Do you work in a hospital? Here’s how to wash your laundry to stay healthy

Hospital staff often take their uniforms and hospital scrubs home to wash and dry. However, a research report published in the PLOS One Journal states that the dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the hospital laundry may not be destroyed by washing them in the regular washing machine at your home. So, these harmful bacteria will find their way into your homes causing diseases.

The study was conducted by testing the washing modes and antibacterial capacity of six different models of washing machines. Antibacterial processes do not happen when clothes are washed in the rapid cycle in half of these machines. Even in the standard cycle, one out of three machines couldn’t ensure complete antibacterial properties.

The researchers pointed out that the bacteria gain immunity against the detergents used at home and later improve their antibiotic resistance. The study report recommends using industrial washing machines at the hospitals to wash and disinfect the hospital laundry. This would increase the safety of not only the patients but also the healthcare professionals as well as their family members. The report states that washing the hospital laundry at the hospital would effectively prevent the proliferation of bacteria that has antibiotic resistance.