TRSA Webinar Series: Insights for Commercial Laundry Professionals
Key Takeaways from the TRSA Webinar Series on Reusable Textiles & Infection Prevention (May-July 2025)
This text details a three-part webinar series hosted by TRSA (The Association for Linen Services) focused on addressing common misconceptions and promoting best practices regarding reusable textiles in healthcare settings. Here’s a summary of the key information from each session:
Overall Goal: To educate infection Preventionists (IPs) and healthcare administrators about the importance of hygienically clean reusable textiles and how they contribute to infection control. The series aimed to dispel misinformation and highlight the risks associated with improper handling and laundering.part 1: ”Mastering Laundry Inspections: A Best Practices Checklist for Infection preventionists” (May 1, 2025)
Focus: Understanding and utilizing Hygienically Clean certification standards as a benchmark for evaluating textile providers.
Key Points:
Certification audits assess facility cleanliness, wash chemistry, microbial testing, and handling practices.
Provides IPs with a valuable tool to assess their textile provider’s safety standards, even if they aren’t directly involved in laundry oversight.
Resource: Laundry Tour Inspection Checklist for Infection Preventionists
Part 2: “The Risks of Home Laundering Facility-Provided Scrubs” (June 3, 2025)
Focus: Highlighting the dangers of staff laundering scrubs and uniforms at home.
Key Points:
Home washing machines cannot guarantee pathogen removal.
Home laundering creates a risk of community exposure to contaminants.
Undermines infection control strategies and can lead to regulatory issues and liability.
Supporting Evidence: A study published in PLOS.One (“Domestic Laundering of Healthcare Textiles: Disinfection efficacy and Risks of Antibiotic Resistance Transmission”) found that many home washing machines fail to eliminate harmful bacteria, even at high temperatures.
Part 3: “Linen Handling Best Practices: Protecting against Infection in Healthcare Facilities” (July 10, 2025)
Focus: (The text ends mid-sentence, but it’s clear this session would build on the previous two, likely focusing on practical request of best practices for handling linens within the healthcare facility itself.)
Overall Message: Professional laundering by Hygienically Clean Certified facilities is crucial for infection prevention in healthcare settings. Reusable textiles, when properly processed, are a safe and effective option, but home laundering and inadequate oversight pose significant risks to patients, workers, and the community.