector, healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) are a top priority for healthcare providers, patients and their families. Illustrating the processes you have in place and showing your customers that all necessary measures are being taken to prevent the spread of HAIs and provide hygienically clean linen makes your customers feel comfortable and confident.
Here are several talking points that will help to reassure your customers.
- Discuss and quantify the actual risk. I think the first important step is to make sure your customers understand that the risk of infection caused by properly processed textiles is minimal. By understanding that the risk is quite small to begin with, the additional steps taken to ensure cleanliness build confidence in the customer’s mind. There are multiple studies and white papers available, including from the CDC, illustrating that the risk of infection coming from properly processed linen is negligible.
- Illustrate and promote any accreditations or certifications your laundry has earned. If you have gone through any accreditation processes, make sure your customers are aware of the standards of cleanliness needed to achieve such accreditation. For instance, earning status as an Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC)-accredited laundry goes a long way in inspiring customer confidence.
- Walk your customers through the laundry process so they understand that each step includes protocols to ensure infection control and cleanliness. Discuss the following major steps so your customer understands how each contributes to the goal of delivering clean, safe linen:
- Handling, collection and transportation of soiled linen
- Washing, extraction and drying
- Finishing
- Packaging and storing
- Delivery of cleaned linen
Thoughtful communication may be the best way to reassure customers who have concerns about cleanliness.
Equipment Manufacturing: Brennan Pollnow, Girbau Industrial, Oshkosh, Wis.
There are a number of ways to ensure cleanliness. In industries like hospitality, healthcare, and food service, the cleanliness of linens, uniforms, and other textiles directly impacts the guest experience, patient and staff safety, and overall trust in your laundry service.
The following laundry processing suggestions might seem basic, but they’re essential to achieving top-notch results.
Industry- and Brand-Standard Wash Processes — Clean textiles start with a wash process designed to meet or exceed industry standards. Using Girbau Industrial washer-extractors, it’s simple to control every variable of the wash process and meet any required hygiene benchmark. Highly programmable controls allow management of wash time, water temperature, number of baths and rinses, chemistry, rotation action, extract speeds and more. This not only ensures soil and oils are removed, but it can also ensure bacteria are eliminated and that fabric integrity is maintained.
Barrier Separation: Keeping Clean and Soiled Items Apart — One of the most important safeguards in any operation is barrier separation. From the moment soiled items enter a facility, they must follow a completely separate path from clean items. Physical barriers and dedicated workflows ensure there’s no chance of cross-contamination. This means freshly laundered textiles never come into contact with soiled goods, protecting cleanliness all the way to delivery.
Proper Handling Inside the Facility — Even simple rules matter. Clean textiles should never be placed on the ground or in areas where they could be contaminated. Staff should be trained in proper handling techniques, ensuring every piece of linen stays clean from the time it leaves the washer to the time it’s packaged for transport.
Clean Carts for Clean Linens — Transport carts themselves must be washed and sanitized regularly. It’s not enough to clean the linens — the containers that carry them must be clean as well. By sanitizing carts and using protective wrapping for all finished textiles, laundries make sure that cleanliness is preserved during storage and transport.
Hygiene Beyond the Wash Room — After linens are clean, it’s important — from the move into sanitized carts to ensuring they’re wrapped before leaving the facility — that every step protects the integrity of the finished product. By maintaining these protocols, laundries safeguard the cleanliness of their products all the way to your door.
Why this matters: For hotels, spotless and fresh-smelling sheets enhance guest satisfaction. For hospitals, hygienically clean and pH-balanced linens reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections. In food and beverage operations, clean uniforms and table linens support both safety and brand presentation. Cleaning processes aren’t just about meeting regulations; they’re about delivering peace of mind.
By controlling every step — from wash cycle to delivery — you ensure linens meet the highest standards of cleanliness and safety.
Consulting Services: Matthew Alexander, Pertl & Alexander LLC, Manlius, N.Y.
Reassuring customers about the cleanliness of the products you supply begins with demonstrating both the effectiveness of your laundering processes and the care taken to maintain a clean, safe facility.
Today’s customers — whether in hospitality, healthcare or food service — are more conscious than ever of hygiene. The pandemic heightened awareness, but even before that, clients understood that a clean, hygienically safe textile is a critical part of guest comfort, patient safety, and overall trust.
A strong starting point is inviting customers to see operations for themselves. Plant tours remain one of the most powerful ways to build confidence. Guests can see the flow of soiled to clean goods, the separation barriers, and the attention to sanitation.
For healthcare facilities, credibility can be enhanced further through third-party validation. Certification by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) or the Hygienically Clean program from TRSA provides independent confirmation that your processes meet rigorous hygienic and safety standards.
Just as important is robust documentation. Clearly written safety and sanitation procedures — captured in policy manuals, training programs and standard operating procedures — set expectations and demonstrate consistency. When these policies are practiced daily, they help shape company culture.
Customers notice when safety and cleanliness are non-negotiable values, and they quickly recognize when a provider “walks the walk” rather than just “talks the talk.”
Attention to detail reinforces these perceptions. Restrooms, break areas and employee common spaces should be spotless during visits. Ventilation systems — fans, filters, ducts and grates — must be well-maintained and lint accumulation controlled. Hard surfaces across the facility should be cleaned and sanitized on a regular schedule, with records available for review.
These details are not trivial; they send a message that cleanliness is embedded in every corner of the operation.
Equally important is employee training and accountability. Customers feel reassured when they hear that staff are trained on infection control principles, proper personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and hygiene practices. Sharing examples of refresher courses or internal audits demonstrates that your team is fully invested in the same goals as your clients.
Finally, educate customers on the science of laundering. Cleanliness and microbial inactivation come from the combination of mechanical action, thermal action, chemical action and time/process control. Explaining this “four-part formula” in simple terms helps customers understand that your process is designed to eliminate risk and ensure consistent hygienic safety.
Together, these practices — transparent communication, certifications, detailed documentation, facility upkeep and staff training — provide customers with the confidence that they can trust your products day after day.
Click HERE to read part 1 with advice from experts in textiles, commercial laundry and linen supply.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Matt Poe at [email protected].
