Pharma Guidelines on Clean and Hygienic Laundry
Objectives are laid down for laundry in the pharma industry to get clean and hygienic linens. Procedure to clean the garments and laundry washing machines. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for cleaning garments and washing machines.
The premises have to be clean and must be situated in a clean environment to minimize the contamination of linen.
A separate area is to be allotted for washed and unwashed linens.
Proper arrangements were made to control the entry of insects and birds. Installing the mosquito trap.
Frequent cleaning of overhead water storage tanks.
Washing machines must be manufactured with stainless steel inner drum and the body as required.
Oil stains have to be washed separately.
White clothes and colored clothes must be washed separately.
Procedures:
The cleaning procedures are laid down to
clean the laundry after the day’s work or whenever it is necessary.
Surface of the washing machines to be
cleaned by lint free clothes dipped in purified and disinfected water.
Regular cleaning of the soap dispensers
from the top of the machines. Cleaning of the soap residues. Wash the
dispensers with purified water and disinfectant. Clean the dispenser hosing
in a similar manner before placing the dispenser in place. Regular
cleaning of the hose as per the prescribed guidelines.
Soft inlet water through water softener
to be used. This water softener should be cleaned at regular intervals. The
resins and the carbon in the carbon filters should be changed at regular
intervals. The pipe lines carrying this water should be flushed to clean with
disinfected water.
Clean and Hygienic Linen:
The following points need to be considered for clean and hygiene linen.
Linen should be handled less in the process to avoid the spread of contamination.
Proportionate use of detergents and whiteners, as per the load of linen, is advisable.
Access to use of detergent can lead to the detergent remaining on the linen and
become hard after the linen is dried.
Disinfectant chemicals are to be used in the wash cycle to disinfect the linen. Barrier
washers can be used to avoid the excessive handling of linen.
Cleaning of Washing Machines and Dryers:
Washing machines from outside should be
cleaned by lint free clothes dipped in purified and disinfected
water. Inside the washing machine the drum must be wiped by a clean, soft,
lint free cotton cloth.
Before removing the filter from the
washing machine, remove the main electrical plug from the switch board. Make
sure the plug is placed in a safe position where it does not get wet. Keep an old
towel or scraper to soak in the water before dismantling the filter from the
machine.
Locating the filter:
For the front loaded washing machine,
generally the filter is fitted outside the washing machine at the bottom on the
right side.
Agitator is the device located in the
center of the machine, that rotates to and forth during the washing cycle.
Filters need to be cleaned every 3 to 4
months. Remove the cover from the filter by pulling it away from the machine. Use
thin objects like screw drivers to remove the cover. Once you hold the cover,
rotate it anti clock wise to remove it.
If the filter is fitted below the
agitator, then first remove the agitator. After removing the agitator, lift the
filter cover out of position. Once you remove out the filter you will see a
wet lint mixed with the remainder of the detergent. In some filters the drain
hose is fitted before the filter. In that case you need to remove the drain hose
first to take out the filter. Use a paper towel to remove lint from the filter.
Residue on the filter is the mix of lint and detergent. Use clean tissue
paper to wipe it off. Use a small brush to clean the board of the filters.
Remove the screen from the filter
housing and immerse it in hot water for 10 minutes. Before replacing the
filter, check inside the machine for any loose lint. If there is a lint in the
drum, remove it or scrub it with a wet sponge.
Once it is cleaned, fit it back into
place. If you have removed the hose or the agitator, then put it back into
position and fix the filter. Then fill the washer with water, run is with-out
load to check for the leakages if any.
Clean the filters at least every month
regularly. Do not wait for your washer to decide to stop working in the middle of the washing
cycle, to find out what is wrong with it. There are many signs you may miss
that indicates the filter needs to be maintained.
If you notice excessive vibrations after the final spin, drainage problems, check the clogging of the filter or choking of the drain line. Neglecting the door seal during normal washing. If anything gets stuck in it can go and get trapped in the filter. It can clog the filter by becoming harder to clean and potentially reducing the life of the filter.
