| DATE |
COLUMN TITLE AND INFORMATION |
|
30: We are one of the traders in the U.A.E= supplying laundry chemicals to the commercial laundries. One of our customers is washing for a few hotels and has been having a problem, with the hotels complaining that the towels are getting torn during the washing process. They are using low foam detergent, chlorine powder bleach (10%) and softener. On occasion they use alkaline detergent also. |
| This question is difficult to answer without additional information, so I will respond on the chemistry that you mention. It sounds like there could be a problem with the wash formula used to clean the towels. Not knowing the detergent being used I can only speculated that the product has a neutral pH in the washer process. MORE >> |
| 29 How do I get the iron out my water? It is turning my towels yellow. |
Generally .5 ppm of iron will stain and discolor white textiles. Chlorine is not a good choice for washing textiles when there is any significant amount of iron present in the water. The best way to wash under the conditions where iron is present is to use oxygen bleaches. MORE >>
|
| 28: We are a chain of laundry stores in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia, and an Alliance Laundry Systems distributor selling industrial laundry equipment. We keep getting this question: what is the standard for laundries according to the hotel rating system? For example what are the laundry room requirements for 3 stars, 4 stars or 5 stars Hotel? |
| Although somewhat mysterious when one compares different properties with the same rating, hotel star ratings are generally quality indicators. The rating systems have to do primarily with amenities, customer satisfaction and general quality offered by the hotel. MORE >> |
| 27: have a problem with towels – they smell of mildew no matter how many times I wash them. Bleaching the white towels has worked, but since I can't bleach the colored towels how do I disinfect them? |
For the colored bath towels, there are a couple of things you can do. First; buy a detergent that has a sanitizer claim on the label. Follow the direction as to the amount of product required and then soak the towels overnight in water temperatures of 110-120 degrees. MORE >> |
| 26: How do I get the iron out my water? It is turning my towels yellow. |
| Generally .5 ppm of iron will stain and discolor white textiles. Chlorine is not a good choice for washing textiles when there is any significant amount of iron present in the water. The best way to wash under the conditions where iron is present is to use oxygen bleaches.MORE >> |
| 25: What is the average percent of rewash in a commercial laundry? |
| A commercial laundry in defined as a business that washes textiles for a profit. That being said; the mix of textile categories can make a difference in the overall stain rewash percentage of the laundry. MORE >> |
|
24: Imported Textiles – How do they stack up? How do they wash up? |
| I am not from a textile linen company, nor do I represent an interest in any textile linen distribution. That being said, I do have opinions and information that could differ from those types of sources. My interest is in the chemical technicians and the companies who are responsible for providing quality textile-cleaning results, specifically, the institutional textiles that are used in the healthcare and hospitality industries. MORE >> |
|
23: Best procedures or products to ensure that the clothing is disinfected In a Hospital Setting |
| Question: I'm the Infection Control Nurse in a psychiatric hospital. We have a contract with an outside facility to clean our linen, but patient clothing is handled in-house. There are washers and dryers on each unit to launder patient clothing. I'm concerned that the water temperature may not always be hot enough.MORE >> |
| 24: Is Residual Bleach Smell Toxic? |
| Question: Can the residual smell of bleach on sheets be harmful or toxic? MORE >> |
| 25:Hospital Laundry - Kitchen Towels Catching on Fire - What Would Cause This? |
| Question: I manage a hospital Laundry that has been challenged with cleaning the kitchen towels. Recently we had a fire in the kitchen and the rags that were processed that morning seemed to spontaneously combust into a fire. This is not the first incident of the rags/mops in the kitchen doing this. Any thoughts on what causes this? MORE >> |
|
22: LAUNDERING INCONTINENCE PRODUCTS |
| Question: What do you recommend for washing reusable incontinence pads and similar products so that the odor can be most effectively removed?
.MORE >> |
|
21:
HOTEL & MOTEL LAUNDRY COST FACTORS |
| Like many companies that are dependent on travelers, The hotel
and motel industry has taken a hit. Owners and managers have had
to review all areas of expenses and cost, including their linen
service. In the case of properties that have on premise laundries,
the laundry department has had to look at saving money with variable
costs MORE >> |
|
20. PAYING
FOR CHEMICALS
– LET ME COUNT THE WAYS! |
| Wasn't it only yesterday that a company selling laundry
chemicals sold their product for a certain cost per package, and
that was it? Today it seems that there are an endless number of
ways that chemical companies use to sell their chemicals. MORE
>> |
|
19: "how
many washings should we expect to
get out of the products that we purchase?" |
| Answer: I would expect a manufacturer of textiles
to have this information MORE
>> |
|
|
| 18:
Is there such a thing as hypoallergenic linen? On occasion,
some of our hospital clients ask for this. |
| Answer: Yes there is. Linens that have been
washed properly are given several fresh water rinses to remove
any residual conditioning chemistry. These additional rinses
after the normal wash process are believed to leave the linens
hypoallergenically cleaned. MORE
>> |
|
|
| 17:
What is the recommended wash formula for Hospital Laundry
considering blood and medicine stains? |
| For blood work in hospitals it is recommended
that the laundry be flushed several times with water at or
near the human body temperature. In general, keeping the flushes
above 90° and below 100° will ensure that you won't
be setting the blood that is on the textiles. To speed the
removal and reduce the number of flushes, many chemical companies
will inject chemistry into the first flush bath.. MORE
>> |
|
|
| 16:
Is there any effect of high water pH in a laundry wash process?
Our normal water supply pH is 7-8, but I recently encountered
a pH of 9. What might cause this? Is it safe to increase sour
to maintain a final linen pH of 6-7, or should I stick to
the rule that final pH should be one less than the water supply
pH? |
| TBefore making any changes I recommend verifying
that the water has indeed changed. Check the pH meter against
a standard buffer, and have a chemical technician look into
this further.MORE
>> |
|
|
15:
What is the acceptable percentage of water retained on terry
towels after extraction? What is the recommended drying time
and
temperature? |
| The amount of water extraction can vary, but
an average washer extractor reduces retained moisture by approximately
50 percent. Cotton terry towels will have a saturation point
of .3 gallons per pound, or approximately 2.5 pounds of water
per pound of cotton. Most often one refers to the retained
water as moisture retention when discussing extraction efficiency. MORE >> |
|
