Washington Administrative Code
Title 246 - Health, Department of
FACILITY STANDARDS AND LICENSING
Chapter 246-337 - Residential treatment facility
Section 246-337-112 - Laundry services

(1) Provide to residents laundry facilities, equipment, handling and processes for linen and laundered items that are clean and in good repair, adequate to meet the needs of residents, and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions;

(2) Provide laundry and linen services on the premises, or by commercial laundry;

(3) Handle, clean, and store linen according to acceptable methods of infection control including preventing contamination from other sources;

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

(5) Require that all staff wear appropriate personal protective equipment and use appropriate infection control practices when handling grossly soiled laundry;

(6) Remove gross soil from laundry before washing and drying;

(7) Handle contaminated textiles and fabrics with minimum agitation to avoid contamination of air, surfaces and persons;

(8) 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. A resident's personal laundry, separate from other laundry, may be washed 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 for the textile, fabric, or clothing are used.