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Sharing the process flow and operational steps for linen washing

What are the principles and washing process steps that should be followed in linen washing? If washing is not conducted according to standardized washing requirements, there is no doubt that the washing quality will be greatly compromised.

Linen washing process flow

1. Inspection and sorting → 2. Installation → 3. Stain removal treatment → 4. Rinsing and pre-washing → 5. Main washing → 6. Bleaching → 7. Rinsing → 8. Rinsing and dehydration → 9. Acid neutralization → 10. Softening treatment

Based on the different purposes, fabrics, and levels of soiling of the linen, targeted adjustments will be made during operation.

Ten steps for standard laundry of linen

NO.1

Check classification

Firstly, sorting and classification are required before washing. There are mainly three categories:

1) Classification by color: Different types of linen may cause cross-contamination, and the treatment methods for similar linen of different colors are also different.

2) Classification by type of linen soil: This classification method is targeted at the specific types of soil that linen may encounter during use. Special stain removers are generally used to treat these specific types of soil. If heavily soiled linen is treated conventionally alongside linen with general levels of soil of the same type, it will only result in a significant waste of re-washing.

3) Classification by linen texture: For example, pure cotton bedsheets and polyester-cotton bedsheets must be handled separately, while floor towels should be specially separated and washed and dried on a separate machine.

NO.2

install equipment

Washing machine: The loading capacity is generally 80%-85% of the machine's capacity. For example, a 100KG washing machine can load around 80-85KG of linen.

Washing Dragon: The loading capacity is determined by the weight that the lifting bag can carry (divided into 50KG, 60KG, etc.), controlled by a computer, and alarms when overweight.

NO.3

Stain removal treatment

After the main washing, bleaching, and rinsing processes, most of the newly stained stains and dirt on the linen to be washed can be removed. For stains that cannot be removed through regular washing and dry cleaning, some chemicals should be applied and professional and correct mechanical actions should be used to remove them. These mainly fall into the following three categories:

1) For water-based stains such as fruit juice and beverages, neutralize the excess acid with an alkaline cleaning solution, and then remove the pigment through bleaching with chlorine bleach or color bleach. After multiple rinses, the stains can be basically removed.

2) For large areas of newly-stained greasy and protein-based dirt on linen, by adjusting the washing process (warm washing or cold water soaking) and using suitable washing materials (adding emulsifier and strong detergent to the washing liquid), it is easy to emulsify, decompose, and disperse the dirt in the washing liquid. After bleaching and rinsing, most of the dirt can be removed.

3) Certain old stains and oily pigment stains require specialized stain removal treatment to be completely cleaned.

NO.4

Rinsing and prewashing

For washing medium and heavy soiling, a rinsing step is generally required. Pre-washing is a pre-decontamination process with the addition of an appropriate amount of detergent. For particularly severe soiling, pre-washing is a mandatory step. Pre-washing can generally be arranged after the rinsing step, or it can be directly entered into the pre-washing process.

Pre-washing is the preparatory stage before the main washing of linen, which is beneficial for improving washing efficiency and reducing detergent usage. Its function is to wet the fabric and dirt with water, and under the combined action of water impact and repeated rubbing and beating by the washing machine, it can partially or completely remove some dirt, such as salt, sugar, and other water-soluble dirt, newly stained blood stains, sweat stains, fruit juice, beverages, as well as some solid particles of dirt such as sand, dust, and so on.

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NO.5

Main washing

Main washing is the most crucial process operation in the water washing of linen. Through main washing, the dirt adhering to linen fabrics is loosened as much as possible, dissolved, emulsified, dispersed, or suspended in the washing liquid. With the combination of appropriate washing liquid concentration, temperature, and sufficient action time, the purpose of decontamination is achieved.

Due to the different materials of fabrics, in order to achieve the best washing effect, it is necessary to select the most favorable washing conditions based on various factors that affect washing, such as the physical and mechanical effects during washing, the chemical effects of detergents, washing temperature, and washing time. At the same time, corresponding washing procedures should be formulated to safely and smoothly complete the main washing process operation.

NO.6

bleach

This process is a supplementary step to the main washing and decontamination step, primarily aimed at removing pigment-based dirt that cannot be completely removed during the main washing step.

NO.7

rinse

Rinsing is a diffusion process that utilizes water at a temperature of 30°C to 50°C and a high water level to remove the remaining washing liquid components containing dirt from the fabric, thereby achieving the purpose of cleaning.

NO.8

Washing and dehydration

Utilize the centrifugal force generated by the high-speed rotation of the washing machine drum to minimize the moisture content of the fabrics inside the drum.

NO.9

Acid neutralization

The detergents commonly used in washing are alkaline, and even after multiple washes, it cannot be guaranteed that no alkaline components remain. The presence of alkaline substances can have a certain impact on the appearance and hand feel of the laundry, and in more severe cases, it can adversely affect human skin and health. However, these issues can be resolved by utilizing the neutralization reaction between acid and alkali.

NO.10

soft finishing

Softening treatment can make the fabric feel comfortable, prevent static electricity from generating, and act as a lubricant.

In addition, cotton products or mixed fiber fabrics such as tablecloths, napkins, and certain uniforms for restaurants require further sizing operations. After sizing, the surface of the sizing fabric becomes crisp and prevents fuzzing. At the same time, a layer of sizing film forms on the surface of the sizing fabric, which has a certain hindering effect on the penetration of dirt.