CARE OF LINENBy:

Mr. M. Shivananda Reddy

linen

Care of linen:• The linen that is mostly used in hospitals include:1. Bed sheets2. Pillow covers3. Blankets4. Towels5. Patient gowns6. Surgical gowns7. Curtains8. Aprons9. Door mats10.Linen hampers11.Hot water bag covers and other cloth items

Principles of care of linen:1) The linen cup board should be kept in perfect order.2) The cup boards should be locked when not in use.3) Care should be taken to avoid linen being taken

home by the patients4) Stock should be checked at regular intervals.5) All items should be used for the purposes for which

they were made.6) Torn linen should not be used on the bed but sent

for mending

7) Soiled linen should not be placed on the floor8) Damp linen should be dried immediately.9) If soiled with urine or motion, these should be

rinsed with cold water10) Remove the strain where straining is unavoidable

old linen should be used.11) The infected linens should be disinfected first.12) Use mackintosh wherever it is necessary to

economize the use of linen.

13. Sheets should be large enough to allow tucking , to prevent pull on mattress corners.

14. Pillow case should be three inches wider than the pillow and six inches longer to provide protection of ends.

15. Soak very soiled linen in warm soapy water for 15 minutes.

16. Rinse well to remove all soap. Bleaching in the sun is preferable.

General instructions for removal of strains from the linens:

1) Try whether the strains can be removed with cold water.

2) The strains which contains proteins such as blood, excreta, milk, pus from the wound are coagulated by the application of heat

3) If the strains contained fatty material, hot water and soap should be used.

4) When the strains do not response to the simple methods, bleaching agents may be used such as lemon juice, hydrogen peroxide and bleaching powder.

5) Use equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and dilute ammonia and moisture the strain until disappears.

Removal of Specific Stains:

Blood stains: • Soak immediately in cold water. when the stains

disappear, wash them in warm soapy water. • If it is old stain, soak them in a mixture of hydrogen

peroxide and ammonia.• For the thick blood stains on the mattress, apply a

thick paste of starch and water and allow to stand in the sun. When the paste is dry and discoloured, brush off the stain

• Tea coffee: • Linen when it is stained with tea and

coffee,remove it by pouring milk over it.• Wash them in cold water or hot water. Sodium

carbonate will remove the stains

• Rust marks:• Apply salt and lime juice and exposed to sun

light• Ink strain: • Sprinkle salt and lime juice and lay in the sun

to bleach the strain

• Care of blankets: • These are expensive articles and do not stand

washing or steam disinfections. • Blankets should be protected by sheets by under

and over it.• Blankets are cleaned by dry cleaning and disinfect

them by exposing them to sun light. • When storing blankets should be carefully protected

from moth using naphthalene balls.