Washing Machine Disinfection

Introduction

Date of Last Review 9/5/08
SME: Infection Control Manager

Washing machines are disinfected between patient laundry loads to decrease the risk of nosocomial infection.
Each wash is documented in the washing machine log.

Laundry room

The laundry room is kept locked when staff are not directly supervising use of the washer and dryer.

Patient use of washer/dryer

The following rules apply for patient use of the washer/dryer:

Patient must be supervised by nursing staff

Only one patient's laundry is washed/dried at a time

A single wash quantity of laundry soap is provided to the patient for each load of laundry

After the wash cycle is complete, the patient removes the clothing and places the load in the dryer

Daily cleaning of laundry room

The table below describes daily duties for Housekeeping personnel and Nursing staff for daily upkeep of the laundry room:

Staff	Duties
Housekeeping	Wipe off the machines to assure the outside is clean Lift the lid to the washer and wipe off excess soap Dust laundry room walls Dust behind and on top of the machines Wipe off countertops Clean underneath machines and the remainder of the floor
Nursing	Run an empty load of wash with 1 ounce of bleach during the 11PM-7AM shift Inspect machines and laundry room for cleanliness Maintain an inspection chart in the laundry room and document inspection and disinfecting on the chart Inspect the room for general cleanliness including behind machines and in corners of the floor and record on the chart Page Housekeeping if additional cleaning is needed and document on the comments section of the chart as follows, "called Housekeeping"

Related standards

The Joint Commission : Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Infection

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