Healthcare textiles -Incorrect tunnel washer wash design and operation mean processed linen may not be hygienically clean

A continuous batch washer, commonly known as a tunnel washer, is a type of industrial washing machine designed to handle large volumes of laundry continuously. Unlike traditional batch washers where a set amount of laundry is loaded, washed, and then unloaded before the next batch, a tunnel washer allows for a continuous flow of laundry through the machine.

These washers are commonly used in healthcare laundries, where a high volume of laundry needs to be processed efficiently. Tunnel washers typically consist of a series of compartments or modules through which the laundry progresses. Each compartment serves a specific purpose in the washing process, such as washing, rinsing, and extracting water.

The tunnel washer design offers enormous economic advantages such as increased productivity, reduced labor requirements, optimized water, chemical, and heat usage, and consistent wash results. While a conventional washer may use more than three gallons of water per pound of linen processed, a state-of-the-art tunnel washer can use less than ½ gallon of water per pound of linen processed! Because tunnel washers efficiently reuse heat and chemistry, massive savings in natural gas and chemicals are another advantage. Tunnel washers are particularly useful for handling large quantities of linens, uniforms, and other textiles in a streamlined and efficient manner.

While the benefits for your laundry of a well-designed and a well-run tunnel washer are immense, the risks and drawbacks of a poorly designed/run tunnel washer are just as vast. Some of the biggest tunnel washer pitfalls we at Compliance Shark have observed include the following:

Lack of Redundancy

Tunnel washers are capable of processing huge quantities of linen per hour and a laundry plant may depend on this throughput to complete their wash day. Therefore, extended tunnel washer downtime due to outages can be catastrophic, causing hospitals to not get all of their linen processed.

Incorrect Chemical Dosage and pH Levels:

Achieving the right balance of detergents, bleach, and other chemicals is crucial for effective cleaning. Inconsistent chemical dosing or improper pH levels can result in poor cleaning performance, damage to fabrics, or excessive wear on the machine.

Incorrect Water Levels:

In order for a chemical formula to work as designed, water levels in compartments must be precisely managed. Too much water means suboptimal chemical concentrations and inadequate mechanical action. Too little water means too high of chemical concentrations, inadequate dilution, and improper mechanical action.

Wrong Water Temperatures in Compartments

Chemical formulas require precise temperatures to clean as designed. For example, most bleaches require a certain temperature threshold to activate and disinfect. Likewise, wash steps require a high enough temperature to optimally remove soils. Conversely, too extreme of temperature drops in the rinse zone may cause thermal shock and damage textiles.

Chemical and Water Recycling:

Most tunnel washers are equipped with systems for recycling water and chemicals. While these systems offer economic and environmental benefits, managing these recycling systems and ensuring they operate effectively adds another layer of complexity. Malfunctions in these systems can impact both the environment and the cleaning performance.

Pathogens LOVE Warm Moist Environments.

Tunnel washers are constantly exposed to a perfect cocktail of heat, steam, water, and contaminated linen. Therefore, their parts, including surfaces, discharge areas, and tanks are perfect breeding grounds for pathogens that can contaminate clean linens.

Maintenance Challenges:

Tunnel washers are complex machines with many critical components such as water pumps, chemical pumps, drain valves, temperature probes, water level probes, and more. Regular maintenance is essential to prevent breakdowns and ensure optimal performance. Failure to perform routine maintenance can lead to unexpected downtime and increased repair costs.

To mitigate these complexities and risks, it's important for healthcare laundries to invest in proper training for staff, adhere to recommended maintenance schedules, and stay informed about advancements in laundry technology to optimize performance and resource usage. Regular monitoring and quality control measures can also help identify and address issues promptly. Below are some specific tips from the Compliance Shark team:

1.     Establish a regular tunnel washer process monitoring program. This should include chemical titrations, water testing, temperature probe calibration, water level probe calibration, chemical pump calibration, surface testing, and most of all final linen testing.

2.     Build a robust training program for tunnel washer operators and maintenance technicians. Operators should be taught to pay special attention to load sizes and end product quality focusing on color, brightness, stains, and odor.

3.     Ensure tunnel washer critical parts are in stock in the plant. These include belts, valves, probes, wheels, press membranes, pumps, critical motors, and critical electrical parts. While it is expensive to keep spare parts onsite, the cost more than pays for itself when the parts are needed.

4.     Create a rigorous tunnel washer maintenance schedule that includes critical part health checks and proper cleaning.

5.     Build a strong relationship with your tunnel washer vendor as well as your chemical vendor. These vendors can provide additional levels of technical and operational expertise.

6.     Have a disaster plan ready in case your tunnel washer goes down. This can include an additional tunnel washer (very expensive), several larger conventional washers (slower and more expensive), or even a backup laundry facility.