| Hydrogen
Peroxide As An Effective Disinfectant |
| Are there confirmed studies that
hydrogen peroxide is an effective disinfectant in the healthcare
laundry wash process?
We would like to change to peroxide for some other benefits but
are concerned if peroxide is going to be an approved disinfectant.
- Diane Wilson
|
| Answer: If
this is a hospital situation, contact JCAHO (Joint Commission
Association of Healthcare Organization). I believe you will find
that the JCAHO is interested in infection control and the procedures
for producing hygienically clean linens.
Regarding peroxide bleach, it has been a standard in Europe
for over 50 years in hospital linen washing. In the U.S. peroxide
has been used in some tunnel washing for hospital linens for over
25 years. The concentration, temperature, and time of exposure
are variables that determine the result when using either peroxide
or chlorine as controls of microorganisms. |
| Reducing
Lint with Anti-Static Compounds |
| I read that to reduce lint from towels
you should add an anti-static compound to the last rinse cycle.
What should I use as an anti-static compound? Is there a brand
name? Also I’m getting blue lint on my white towels how
do I avoid that?
Jessica Giguere |
| Answer: Most good
fabric softeners contain anti-static ingredients. There are a number
of good softeners available, but check the packaging claims to see
if they advertise anti-static ingredients. Concerning the blue lint
on white towels - if you have blue towels and white towels, you
should be washing them separately and drying them separately. If
the towels are blue and white in color consider using a softener
in the final rinse and add a dryer strip to the drying process this
should pull off any loose lint on the towels. |
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| What
Causes Lint? |
| I understand what lint actually is,
but what is it about the drying process that causes the extraction--the
heat or the tumbling, or both?
Does the water and agitation from washing also contribute to linting?
|
| Answer:
Lint is primarily cotton fiber that is collected in the lint screen
of a dryer. The cotton fiber is broken off from the textile due
to a combination of reasons.
As we wear and use a textile there is the friction from rubbing
the material against itself or something else. This rubbing is
the abrasion that breaks fibers loose. Then there is the washing
process that also has the rubbing and scrubbing action in the
washer that breaks fibers loose. Although both of these two circumstances
have the cotton fiber breaking loose, they still have a tendency
to stick to the textile.
During the drying process, however, the friction increases even
more and the suction from the exhaust air of the dryer wants to
pull the particles of cotton fiber away from the drying textiles
and collect in the dryer filter. The broken cotton fiber is pulled
away as the textile is completely dried.
Polyester blends tend to lint less than 100 percent cotton items
because the percentage of cotton is generally from 20-50 percent
of the material makeup of the poly/blend textile. The cotton percentage
decreases as the textile gets older and the cotton is removed
from the fabric. The quality of the textile can be a factor as
to how much linting of the fabric occurs. Generally, long staple
cotton fiber is woven in the fabric better and will give longer
life to the cotton in any textile. |
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