Independent Verification of Industrial Laundries
Hohenstein Hygienically Clean® certification is unique because quality and hygiene are checked year-round, using standards far higher than other certifications.
To ensure the highest standards, we:
- Partner with experts to guarantee that our standards are up to date
- Constantly develop and improve technical and hygienic processes
- Use the latest methods
11 Critical Control Points
Lab testing and on-site auditing address disinfection efficiency (time + temperature + chemicals + water), hygiene checks (hands + surfaces + rinsing water) and risk identification and mitigation strategies.
Certificates are issued for one year.
The certification is granted upon meeting the following metrics during annual testing:
- The disinfection capability of the laundering procedures is validated to achieve a 7 log reduction (< 1 organism out of 10,000,000) in bacteria
- Tested textiles achieved levels of 50 CFU/dm² (or 20 CFU/dm² for healthcare), validated by an independent laboratory
Hygiene Control Management for Health Care Service
The quality and test regulations apply to the professional linen care of healthcare textiles (including scrubs and microfiber cleaning products), with its special hygienic requirements, and to the appropriate services provided by these institutions.
Hygiene Control Management for Food Service
The regulations apply to the professional linen care of food processing textiles, with its special hygienic requirements, and to the appropriate services provided by these institutions. The certification demonstrates compliance with:
- International Food Standard (IFS) v. 6.1, part 2, 3.2.2.5, 3.2.2.6
- British Retail Consortium (BRC)
- Global Safety Standard for Food Products (GSFP), v. 7, sec. II, 7.4.3, 7.4.4
Hygiene Control Management for Hospitality Service
The regulations apply to the professional linen care of hospitality textiles, with its special hygienic requirements, and to the appropriate services provided by these institutions. The certification demonstrates compliance with:
- International Food Standard (IFS) v. 6.1, part 2, 3.2.2.5, 3.2.2.6
- British Retail Consortium (BRC)
- Global Safety Standard for Food Products (GSFP), v. 7, sec. II, 7.4.3, 7.4.4
Benefits
For certified laundries
- Risk identification and mitigation strategies
- In-plant confirmation of hygiene with review of processes
- Control of process efficiency with standard living bacteria
- Control of environment
- Verification of >7 log 10 reduction
- Validation of HACCP plan
For customers of a certified laundry
- Truly independent, third-party auditing of your service provider
- Proven disinfection efficiency
- Micro-biological testing of processing surfaces to verify proper disinfection
- Laboratory validated wash chemistry performance
- Control on-site (no submissions of "golden" samples)
- Quarterly textile testing
Standards for Hygiene Management
Industrial Laundries and Branches
It doesn't take much bacteria to cause infection.
Validation of 7 Log reduction ensures elimination of pathogens and prevention of infection transmission.
When textiles are heavily contaminated with potentially infective body substances (e.g., blood, stool, urine), they can contain 1 x 10^4 to 1 x 10^6 colony-forming units of bacteria per square centimeter of fabric.
7 Decimal Log Steps in Pictures.
