Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified laundries use processes, chemicals and BMPs acknowledged by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, American National Standards Institute and others. Introduced in 2012, Hygienically Clean Healthcare brought to North America the international cleanliness standards for healthcare
linens and garments used worldwide by the Certification Association for Professional Textile Services and the European Committee for Standardization.
Objective experts in epidemiology, infection control, nursing and other healthcare professions work with launderers to ensure the certification continues to enforce the highest standards for producing clean healthcare textiles.
Processes, chemicals or procedures to achieve BMPs are not stipulated – only that whatever protocols the laundry deems appropriate are documented and practiced. Hygienically Clean Healthcare certified laundries are free to practice whatever tactics are needed to meet Minimum Performance Specifications for bacteriological testing. But they must document their tactics including written quality control procedures.Combat HAI by Quantifying Linen Cleanliness
TRSA President & CEO Joseph Ricci explains the need for certification in light of growing recognition among medical professionals that every possible carrier of healthcare associated infections, including linen, must be scientifically assessed for risk potential.