Many people think that the use of Soluble Seam Laundry Bags in Nursing Homes and Hospitals just comes down to laundry staff not wanting to touch dirty linen. However, the use of Alginate Bags is much more important than you think – here’s why:
Red – Soiled Linen
The Red Soluble Seam Bag is used predominately for everyday soiled linen. By using this bag throughout a Nursing Home or Hospital, you cut down the linen handling time for your laundry staff, as well as prevent them from handling potentially dirty, soiled laundry.
Yellow – Infectious Linen
The Yellow Soluble Seam Bag is used when staff become aware that a resident or patient has an infection or is contagious. It is extremely important for the safety of your staff and residents that you flag these bags as the linen inside will be infectious too. For example, if a bag was split or torn, your staff will know to handle the linen with care to avoid contact with a virus such as influenza or COVID-19 that can then be spread to vulnerable residents, potentially causing a life threatening situation.
Purple – Cytotoxic Linen
The Purple Soluble Seam Bag is used to flag linen that has come from a room with a resident undergoing Chemotherapy. This is vitally important as after an infusion of Chemotherapy, the sweat of the resident is toxic, so not only does this linen need to be handled with care, but it also needs to be washed in a manner that may differ from general washing procedures.
