Rachael Bancroft, Customer Contact Manager at WASHCO, shares how care homes can achieve greater efficiency, reliability and long-term laundry success.
Every day, care homes process significant volumes of bedding, towels, residents’ personal clothing, mops, and cloths. The effectiveness of this operation affects far more than cleanliness alone. It influences compliance with infection prevention standards, resident and family satisfaction, sustainability goals and the financial performance of the home. By taking a strategic approach to laundry management, care providers can unlock opportunities to improve outcomes across the organisation.
A useful starting point is to evaluate laundry operations through three key areas: people, process and equipment. Each plays an essential role in creating a laundry service that is reliable, efficient and fit for purpose.
Putting people at the centre
Laundry staff often have the clearest understanding of operational challenges. They are well placed to identify inefficiencies, workflow bottlenecks and areas where additional training may be required. Engaging with these team members can provide valuable insights that help managers improve performance and reduce avoidable costs.
Staff training is particularly important for infection prevention and control. Clear procedures, regular refresher training and ongoing supervision ensure employees understand how to handle contaminated items safely and consistently. Appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), correct segregation of laundry and adherence to established workflows all contribute to reducing the risk of cross-contamination.
Investing in the laundry team also brings wider benefits. Modern equipment, effective training programmes and safe, comfortable working environments can improve job satisfaction and productivity. In a sector that continues to face recruitment and retention challenges, creating better working conditions can help support workforce stability while ensuring residents receive a consistently high standard of service.
Reviewing the entire laundry process
Effective infection control begins long before laundry reaches the washing machine. Care homes should regularly review the complete journey of laundry, from collection and sorting through to washing, drying, storage and return to residents.
Contaminated items must be properly identified, segregated into red bags and transported to minimise infection risks. Equally important is protecting clean laundry once it has been processed. Inadequate storage practices or poorly designed workflows can reintroduce contamination and undermine otherwise effective laundering procedures.
Dedicated clean and dirty workflows should be clearly defined within the laundry area. Regular audits and process reviews can help ensure procedures remain effective and compliant with best practice standards. By examining each stage of the operation, providers can identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce handling times and maintain consistently high hygiene standards, as per the HTM01-04 guidelines.
An efficient process also supports resident dignity. Personal clothing and belongings are closely linked to comfort, identity and wellbeing. Lost, damaged, stained or delayed garments can cause distress for residents and frustration for relatives. Well-organised systems that ensure clothing is returned promptly and in good condition reinforce confidence in the quality of care being delivered.
Choosing the right equipment
Selecting appropriate laundry equipment is one of the most important decisions a care provider can make. While it may be tempting to focus on budget-friendly options, incorrectly specified equipment often creates significant long-term expense.
Capacity planning should take into account factors such as bed numbers, resident dependency levels and anticipated linen throughput.
Rather than relying on a single large machine, many care homes benefit from a combination of different-sized washers. This approach provides greater operational flexibility and allows different textile types to be processed separately, helping to improve wash quality and efficiency.
Commercial washing machines used in healthcare environments should also be Regulation 4 rated to help prevent water contamination risks. Professional suppliers can advise on compliance requirements and ensure equipment is suitable for the specific needs of the home.
Before installation, it is important to assess that the necessary infrastructure is available. Commercial washers and dryers require dedicated electrical supplies, water connections, drainage systems and ventilation arrangements. A professional site survey can identify any requirements in advance, including equipment access, and help avoid costly unexpected installation challenges.
Looking beyond purchase price
When evaluating equipment options, providers should consider total cost of ownership rather than focusing solely on purchase price. Smaller or lower-cost machines may initially appear attractive, but can require additional wash cycles, consume more energy and increase labour requirements.
Unexpected breakdowns, repair costs and changing operational demands can further increase long-term expenditure. Service agreements, which include maintenance and support within a predictable monthly plan, may offer a more sustainable solution for many care homes. Such arrangements can also provide opportunities to upgrade equipment as needs evolve.
Supporting sustainability goals
Laundry is among the most resource-intensive functions within a care home, but it also presents significant opportunities to reduce environmental impact. New generations of laundry equipment are designed to use less water, energy and detergent while maintaining excellent hygiene standards.
Features such as intelligent wash programmes, moisture-sensing dryers, auto-dosing systems and heat pump technology can help reduce utility consumption and lower operating costs. Correctly sizing equipment and maintaining it properly further improves efficiency and extends operational life.
These improvements help providers meet CQC Quality Statement 34 in relation to sustainability and carbon reduction objectives, while delivering measurable long-term savings.
A Strategic Operational Priority
Laundry should no longer be viewed as simply a support service. It influences infection control, compliance, resident satisfaction, workforce wellbeing, sustainability performance and operational efficiency. By reviewing people, processes and equipment together, care providers can create a laundry operation that delivers measurable value across the organisation today and into the future.
