WAC 246-337-145   Laundry.  The licensee must ensure that laundry facilities, equipment, handling and processes ensure linen and laundered items provided to residents are clean, in good repair and adequate to meet the needs of residents including:

     (1) The licensee must provide laundry and linen services on the premises, or by commercial laundry.

     (2) The licensee must handle, clean, and store linen according to acceptable methods of infection control. The licensee must:

     (a) Provide separate areas for handling clean laundry and soiled laundry;

     (b) Ensure clean laundry is not processed in, and does not pass through, areas where soiled laundry is handled;

     (c) Ensure areas where clean laundry is stored are not exposed to contamination from other sources;

     (d) Ensure all staff wears appropriate personal protective equipment and uses appropriate infection control practices when handling laundry;

     (e) Ensure that damp textiles or fabrics are not left in machines for longer than twelve hours;

     (f) Ensure that gross soil is removed before washing and proper washing and drying procedures are used; and

     (g) Ensure that contaminated textiles and fabrics are handled with minimum agitation to avoid contamination of air, surfaces and persons.

     (3) The licensee must use and maintain laundry equipment according to manufacturers' instructions.

     (4) The licensee must use washing machines that have a continuous supply of hot water with a temperature of one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit, or that automatically dispense a chemical sanitizer and detergent or wash additives as specified by the manufacturer, whenever the licensee washes:

     (a) Licensee's laundry;

     (b) Licensee's laundry is combined with resident's laundry into a single load; or

     (c) More than one resident's laundry is combined into a single load.

     (5) The licensee or a resident washing an individual resident's personal laundry, separate from other laundry, may wash the laundry at temperatures below one hundred forty degrees Fahrenheit provided chemicals suitable for low temperature washing at proper use concentration and according to the cleaning instructions of the textile, fabric or clothing are used.

     (6) The licensee must ventilate laundry rooms and areas to the exterior including areas or rooms where soiled laundry is held for processing by offsite commercial laundry services.

     (7) The licensee must locate laundry equipment in rooms other than those used for open food storage, food preparation or food service.

     (8) If the licensee provides a laundry area where residents may do their personal laundry, the laundry area must be arranged to reduce the chances of soiled laundry contaminating clean laundry and equipped with:

     (a) A utility sink;

     (b) A table or counter for folding clean laundry;

     (c) At least one washing machine and one clothes dryer; and

     (d) Mechanical ventilation to the exterior.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 71.12 RCW. 05-15-157, § 246-337-145, filed 7/20/05, effective 8/20/05.]