ALM issues home washing guidance for healthcare workers
For healthcare workers concerned about COVID-19 exposure and doing laundry at home, the Association for Linen Management (ALM) has issued “Interim Guidance for Healthcare Personnel Home Washing Personal Uniform/Scrub Apparel During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
According to ALM, “While the commercial laundry process following CDC guidelines has been tested and proven to provide clean, safe textiles for patients within the hospital environment, the home laundry process deals with myriad differences in fabrics, detergents, wash temperatures, and more. Available research shows the virus only lives on fabrics for a short period of time, but, out of an abundance of caution, ALM has chosen to compile instructions to best ensure the home wash process is effective for washing personal apparel after being in a setting possibly exposing the wearer to COVID-19.”
The organization emphasizes “the guidance is NOT to be used for laundering any textile provided by employers as personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is specialized clothing or equipment worn by an employee for protection against a hazard. General work clothes, e.g., uniforms, pants, shirts, or blouses, not intended to function as protection against a hazard are not considered to be PPE.”
ALM also has a variety of other COVID-19 related information online: https://www.almnet.org/page/COVID-19