The Role of Thermal Disinfection and Barrier Washers in Hospital
The Importance of Barrier Washers and Thermal Disinfection in Hospital Laundry Processes
All hospital linen, especially from isolation rooms, ICUs, operating rooms, or inpatient wards, is considered contaminated with potentially harmful microorganisms—even if the specific type is unknown. Therefore, the laundry process must be prepared to handle a "worst-case contamination scenario." This precautionary approach helps protect both patients and healthcare workers.
Barrier washers play a critical role in hospital laundry systems. These machines are designed to prevent cross-contamination between dirty and clean areas by using a two-door system: one side for loading soiled linen from the dirty zone, and the other side for unloading clean linen into the clean zone. As a result, all infectious linen must be processed under the highest standards—through either thermal or chemical disinfection—without waiting for lab results.
Washing Time in Barrier Washer Machines
The duration of the wash cycle in a barrier washer (such as the Girbau BW260) depends on the type of linen, the level of contamination, and the disinfection standards followed. However, general guidelines based on international standards can be used.
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Typical Washing Cycle Duration for Sterile Linen:
| Step | Duration (minutes) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prewash | 5–10 | Cold or warm water to remove coarse dirt |
| Main wash | 10–15 | 60–90°C with detergent and/or disinfectant |
| Thermal disinfection | 5–10 | Maintain at least 71°C for 3 minutes or more |
| Rinsing | 10–15 | Multiple rinses to remove chemical residue |
| Final rinse | 3–5 | With clean water (sometimes hot) |
| Extraction | 3–5 | Spinning to reduce moisture content |
Total time: 40–60 minutes per complete cycle with thermal disinfection effect, in line with WHO/CDC standards. If chemical disinfection (e.g., peracetic acid) is used, the cycle might be shorter, but minimum contact time must still be met according to the product specifications.
Hospitals accredited by KARS (Indonesia) or JCI (Joint Commission International) typically follow WHO/CDC standards, particularly:
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Washing temperature above 71°C for at least 3 minutes for infectious linen.
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Procedures for separating infectious linen.
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Use of barrier washer machines to prevent cross-contamination.
Examples of Cross-Contamination in Hospital Laundry
| Situation | Risk |
| Staff touches clean linen with gloves used in dirty area | Bacteria transfer to clean linen |
| Broken barrier washer opens both sides simultaneously | Cross-contamination between zones |
| Trolley used for dirty linen reused without disinfection | Pathogen spread to other linen |
| Clean linen placed on uncleaned table | Recontamination from surfaces |
How to Prevent Cross-Contamination
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Use a barrier washer (two-door system: load dirty, unload clean).
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Apply one-way workflow: dirty → clean → sterile → distribution.
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Physically separate dirty and clean zones (walls, doors, ventilation).
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Regularly disinfect trolleys, tables, and work surfaces.
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Use appropriate PPE and change it when moving between zones.
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Train laundry staff with SOPs based on infection control protocols.
Since all hospital linen can potentially carry harmful pathogens, implementing barrier washer systems with thermal disinfection is the gold standard in medical laundry processing. For hospital owners and laundry managers, investing in a proper laundry system is not just an operational concern—it is an essential part of infection prevention and patient safety strategy.
