UK
International multi-service provider Elis has announced the opening of a brand-new laundry facility dedicated solely to the residential care sector. Located in Bridgwater, Somerset, with convenient access to major transport networks, the site specialises in laundering residents’ clothing and personal items, as well as providing flat linen rental items such as bed linen and towels from a network of healthcare sites across the UK.
Offering an efficient and responsive service to care homes of all sizes, across multiple locations, the facility is designed to help customers streamline laundry processes within their establishments.
Elis operates on an industrial scale, with machines designed to process the equivalent of around 8 – 10 conventional loads of washing all in one go. As a result, it can complete an entire batch of care home clothing in an average time of two to three hours, with specialist processes meaning that garments are in safe hands and treated with the utmost care.
Each resident is provided with their own dedicated mesh bags for laundering, with separate bags available for delicate fabrics. All bags are labelled with the resident’s name and a unique QR code, meaning garments are tracked through the entire laundry process to eliminate the risk of lost or misplaced items.
Residents’ clothing is washed at low temperatures to maintain the integrity of the garments, and the specialist detergents and fabric conditioners Elis uses are designed to launder and disinfect while protecting the fabric and preventing colour run.
In addition, the company’s healthcare sites operate to EN 14065 requirements for the highest standards of infection control, giving peace of mind that flat linen rental items are not just clean, but hygienically clean.
One monthly cost for all services offers simplified financial forecasting, with no need for capital investment in flat linen items, and care homes could also benefit from potentially lower insurance premiums due to the reduced risk of fire or injury from laundry equipment on site. In addition, using a professionally managed laundry service provider eliminates the requirement for care homes to manage machine hire or maintenance, or deal with the implications if equipment breaks down.
Helene Jones, head of care homes at Elis UK, comments: “If you are a care home that currently launders in house, you will understand how time-intensive this can be. From collecting garments, loading machines and waiting for wash and dry cycles to finish, to pressing, folding and sorting items before returning to each resident, it’s a never-ending process that requires significant input from your staff.
“There’s also the additional energy consumption and costs to consider. Our new care home laundry service is designed to help customers save time and money. As well as freeing up resources so your staff can focus on delivering exceptional quality care to residents, repurposing areas previously used for in-house laundry can create additional space which can be utilised for other operational activities, to provide enhanced facilities for residents or to generate additional revenue through increased bed space. As well as processing clothing, we can also provide rental items as part of our service. These include luxurious bed linen and soft, fluffy white towels perfect for adding a homely touch.”
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