N.J. Admin. Code § 8:39-21.1

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 11, June 3, 2024

Section 8:39-21.1 - Mandatory laundry policies and procedures

(a) Soiled laundry shall be stored in a ventilated area, separate from other supplies, and shall be stored, sorted, rinsed, and laundered only in areas specifically designated for those purposes.

(b) All soiled laundry from resident rooms and other service units shall be stored, transported, collected, and delivered in a covered laundry bag or cart. Laundry carts shall be in good repair, kept clean, and identified for use with either clean or soiled laundry.

(c) Soiled laundry contaminated with blood and/or body fluids shall be collected in an effectively closed leak proof bag of sufficient strength to safely contain such laundry from point of origin to point of processing.

(d) Clean laundry shall be protected from contamination during processing, storage, and transportation within the facility.

(e) Soiled and clean laundry shall be kept separate.

(f) An established protocol, reviewed by the infection control committee, shall be followed to reduce the number of bacteria in the fabrics.

(g) Equipment surfaces that come into contact with laundry shall be sanitized.

(h) The facility shall develop and implement policies and procedures, reviewed by the infection control committee, to protect staff from contamination when handling soiled laundry.

(i) Sour testing to ensure neutralization of alkaline residues from built detergents shall be conducted, and fabric pH shall be maintained at 7.0 or below after souring.

(j) The facility shall develop and implement policies and procedures to ensure that residents' personal clothing is collected, processed and returned to the resident in a sanitary manner and in good condition.

(k) The facility shall have a system to identify each resident's clothing and a procedure to locate and/or minimize loss of clothing.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:39-21.1