Content about Technology

CHEMICALS SUPPLY: MARLENE WILLIAMS, ANDERSON CHEMICAL CO., LITCHFIELD, MINN.

We have chosen to address three common stubborn stains that can best be managed with procedure, machine programs and chemistry. We will outline procedures important to all stain removal and then address specifics for each stain category.

In all cases, it is important to either pre-treat the stain, or begin the laundering process, as soon as possible after staining. The sooner that stains are removed from the fabric, the less aggressive the program required for removal and the greater the possibility for success.

With a few exceptions, it is important to treat stain removal with the warmest temperature appropriate for the fabric and color blends. Chemical activity increases with elevated temperature and stain removal is generally enhanced with higher temperatures. Exceptions to the “higher the better” are situations involving color fading/bleeding, fabric shrinking, protein or blood “setting,” or exceeding temperatures recommended for enzyme products.           

Medicinal Stains — There are a number of medicinal preparations that can be irreversibly set with chlorine bleach if not thoroughly removed prior to bleach process. Chlorhexidine gluconate and iodine preparations must be thoroughly rinsed prior to standard wash cycles. Education of healthcare staff regarding possibility of irreversible staining, vigilance by laundry staff for particular laundry categories, and possible replacements of non-staining materials can provide solutions. Salves and skin-protection preparations compounded with oils may need special attention and are best removed with selective surfactant products.

Food Stains — Food stains are common to healthcare and hospitality linens. Conventional chemistry with increased alkali and detergent usually provides satisfactory results for greasy soils. Protein stains can be removed with a bleach program step if fabric dyes are compatible. There are a number of enzyme detergents and enzyme presoak products that provide good removal of protein and/or greasy stains if soak time is available. Be sure to match specific enzyme product to type of food stain.

Athletic Uniforms — School and professional athletic colors have never been selected for laundry compatibility! Before beginning any aggressive stain-removal program, make sure that both uniform materials of construction and colors can withstand temperatures and chemistry chosen. Always consult manufacturer’s care tags. Temperature and chlorine bleach are two often-exceeded treatments that can do irreversible damage to fabric finish, fading/bleeding of incompatible colors, and overall irreversible color deposition. There are also a small number of hazardous chemistries that are used to strip dyes and field marking colors. These should be avoided by using an enzyme presoak program if team schedules allow.

It is important to identify impact-generated (helmet and plastic padding) stains that are a result of fabric and protective gear colors being physically transferred into the opposing team’s uniform fabric. Impact transfer is usually an irreversible situation.

COMMERCIAL LAUNDRY: TOM GILDRED, EMERALD TEXTILES, SAN DIEGO, CALIF.

From the perspective of an industrial healthcare linen services provider, the most stubborn stains regularly encountered include bodily fluids, metal and rust stains, tape residue and finally medicinal chemical stains.

We address these difficult stains through a multi-tiered approach, designed to address each particular type of stain. Time, temperature, chemical action and mechanical action are the keys to effective stain removal, and can be adjusted as each case requires. 

As a first step, we work closely with our chemical company to create the proper formulation, or “chemical cocktail,” to remove specific types of stains. Heavily stained linens are identified during soil sort and separated for special treatment.

After the appropriate treatment has been determined, we pre-wash the heavily stained items to remove the first level of soil in our heavy-duty single-batch washers. Hand inspection is employed throughout the process to determine what the next steps are, as well as to ensure quality control. A stringent quality-control program ensures that we effectively launder items until the stains are eradicated.

Because of the intense nature of healthcare laundry stains, there are instances in which items are destroyed in the process of stain removal and those pieces are placed in our linen recycling program. By continually evolving our processes, and working with our chemical vendor, we successfully remove a large number of stains.

TEXTILES: TOM LANGDON, ENCOMPASS GROUP, MCDONOUGH, GA.

Not having had much experience with this topic, I sought the advice of a few long-time laundry professionals. What I found was a little surprising. While most agreed about which substances were the most difficult to treat and remove, their approaches to accomplish this task were completely different.

One approach is stain avoidance. The process starts with sorting the soiled linen from least stained to most stained, or light, medium or heavy soil. By isolating the dirtiest linen, the launderer reduces the chance of contaminating the rest. They also sort by soil factor (whether the stains are protein- or oil-based), as this will determine what wash formula should be used to process the linen. Using this approach, most of the cleaner linen can run through the normal process and be cleaned satisfactorily. They then save the “blood load” to be processed at the end of the shift when the wash formula, along with temperature and process time, can be adjusted.

On the other end of the spectrum is the “one wash” method. Using this approach, the laundry does not segregate its linen because it has optimized its process and system to yield the best overall cleaning results. Of course, if an item that is obviously heavily soiled turns up, they would not process it, preferring instead to rag it out. As stains are the enemy of efficiency, this method works to minimize their disruption on the process.

Stains, after all, are a big problem. Some operators advise that they incur more loss due to stains than to wearing out product through processing. Up to three times more product is “ragged out” because of stains than from actually being worn out.

Regardless of the approach, most operators agree that, in the healthcare setting, Hibiclens, or chlorhexidine gluconate/isopropanol, is the toughest stain to get out. This antiseptic liquid is applied directly to a patient’s skin at the incision site prior to surgery. Its normal state is a clear pink liquid. After being transferred to a textile article and exposed to chlorine bleach during processing, it turns orange-brown and is a difficult stain to remove.

The products themselves play a part in the challenge of dealing with stains. Results from my research rank incontinence products, patient apparel and bath items as the products that experience the most stains. Fabric type is also a factor in stain resistance and stain removal.

Due to advances in finishing chemistry and applications, polyester-rich products actually fare better than cotton-rich items, even though in its natural state polyester has an affinity for oil. These predominantly synthetic-rich products also last longer, which is a plus when exposing them to additional mechanical action and stronger wash formulas that can accelerate the breakdown of cotton-rich fabrics.

Stain treatments are changing. Historically, stain-release treatments were based on C8 fluorocarbon chemistry that has been identified as being harmful to the environment and bio-accumulative. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has requested a voluntary elimination of this chemistry by 2015; manufacturers of these products have been working toward alternatives since 2000. As with most developments, the alternative technologies are more expensive to produce. Some estimates predict as much as a double-digit increase in the cost of stain removal with the new technology as compared to current options.

Regardless of which method you use to process your tough stains, one thing is clear. Stains are here to stay and will become more challenging to treat as the demands for environmentally friendly chemistry becomes the norm.

Check back tomorrow for Part 2!

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) is sponsoring Safer Together, a May 21-22 Safety Summit intended to generate increased safety awareness within the textile services industry while providing an opportunity for practical, hands-on analysis of trends and issues.

A panel featuring some of the textile services industry’s most recognizable names will convene during the Bloomington, Minn., meeting to discuss their companies’ commitment to safe practices and the importance of establishing a top-down safety culture, TRSA says.

Participants will include Bill Evans, president/CEO of AmeriPride Services; Scott Farmer, CEO of Cintas Corp.; Karl Fillip, president/CEO of Alliance Laundry & Textile Services; and Jeff Wright, executive vice president and CFO of G&K Services.

Additionally, there will be breakout sessions to discuss executive management support, driver/fleet safety, wash aisle and lockout/tagout, injury prevention programs, and ergonomics.

Discussions will identify risks in laundry plant and service work that require improved mitigation and propose solutions.

Safety experts emphasize that while management often claims a “commitment to safety,” the real or imagined pressures of production can and often do defeat safety programs as the majority of these efforts focus on compliance and requirements, not zero-based objectives, TRSA says.

The Summit will foster novel approaches by identifying the most difficult obstacles the industry faces in eliminating injuries and illnesses and developing consensus proposals for overcoming them. Conclusions will drive TRSA programming such as best practices documentation, conference presentations, education/training, research/benchmarking and other resources.

To learn more, visit the TRSA website.

KANNEGIESSER PROMOTES HART TO EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas — The owner of Herbert Kannegiesser GmbH recently promoted Phil Hart to executive vice president of Kannegiesser USA.

During the company’s recent Canadian sales meeting, owner Martin Kannegiesser announced that Hart’s role in the company will expand, moving him into supervisory positions with different departments, while continuing to be responsible for the company’s daily operations.

Hart joined Kannegiesser USA in 2004 as vice president of marketing, bringing with him more than 10 years of industry and product experience.

TURN-KEY INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING HIRES BERNSTEIN AS SENIOR VP

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — A veteran of the textile industry, David Bernstein recently joined Turn-Key Industrial Engineering Services as senior vice president. Bernstein’s role will be in business development, consulting, and adding new services to the firm’s lineup.

The fourth generation of his family in the textile rental industry, Bernstein brings a unique perspective and a diverse work résumé to his new position. He has more than 20 years experience, including stints as president of Consolidated Laundry Machinery Co., as director of the Uniform and Textile Services Association (UTSA), and as chief operating officer of F-MATIC.

“All of us at Turn-Key are ecstatic to be welcoming David as a member of our team,” says Chip Malboeuf, Turn-Key president. “His experience, skill set, intelligence and enthusiasm for the industry will not only enhance our current offering, but will also allow us to provide our clients with additional services to increase their revenue and improve their operations.”

In addition to his professional experience, Bernstein is two-time chair of the UTSA Plant Operations Committee, an inductee into the Plant Operations Hall of Fame, an instructor and task force member for the Production Management Institute (PMI) and Maintenance Management Institute (MMI), and a former member of the board of directors of the Western Textile Services Association (WTSA). He resides in Park City, Utah.

TINGUE, BROWN & CO. PROMOTES LAVIGNA TO PURCHASING DIRECTOR

SADDLE BROOK, N.J. — Paul LaVigna has been promoted to the role of purchasing director for the TB division of laundry industry supplier Tingue, Brown & Co. He will work out of TB’s satellite office in Clifton Park, N.Y.

LaVigna brings extensive experience to his new role, much of it gained through his years with the U.S. Army, where he was a procurement and logistics officer. More recently, he was an operations manager for a nationwide retailer. He has been in corporate operations with TB since August 2010.

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, LaVigna lives in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., with his wife and two children.

“I am grateful for the opportunity this new position provides,” LaVigna says, “and I look forward to working with all of Tingue, Brown’s partners in the laundry industry.”

VENUS GROUP HIRES INDUSTRY VET MCBRIDE AS SALES MANAGER

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. — Venus Group has a new Midwest regional sales manager. With more than 30 years of industry experience, Mike McBride is now responsible for the textile company’s sales and growth efforts in the Midwest.

His diverse résumé has allowed him to meet many Midwest dry cleaners and laundry owners as well as people with national textile chains. He started with Procter & Gamble as a field representative and trainer, then moved to Cleaners Hangers Co. as a sales representative. His most recent post with Cleaners Hangers was as vice president of sales and marketing.

McBride earned a degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he was also a member of the 1973 NCAA national champion football team.

G.A. BRAUN ADDS SLETTE TO FINISHING EQUIPMENT TEAM

SYRACUSE, N.Y. —The G.A. Braun Finishing Equipment Engineering Team has a new member. Matt Slette brings to the product development team a diverse experience in modeling components in 3D and developing 2D working drawings, bill of materials, and assemblies for production, Braun says.

Slette graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering technology from California Polytechnic State University. He is based at Braun’s corporate headquarters in Syracuse.

CHEMICALS SUPPLY: MARLENE WILLIAMS, ANDERSON CHEMICAL CO., LITCHFIELD, MINN.

This well-designed question recognizes that optimization of laundry programs and procedures, as well as incorporating new technology options, can facilitate a laundry manager’s efforts to improve energy efficiency and water conservation. From the chemical supplier’s standpoint, there are two major sources of help available today.

First, technology (proprietary software) to analyze a laundry operation is a strong tool for chemical representatives and laundry managers. A knowledgeable chemical representative can provide valuable assistance with this type of computer analysis, improving not only energy efficiency and water consumption but also creating savings in all areas of program expense.

Secondly, a knowledgeable review of laundry facilities with improved practices and procedures can provide major economies for no additional cost. John White, an industry expert with 35 years of laundry experience, offers a number of valuable tactics:

1. Work with a knowledgeable chemical supplies representative; this should be your starting point. Experienced reps can help you because they work with many different operators and will be able to give you ideas for savings, ideas that are working for others.
2. If you’re still using “old school” washing techniques (180-degree water, lots of alkali and bleach, long cycles, lots of rinsing, etc.), be aware that chemistry has dramatically changed. Talk to your rep about low-temperature washing. Consider enzyme washing, allowing for lower wash and bleaching temperatures. Your supplier should be bringing these innovations to you for your consideration.
3. Replace one rinse step in all your cycles with a medium-speed extract. This will save one high-fill for every load of laundry you process, and, over time, can result in thousands of gallons of water—much of it hot—saved.
4. Understand the relationship between pH and temperature in the bleach bath. A good rep will be able to set your cycles up to bleach in much lower temperatures by lowering the pH of the bleach bath.
5. Lower your water levels 1 inch when washing/bleaching, and 2 inches when rinsing. All water levels are adjustable, and the good reps know how to do this. One inch less water in the wash step will not make any difference in quality, but due to the shape of the wash wheel, will save you up to 30% of the hot water you would otherwise use in a typical wash step (same for bleach step and 2 inches on rinse steps).
6. Focus on sorting laundry by soil load and staining. Unsorted linens must be washed according to the worst pieces. If unsorted, every load becomes a costly heavy-soil load.
7. Program cycles so that your final rinse temperature is between 115 and 120 degrees (typically it is much lower). This means that the linens will be pre-heated (but not too hot to handle) when they go into the dryer. This will save about five minutes of dryer time/energy per load.
8. Don’t under-load washers or overload dryers. Weigh loads and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
9. Airflow is far more critical than temperature when it comes to dryer time. Clean lint screens after every load, and periodically have dryer vents professionally cleaned. Lint can easily clog dryer vents and choke off 80% or more of your airflow.
10. Finally, most dryers can be retrofitted with flue sensors that will shut the dryer down when the load is dry, saving on energy and fabric damage.

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING: KIM SHADY, LAUNDRYLUX CORP, NEW YORK, N.Y.

From the perspective of smaller OPL facilities, more new equipment applications have become available in the past several years than have been introduced in the past decade. I’ll break these energy savings into three categories: electricity, natural gas, and water.

Electricity — The amount of electricity used to operate an OPL washer or dryer may be less than 2 cents per load. There is very little reward for making improvements to electricity use. Evaluating cycle times in the washer could be one area for savings. Washers with higher extraction rates (G-force) can reduce drying times for more savings.

Natural Gas — Assuming natural gas is your heat source for a dryer, ironer or water heater, this is your largest utility cost. To evaluate areas to trim costs, start with your water heater/boiler. There have been many improvements in efficiency, so is your unit outdated? Could reducing water temperature by 5 or 10 degrees make a difference on an annual basis?

The traditional 75-pound dryer in small OPL facilities has gone through significant energy updates in the past few years. Several companies have slashed gas consumption by 20% through new, energy-efficient axial airflow designs that do not sacrifice drying time. This may be the biggest gain for energy efficiency in the past five years.

Also, the extraction rate has a major role in reducing dryer gas use. Upgrading from 100 to 300 G-force can cut drying time by 25-30%, along with similar amounts of natural gas.

Residual moisture controls are gaining popularity to save time and natural gas in the dryer. No longer does the drying time have to be input by hand. Residual moisture controls automate the process, while preventing the dryer from running past the point where linens are dry.

Large laundries have long understood the energy benefits of ironing vs. drying sheets. When ironing sheets properly, the amount of energy used to remove a pound of water is less than the amount a dryer would use to do the same. With new OPL ironers requiring just one person to feed, fold and stack, there can be energy savings, labor savings and huge improvements in quality.

Water — OPL washers are using newer digital technology to measure water levels, providing more precise control for each fill. This also allows the programmer to experiment with finding the optimum water levels and acceptable cleanliness quality. This experiment could bring surprising results in lower water use. Some washers are smart enough to adjust water levels based upon the linen load size, while at the same time adjusting chemical dosing to keep the ratio to water accurate.

Other water savings may be found with ozone systems. Ozone has proven to reduce water consumption and significantly reduce the need for hot water.

UNIFORMS/WORKWEAR MANUFACTURING: STEVE KALLENBACH, AMERICAN DAWN, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

This is the central question surrounding one of the most important dynamics of the decade: “green” reusable textiles and related processing. My responses will relate mostly to energy and costs that directly impact textile-processing costs.

Energy — Over the past 15 years, our industry has reduced energy costs by more than 40% through the use of heat reclaimers, direct-fire water heaters, continuous batch washers (vs. washer-extractors vs. modular washer and extractor units), high-efficiency gas dryers (vs. steam dryers), as well as energy-friendly textiles.

Additionally, chemical companies and plant managers have worked together to find balanced formulations that assist in energy efficiency. An example of this might be in extraction. Once a washer-extractor achieves extraction speed, it is much more efficient to extract the textile a bit longer, if it reduces dryer time (gas usage) while still protecting textile life.

In some cases, textiles have been built to withstand more energy-efficient processing. In others (example: Signature table linen), fabric has been developed to wash cleaner at lower temperatures, thereby lowering energy costs and even processing time. The most recent textile improvement impacting energy efficiency is microfiber fabrics. They take much less time to dry, thereby reducing gas and electricity costs.

Laundry managers need to follow the best in class: 1) know the industry standards, 2) know your own plant’s performance, and 3) engage with your chemical and textile vendors to continually improve efficiency.

Water — Just like energy, our industry has reduced water usage by more than 40% through the use of water reclamation systems and better chemical formulations, soil sorting (to control the amount of rewash) and textiles.

Water reclamation systems reuse some of the last flushes of a formula as the first flush of the next load. Chemical formulation is a key to water efficiency. We put our chemical suppliers in the delicate position of keeping costs down while keeping our textiles clean. Many times, this balance is off, and some plants have a tendency to “over wash” certain textiles. Additionally, some textiles simply clean better, due to raw-material quality, fiber content, weave, topical soil release, etc.

Managers can discuss these issues with their textile and chemical suppliers, in order to choose the right product for the job. Just like energy efficiency, water conservation and efficiency should first be measured against the known industry standards, and managers should engage with their related suppliers to improve both formulation and textiles.

Technology — In all areas of conservation, support technology has improved drastically over the past 20 years. Retrofitting machinery to allow constant monitoring of efficiencies is now available, and the return on investment is sensible in most cases. Additionally, the industry has developed a number of major software packages that can assist managers in monitoring and managing their plant efficiencies.

Maintenance — Aside from education on standards and available efficiencies, the maintenance of equipment and support technology is more important now than ever before.

Plant maintenance managers of yesteryear were measured on downtime of equipment related to production flow. While this will remain the platform for production flow efficiency, maintenance of the future will center more around equipment efficiencies, simply because they can now be monitored constantly.

For instance, in the past, if a drainpipe were open and leaking profusely, it might not be caught and your maintenance department might not focus on it because the equipment was running. In the future, the equipment must not only run, it must run efficiently, because a rightly upgraded and retrofitted wash machine will be able to “broadcast” the presence of an open/leaking drain to plant management.

Textiles — Great plant managers take a more active role in monitoring textile placement as it relates to efficiency, not only in wear-life (life-cycle) costing but also in choosing the right textile for the job.

A simple example of this is allowing a diesel engine mechanic to wear a lightly colored shirt. This textile choice leads to heavy-soil formulation and rewash. Enough of this textile misuse and plant efficiency is impacted.

Other plants overbuy cotton toweling, putting premium textiles into accounts that simply don’t return them. Because these products are typically heavier in content, the plant washes fewer of them per load, thereby lowering both energy and water efficiencies. In some cases, it’s better to put a standard-quality product into an account that needs just that.

CHICAGO — As one who has been on both sides of the relationship, I cannot overstate the importance of a sound customer service program. It represents the very foundation of any organization, small or large.

In most cases, the last company you purchased from is likely to be the company you will purchase from again and again. While I think this process eliminates purchasing best value and the state of the art in most circumstances, it is indeed the rule of the road, no matter what industry.

A routine customer that comes to you for a product doesn’t arrive by accident. This regular purchasing is usually generated through excellent customer service. The adage “care for your customer and they shall return” is true.

Customer service is a team concept that involves everyone in the organization. It is essential to sales growth, and the client must remain the top priority at all times, no matter how large or how small their purchase may be.

No matter who in your organization responds to a client’s question, they must always be professional and address them properly (not by their first name). If your client is a member of the military, always address them by their rank. Using common courtesy—“yes, ma’am” and “yes, sir”—actually goes a long way in earning the respect of a customer. Certainly, if you establish a rapport with them over time, you can adjust this point of courtesy, but be careful.

Customer service is a fast, effective way to market an organization’s programs and products, and many organizations strive to perfect these opportunities. Those that have easily accessible programs, especially ones with a proven track record of providing quality and friendly service, can easily differentiate themselves from others in the marketplace.

There are fast, effective ways to interact with a customer base, organizations have discovered. Many have implemented live chat and other unique website programs that are tailored to meet customer needs. Other organizations have implemented the use of multiple computer screens that allow their customer service teams to virtually and simultaneously handle more than two or three customers who have different needs and requirements. The claim is that productivity increases up to 50% with minimal investment.

Good customer care is important, because keeping existing customers is always an easier task than locating new ones. Satisfied customers accommodate your advertising programs. And most companies find that customers do business with them because of another customer’s recommendation. But likewise, an unhappy customer will spread word of their experience to others in the industry, which can certainly threaten any organizational goals.

Thanking a customer for their order by e-mail, no matter if it’s the first time or the hundredth time, can go a long way. Therefore, using an auto responder may be helpful. Developing professional e-mail templates that can address just about any occurrence, good or bad, is probably the best approach. This helps to foster communications and to maintain a customer database. These messages should always include your organization’s point of contact to facilitate continued communication.

First impressions do count. Nothing frustrates a customer more than waiting for someone to answer them. Or, if someone does answer initially, they are then unable to respond again in a timely fashion; nothing should take more than one business day.

Any organization’s objective should be to provide customer service at the highest standards possible and to attempt to be better each and every day.

The client that likes you is likely to do business with you and to recommend your organization to others.

No matter your position, always ask yourself what you can do to improve the service you provide your customers.

FAIRWAY, Kan. — There’s nothing like learning from peers who have blazed a trail of success. That’s why the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) will feature operator roundtable sessions—on sales and controlling linen losses—each day of its 2012 Education Conference next week in Memphis, Tenn.

The Tuesday through Thursday conference is titled Marketing Reusables in 2012: How Clean is Clean, How to Sell Clients – and Control Losses After the Sale. In addition to operator roundtables with Q&A, ARTA will host speakers from the Mayo Clinic, 3M, Encompass Group, the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) and more.

A technical service representative from 3M will address Standards of Clean – How Do We Measure It? Francis Zieman, RN, BSN, MS, CSPDT, will provide an overview of tools and methods to measure cleanliness and then invite members of the audience to test different items, based on written instructions.

HLAC Inspection Chair Judy Reino, Reino Linen, will review best practices during Infection Prevention 101: Practices for the Laundry. Her review will include facility design, personnel, equipment and processes, transportation and clean-linen storage.

Mayo Clinic’s Cindy Molko, RLLD, director of linen services, will offer practical advice you can take back to the office in the session, Infection Prevention and You.

Some other sessions include an update on Cotton and Textile Issues in 2012: What to Expect from Tom Langdon, vice president of sourcing and purchasing for Encompass Group, and Hotel Guest, Hospital Patient or Visitor: Is Your Health at Risk? by Steve Tinker, vice president, Gurtler Industries.

The two operator roundtables planned, Capturing the Healthcare Sale and Case Studies on Stop-Loss Strategies, will feature profit and not-for-profit, regional, and national operators sharing their strategies for selling reusable surgical textiles and controlling losses. All sessions will leave time for Q&A from the audience.

ARTA’s conference will take place at The Peabody Hotel and is open to members and nonmembers, as well as all sister associations.

The Welcome Reception hosted by MIP and Encompass kicks off the event on Tuesday. Attendees who arrive that afternoon can sign up for a tour of Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare Laundry or visit Graceland.

The education program starts Wednesday with sessions running all day, and includes a group lunch. Attendees can mingle and network at the Sponsors’ Reception that evening at The Cotton Museum and Exchange.

The conference ends at noon on Thursday. Continental breakfast is included both days before education sessions begin.

Registration is still open. Visit the ARTA website or contact Executive Director Nancy Jenkins at njenkins@arta1.com for more information.

WESTERVILLE, Ohio — By a vote of its board of directors, the International Executive Housekeepers Association will now be known simply as IEHA, with the tagline “Uniting facility managers, worldwide,” to better reflect the organization’s brand and the professionalism of the cleaning industry.

“Organizational branding is contingent on organizational identity, and ours has changed," says IEHA President Eric Bates. “Our ‘new’—but established—simplified name of IEHA reflects that change and allows us to grow IEHA as a brand keenly representing members’ skill and career development interests.”

“Just as personal identities grow and mature, so do professional identities,” adds Beth Risigner, the association's CEO/executive director. “The International Executive Housekeepers Association (commonly known as IEHA) has become a mature organization with a strong identity around member skills accreditation, certification, education, health and safety. At one point, we considered changing our name completely, but decided instead to capitalize on the equity we have built in the IEHA name and retain www.ieha.org as our primary web domain.”

IEHA plans to make a complete switchover of all internal documents and the website to the new name and logo by January.

ACWORTH, Ga. — 2012 marks the 25th anniversary of Softrol Systems, a multi-disciplinary design, manufacturing and software development company that provides solutions to the textile rental and manufacturing industries.

Chad and Brent Keith founded the company in 1987 and used their experience providing solutions for chemical, water and wastewater issues encountered by wet process clients to develop leading-edge process control technology. Softrol now provides total plant solutions in chemical systems, automation systems, management systems and rail systems, the company says.

Over the years, the company has grown by providing solutions that increase its customers’ bottom line, says CEO Chad Keith. Complete washroom automation and real-time production information are just two examples of technology advancements that have become mainstream throughout the industry.

“We see greater adoption rates for systems that we have been developing and deploying to advance the collection of data, the integration of it into actionable information, and now, finally, into real-time business intelligence for better plant management,” he says.

For any plant, Softrol can provide an “Automated Production Management System” that includes labor management, production reporting, equipment information and business intelligence, the company says. “It all comes down to total plant management,” says Keith. “We are one of a few companies in the industry that can manage your products and information from the soil dock to the shipping dock.”

And Softrol is primed to maintain its strong position with new technological advancements and RFID solutions, according to Keith.

“As we prepare for sustained success in the future, we will continue to serve the changing demands of our customers and will also expand our industry solutions to foreign markets,” he says. “It’s this strategic planning and futuristic attentiveness that has kept and will keep Softrol as a forerunner in the industry.”

Softrol plans to host multiple events throughout the year to celebrate its quarter-century stint. “To commemorate our 25-year anniversary, we plan to remind the industry of the full range of laundry processing solutions we have developed since 1987, and to continue to develop industry-leading solutions to take us forward for the next 25 years,” Keith says.

To learn more about Softrol and its product lines, visit www.softrol.com/ALN.

ROANOKE, Va. — I once wrote about having an opportunity to use reusable barrier isolation gowns in all the hospitals that comprise the Carilion Clinic. The ability to start such a program was rewarding after having failed to gain approval over the previous seven years.

Product Packaging and Distribution Design

The key to success is to develop a packaging system for the reusable gowns that will work in the same manner as the disposable gowns.

The disposable barrier gowns were packaged in a bundle of 10 and then heat-sealed in plastic wrap. Some units used over-the-door caddies that held the gowns and various sizes of gloves, caps and masks. Large users used small isolation carts similar to a toolbox where the same items were stored in drawers.

We discovered the packaging for the disposable gowns didn’t work well in an over-the-door caddy; once the wrap was torn open, the gowns tended to fall on the floor. So, we tried a 14x16 zip-lock bag. We needed to make some small adjustments to the fold to get 10 gowns into a bag. Once a bag was filled, we were able to squeeze out all the air and create a nice-looking package. The 10 reusable barrier isolation gowns actually took up less space than the 10 disposable gowns.

The mini-distribution department and offsite warehouse handled distribution of disposable isolation gowns. When units needed an isolation cart or caddy, they called mini-distribution, which delivered one to the proper location. Once on location, the nursing unit was responsible for replacing any supplies. Nursing ordered replacements from the offsite warehouse.

Items for each unit were delivered weekly, so this meant a number of cases of disposable isolation gowns had to be stocked on each unit. Limited storage on the nursing units made this a real problem during peak flu season.

We designed a system in which the reusable isolation gowns were stocked on the units in predetermined quantities and delivered by the linen room staff. The staff inventoried the gowns each day and restocked as needed, greatly reducing storage space needs.

Quality Control

If you are going to handle reusable barrier linen, you must do it to the highest standards. Your presentation and quality must be above reproach.

No matter how carefully I washed the barrier linen, some degradation was unavoidable. I could slow repellency loss by limiting the amount of alkali, using a solvent-based detergent, and eliminating all bleach and softener, but slowing it was not good enough.

We added a small amount of a barrier retreatment product to the final rinse. Sutter testing showed not only that the loss was eliminated, the barrier on some items actually improved. There are basically three product types on the market: wax-based, fluoropolymer-based, and a mixture. I prefer the fluoropolymer, because it adheres to the fibers only, has no effect on the fabric’s air permeability, and will not cause yellowing.

We wash reusable barrier isolation gowns in our conventional washer-extractors so we can strictly control the wash chemistry. We have reduced the weight per load by 65-70% of stated capacity due to the gown’s weight.

We inspect and fold the gowns in our surgical pack room. Each gown is inspected for holes or tears, and checked to make sure all ties are in place and are the appropriate length.

A gown is marked on the quality-control grid with a number or letter assigned to only one employee. It allows us to track a quality-control problem back to a specific employee.

We also built in random inspections by our supervisor. This allows us to check the finished work for problems and adjust our training program or take appropriate disciplinary action.

Wednesday: Initial user training and product rollout...
Click here for Part 1.

ALBANY, Ga. — Equinox Chemicals has announced that it has acquired Adco Cleaning Products, based in Sedalia, Mo. Terms of the acquisition were not announced.

Equinox will move Adco’s manufacturing operations to its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Albany, according to Yalda Harris, Equinox’s executive vice president for Global Product Management.

Dr. Jim Schreiner, Adco’s chief product technology officer, will also be relocating, she says.

Customer-service and order-taking staff will remain in Sedalia, and there will be no changes to the way customers or distributors order from Adco, Harris adds. The national sales team will remain the same.

Equinox is a specialty chemical manufacturer with specialty research, innovation, product development and commercialization capabilities that reach markets spanning the globe, the company says.

Adco manufactures a comprehensive line of specialty cleaning chemicals and detergents used in dry cleaning, commercial laundry, and janitorial and institutional cleaning applications. It offers more than 300 proprietary products through the Adco and Laidlaw brands.

“This latest acquisition will continue our aggressive strategy to revolutionize and revitalize the laundry, dry cleaning and cleaning chemical industry,” says Mark Grimaldi, CEO of Equinox Chemicals.

Mentor Partners had owned Adco since 2007.

Textiles: Tom Langdon, Encompass Group

I am vice president of sourcing and purchasing for Encompass Group. I have spent the past 30 years in a variety of roles and responsibilities in the textile industry.

For the last 20-plus, I have traveled the globe, extensively developing and sourcing all types of textile products. My product experience spans from retail home fashions, to protective and military apparel, and into the medical textile products area. I am experienced in woven, non-woven, and knit manufacturing techniques along with all aspects of printing, dyeing and finishing.

My educational credentials include a Bachelor of Science degree from the Stetson School of Business at Mercer University, along with various continuing education certificates in customs, compliance, CTPAT, supply chain management, and ISO 9000 registration. I sit on the Techtextil North America 2012 Symposium Advisory Council and chair the Medical Educational Section. I see my role on the panel as giving readers the layman’s perspective on each monthly topic and how obtaining the actual textile items is affected.

Two of our biggest challenges in 2011 were the unprecedented run-up in raw-material costs and mitigating the impact to our customers. We also were faced with some historic geopolitical changes in the world, of which the unrest in Egypt created some specific obstacles to our industry.

I was already scheduled to visit Egypt at the end of January 2011, the week before the Mubarak regime fell. I remember spending the first half of the Super Bowl on the phone with my travel agent rearranging my itinerary to cancel the Egypt portion of my trip. Later, I found out that the head of the largest government-owned textile mill in Egypt was removed from his post and arrested.

Probably our greatest accomplishment realized was in educating our customers and others in the industry on market conditions. This entailed explaining how contributing factors such as the price of cotton, energy, and currency exchange rates affect the price, quality, and availability of laundry textile products.

Encompass benefited from an intercompany market update I published monthly, which helped our sales force reach out to all of our customers as well. The price of cotton became such a hot topic at one point that it even made it on to NBC’s The Today Show.

Let’s all hope we have a much calmer and more stable 2012. I look forward to participating on this panel and appreciate being selected.

Linen Supply: Stephen Marcq, General Linen Service

I’m the director of business development for General Linen, with corporate offices and the processing plant located in Somersworth N.H. I’ve been with the company for approximately 22 years, starting as a production manager. I worked as a production and depot manager for several other companies before returning in 1992.

While most of my time with General has been on the service side of the business, I’ve done everything from load diapers (remember those?) to running the service department and then the sales department, which has given me a well-rounded background that has served me well.

Today, I work extensively with the sales and service teams to manage, retain and expand our business presence with large corporate accounts, and especially with a variety of multi-site operations, both healthcare and hospitality. Setting up various customized programs designed to appeal to the particular needs of off-site management or ownership is an accomplishment I am particularly proud of.

We have 3,800 customers in four states, serviced from our main plant and two additional service centers in New Hampshire and Maine. Our plant mix consists mostly of hospitality and healthcare business, with lesser amounts of industrial and dust control.

With both of those areas affected by the economic downturn over the last few years, and healthcare especially hit hard in the last 6-12 months, a major challenge right now is in maintaining margins and sales increases while retaining customers in an increasingly competitive, cost-conscious environment.

We have implemented route optimization software to reduce distribution and delivery expense, installed a stack economizer to reclaim waste heat, increased our sales team, set up a key/multi-site customer and corporate visit program, and have many other projects in progress or in the works.

Our mixed-plant status can be, at times, both an asset and a liability. When one segment is down, we have historically grown in another and been able to protect jobs and revenue. But gaining maximum production and delivery efficiencies can be harder for a mixed plant as well, something that we are doing our best to address.

I am honored to have been selected to serve on the panel, and I am looking forward to contributing during 2012.

Hotel/Motel/Resort Laundry: JR Norris, Delta Linen

I’m the operations manager for Delta Uniform and Linen, the largest family-owned and operated commercial laundry in Albuquerque. I am honored to have been chosen for this panel.

The Randall family established Delta Linen in 1948 as a small drycleaning business. The decision was made to take the business into industrial linen rental, and Delta Linen has since flourished. It now services more than 300 restaurants, casinos and fine hotels, and is growing daily. Delivering clean and wrinkle-free linen and hospitality wear with 24-hour-a-day customer service has contributing greatly to our success.

I worked as a general manager in the restaurant business for almost 20 years, sitting on the other side of the table in dealings with linen companies. This experience has helped me greatly with my transition from restaurants to linen service and having the ability to under a restaurant’s needs. It encourages me daily that Delta Linen has had the same beliefs and integrity for more than 60 years!

I have faced several challenges after diving headfirst into the linen business, but that’s been the fun part. The biggest has been working with and understanding the quality and maintenance aspects of hotel linens.

I have seen sub-par cotton quality coming from many manufacturers over the past 18 months. We have had to change several processes, including how we order and wash, to ensure the longevity of the textiles. Because of this, production has almost been more challenging than the cleaning of the products themselves.

We were blessed with continued growth this past year despite the hard economic times the country faced. We have taken on several new, large accounts, along with a new contract with a resort. And we recently renewed our contract with the largest casino in New Mexico.

We continue to strive for the best every day, with the mind-set and commitment that our service is our contract and it is as good, if not better, than a golden handshake. I intend to see that Delta Linen maintains this philosophy for many years to come.

Tomorrow: Introductions to representatives from the equipment manufacturing and chemical suppy sectors, plus a member at large...
Click here for Part 1.
Click here for Part 2.

CHICAGO — Taking inventory is often cause for headaches at any laundry facility, and a recent webinar on linen inventorying addressed how to make the process work for each individual system.

Barbara Williams has more than 30 years of experience in the textile industry. As a consultant with Standard Textile Co., she frequently speaks about linen process improvements, linen management, and cost-reduction programs for healthcare operations.

During the webinar sponsored by the Association for Linen Management, Williams stressed the many rewards of taking a regular inventory and touched on a few challenges a laundry facility faces during the process.

Your Inventory Involves What?

The major items that most healthcare laundry facilities count during an inventory are adult patient linen, nursery/pediatric linen, surgical linen, surgical apparel, other staff apparel, pillows, mops and napery. Each facility will need to determine what is important to count, and it isn’t necessary to count everything at the same time. For instance, Williams says, some facilities will count the adult patient linens and the nursery linens, then tally the surgical linen and apparel at a different time.

Where to Conduct an Inventory

Determining where linen is kept is a necessary step before beginning an inventory. Healthcare facilities will need to count linens in patient rooms as well as in ancillary departments. This involves linens on the beds, on the patients and staff, exchange carts, utility carts, in bathrooms, drawers, closets, exam room, cabinets, stretchers, and even on chairs and windowsills.

Staff may again be an issue when determining where linens are stored. In some cases, Williams says, facilities will do what is called a bed-standard method of counting. “Staff members know the actual standard of what is put on a bed, (and) they then take that times the number of beds in a unit,” she says. “And they still take a quick walk-through to see what extras are in the rooms.”

A linen room count and the laundry count need to be conducted as accurately and efficiently as possible. The laundry will be the largest, and it is the most important to get right, Williams says.

Remember to include off-site locations such as clinics. And while many facilities no longer utilize a storeroom, include that location—if applicable—in an inventory.

Who Conducts an Inventory

Where many healthcare facilities ask their nursing staff, including personal care aides, to conduct linen inventories, only 10% of the webinar participants indicated they utilize this population. The majority of participants—40%—use linen distribution or environmental services staff. The more people involved, the better, according to Williams. She says many inventories are conducted by a combination of nursing staff and environmental services staff.

Another possibility is to use laundry personnel, which 30% of webinar participants acknowledged they do. This demographic will be crucial in counting linens in the laundry areas as well as picking up soiled linens and marking them as counted or uncounted.

The use of temporary personnel to help with inventorying is another possibility, but the training required could deter this practice.

The Process of Inventorying

Williams suggests that a 30-day plan be put into place before an inventory. Preparations include identifying the areas and products to count, identifying the facility and areas within a facility that will be involved, and identifying the staff responsible for the counting and recording of linens.

Lists, instructions, forms, signs and schedules are imperative when communicating with staff about an upcoming inventory and while an inventory is being conducted. Education, such as in-service meetings and training, will be another key to success.

Before an inventory begins, the staff involved will need to communicate the date and time of the project, present the procedures to any involved personnel, and communicate with off-site laundries and with customers or patients. A list of names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses is important to communication before, during and after an inventory.

Inventory Day Arrives

Williams provided a list of inventory day events, including sending final communications to all units involved. Collect and pick up all soiled linens in bulk carts and mark as “uncounted,” and verify that these steps have been completed. Close laundry chutes during the inventory.

When the count begins on each unit, teams of two—one to count and the second to record the results—are recommended.

It would be a good idea, Williams says, to establish an “Inventory Central,” or a place, person, or phone extension that those involved in the task can contact for questions and concerns.

When an inventory is complete, either collect the forms or have them returned to Inventory Central. At that time, it would be a good idea to review the forms to confirm numbers and that any comments can be understood. Tabulate results.

Remove signs, and be sure to communicate the cut-off point with all involved. Lastly, Williams recommends an enthusiastic show of appreciation to all those who helped with the inventory.

After the Inventory

When an inventory has been successfully completed, it is time to generate statistics and results; generate the total inventory and the inventory dollar value; calculate replacement or depletion rates; and calculate mysterious disappearance.

Share the results with management, with the nursing staff and with other staff members. And most importantly, Williams says, take action on the results.

“Assess your inventory needs by comparing your inventory with your demand,” she says, “and adjust linen orders accordingly. Retrieve any ‘dead’ or hoarded inventory and review security measures.

“Today, we’re in a budget crunch, and we really need to protect our linen assets.”

Click here for Part 1.