Prevent infection spreading with Miele Professional

“Each year in the health and social care sector around 5% of workers suffer from an illness they believe to be work related.” – HSE

Managing infection control isn’t just best practice, it’s the law. The potential for the spread of serious diseases and infections is ever-present in care environments, so great care needs to be taken to ensure the highest standards of hygiene are maintained. Thankfully there are washing machines designed specifically for this job that perform to the very best standards.

Staff uniforms, patient clothing, bedding can become contaminated with infectious bacteria. Serious infections can spread extremely quickly in these environments, so it’s important to utilise the best washing machines for care homes. Given the nature of the job washing uniforms at home in an appliance that’s manufactured for domestic customers isn’t ideal and can transfer bacteria.

Make sure you choose the right washing machines for care homes 

There are a number of factors which need to be considered when buying or renting washing machines for care homes, including:

• The expected throughput of laundry
• The number of residents and employees
• The levels of infection control
• Your legal responsibilities
• Health and safety issues
• The available space that you have

The threat of serious infection should always be at the forefront of every employee in a care home. Incorrectly laundered uniforms can harbour bacteria which can then spread rapidly. The thermal disinfection offered by commercial washing machines for care homes is vital. Unfortunately, an outbreak of MRSA or staphylococcus can prove to be fatal.

The ultimate responsibility for hygiene in care homes and hospitals lies with the owners and managers, so putting the correct procedures in place, and making sure they are adhered to, is crucial. It’s worth remembering that patients and employees are capable of carrying such bacteria without even being aware of it. One in three people, for example, carry staphylococcus in their noses without usually causing any direct harm.

The ideal machine for the ideal environment

Commercial washing machines for care homes offer true thermal disinfection and extremely hot wash cycles. These help to minimise the risk of infection by killing bacteria that’s attached to garments. The spread of MRSA, despite the abundant media reports we have seen in recent years, is on the decline nowadays, and effective laundry operations are at least partly responsible for this development.