unit ldc4 carry out the wash process using washer extractors laundry

Transcription

Unit 10a Drill Hall Business Centre, East Parade,
Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8EZ, United Kingdom
Tel: +44(0) 1943 816545, Fax: +44(0) 1943 609326, Email: [email protected]
UNIT LDC4
CARRY OUT THE WASH PROCESS USING WASHER
EXTRACTORS
LAUNDRY OPERATOR
WORK BOOK
ENTER LAUNDRY NAME HERE
ISSUED TO:
ENTER OPERATOR NAME HERE
DATE: ENTER DATE ISSUED HERE
© 2008 LTC&DTC Limited
LAUNDRY OPERATOR WORKBOOK
UNIT LDC 4 – Carry out the wash process using washer
extractors
NVQ 2 - Laundry Operator
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INDEX
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CARRY OUT THE WASH PROCESS USING WASHER EXTRACTORS
Section
Contents/Subject
Page
1
Starting Work
4
2
The main elements of a wash process
11
3
Components of a ‘Fully-built’ synthetic detergent
18
4
Bleaches
21
5
Other chemicals used in the washroom
23
6
Developing a wash process
24
7
Machine fault recognition and remedial action
30
8
Faults with processed work
34
Self-check questions
37
APPENDIX
1
Knowledge base
2
41
Your contribution
43
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UNIT LDC4
CARRYOUT THE WASH PROCESS USING WASHER EXTRACTORS
1. Starting work:
1.1.
Setting up and closing down the washroom.
Every member of the washroom team has a major role to play in ensuring that the
department is a safe and efficient working environment.
To achieve this objective the equipment used to process the washing must be
maintained to a high standard and all operators trained in machine operation and
health and safety awareness.
Planned preventative maintenance (PPM) should be carried out by the engineering
department to ensure that manufacturers’ maintenance schedules are followed and
safety checks are carried out. Prevention is far better than cure on production
equipment and all operatives should assist the engineering department by informing
them of malfunctions as soon as they occur.
1.2.
Setting up routines
At the start of each shift the washroom operator should ensure that there are no
obvious reasons why they should not turn the washroom equipment on. Check for
messages or notes from the previous shift on faults or breakdowns. Ensure that there
are no warning signs of potential risks fixed by the engineering/maintenance
department or evidence that work is in progress (e.g. removed machine guards and
abandoned tools).
Washing machines, ironers and dryers will all need switching on and you should be
aware of the energy supplies each piece of equipment needs to function correctly.
The controls and the wash programme controllers on washer extractors vary according
to the manufacture and age. There are commonly 3 types:(a) modern machines use computerised controls with a selection of numbered
programmes;
(b) older machines (e.g. Spencer and Broadbent washer extractors) may use precut process cards which are thick plastic sheets with either slots cut in them
according to the activity required or plastic pins broken off. For both types, the
card is inserted under a roller with micro-switches that are activated as the card
moves through the card controller.
(c) some older machines (e.g. the American Milnor designs) have drum control
units where the process is cut onto a thin plastic sheet that is tightly fitted around
a drum. The drum is inserted into a holder and as it rotates ‘fingers’ attached to
micro-switches drop into the slots cut in the card to activate the machine controls.
Where card controllers are used it is essential to ensure that these cards are:
 in good condition (not cracked or broken)
 clearly identified for the classification of work to which the process relates
 for the correct machine.
With PLC controlled machines, the computer controls will normally start when the
power is turned on to the washing machine – and it is essential to ensure that this
happens and the system confirms the computer controller is activated and fully
operational.
1.2.1. Electricity Supply
Look for evidence of potential electrical problems. Are there any obvious frayed or
damaged wires or connections? Did you get a slight tingle when a machine was
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switched on? This tells you that the electrical earth is faulty and a short circuit could kill
you through electrocution. Are the warning lights, beacons and so on working
correctly?
If you identify a fault – report it immediately to your supervisor or maintenance
engineer and do not use the machine until you are sure it is safe to do so.
1.2.2. Compressed air supply
If you are using compressed air for the operation of any of your machinery, air supply
may be switched on centrally but you should be aware of any obvious air leaks. You
may hear the air escaping, see a flicking air-line, an air line not connected or feel/hear
a constant flow of released compressed air. Any of these faults will affect productivity
and may affect the machine clutch and brakes on certain types of washing machinery
and should be reported and repaired quickly.
1.2.3. Steam supply
If you use steam supplied to the washroom to heat the water in the washing machines
and possibly to warm the tumble dryers, it will be very hot. All pipes should be lagged
to keep the steam dry and hot
Your contribution to COST
and to prevent operators burning
themselves on hot pipes. If you
CONTROL in the Washroom is
see damaged lagging or hear,
through:see or feel a steam leak then
 Never over-riding the time, dip,
report it.
Steam is normally supplied under
pressure from the boiler house or
from a smaller boiler located in
the laundry and there will be
pressure gauges on the supply
line and on machines.
You
should be aware of the usual
readings on these gauges and
know what to do if they change.
The steam pressure determines
the steam temperature, so if the
pressure falls the temperature
drops and equipment does not
perform properly.




chemicals or temperature settings to
avoid wastage
Loading machinery to the correct
weight to optimise utility usage
Selecting the correct process to avoid
re-wash or over-washing and wastage
Processing heavily soiled and stained
work separately to avoid re-wash
Monitoring wash parameters and
reporting faults to avoid excess
temperatures, chemicals and water
usage.
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Exercise 1
Find out what the steam pressure gauge on the main supply line to the washroom
should read and at what high and low reading you should report a fault.
NORMAL steam pressure .......................................................................................................
Reportable LOW steam pressure ............................................................................................
Reportable HIGH steam pressure............................................................................................
If the steam pressure drops throughout the laundry, most machines will not be able to
operate at their optimum production rate. Finishing equipment will have to be operated
slower to ensure dry work, drying times will be extended on tumblers and wash
processes will be extended as they struggle to achieve pre-set temperatures.
When washer extractors are heating the large volumes of water in the washing
machinery to achieve the pre-set wash temperatures, they are a major drain on the
laundry steam supply. The washroom operator can help to even out the demand on
the boiler by staggering the start-up times of a line of washer extractors so that they
are not all trying to draw steam at the same time.
If a drop in steam pressure is due to temporary boiler failure, the washroom will often
be asked to stop their washer extractors calling for steam until a working pressure has
been achieved. Co-operating with this request will enable the laundry to return to full
production far quicker.
1.2.4. Gas is used in some laundries to heat tumble dryers. If you smell gas or suspect a
leak then do not operate any machinery but report your concerns to your supervisors,
engineer or manager.
Always put the safety of yourself and your workmates first
and ask questions later.
Exercise 2
What special clothing or other personal protective equipment would you expect to use
during a day working in the washroom?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
1.2.5. Water is an essential supply to the washroom. Luckily it is very rare for a mains
supply to fail and leave the laundry without water. Always check the quality of the
water after a burst water main has been repaired or repair work is being undertaken as
high sediment levels could stain or discolour your washed fabric.
Interruptions to water supply are usually due to pump failure or empty storage tanks
and these types of problem can be quickly rectified.
You should be aware of any signs of water leaks such as puddles, drips or the sound
of running water before you start up any machines. A leaking water inlet valve on a
washing machine can result in many litres of water running to drain during shutdown
periods and have a detrimental effect on wash quality by increasing wash dips when
production has started.
Water is also increasingly becoming an expensive and scarce commodity – and we
should ensure that minimum wastage occurs.
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1.2.6. Chemical supplies to the washing machines should be checked before production
starts so that any low supplies can be replenished to avoid the risk of machines
washing without chemicals during the your shift.
1.3.
Routine checks
Carry out the following routine checks before the start of every shift. Ensure that any
fault you identify is reported following your organisation’s set procedures.
1.3.1. Your responsibility for identifying machine faults and health and safety risks
continues after you have started the washing machines.
Most washing machines will have pre-set control parameters with the dip levels,
process time and temperature being controlled by a process card or computer
program. Other influences on wash quality such as detergent, bleach, fabric
conditioner or starch additions will have been set by agreement with your chemical
supplier.
As the operator of a washing machine you should not assume that all these
settings are going to be correct all the time. You should check them regularly.
1.3.2. Control cards can stick and lengthen process times, dip (water) level sensors
malfunction, thermostats break; computers lose their memory, detergent supply
systems break down and delivery pipes get ‘kinked’. You should be aware of these
possibilities and constantly monitor the washing machines under your control.
Many laundries now operate with liquid detergent systems that automatically dose the
correct chemicals into the washing machines. Checking that dosing pumps actually
run and that there is a layer of detergent bubbles during a wash should help to identify
breakdowns before poor quality washing is removed from the washing machine.
The use of automatically dosed chemicals has reduced the risks from having to handle
chemicals for many laundry washroom staff, but for varied reasons some chemicals
are still dosed manually by jug or scoop.
Whether your contact with chemicals involves only changing product barrels or drums
or dosing products by jug directly into the washing machine or making up stock tanks,
you should always follow the safety advice on the product labels.
1.4.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations have been
in force since 1989 and place a legal requirement on all chemical suppliers to provide
safe handling data with their products. There is also a responsibility on employers to
provide the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and on employees to
use this.
You will be provided with workwear garments for your protection and other items such
as gloves, goggles, face masks and possibly safety shoes. If you do not wear the
provided PPE you will place yourself at an increased risk of injury and may lose your
rights to compensation if you are involved in an accident at work.
Exercise 3
What would you do if while washing the last load of your shift you noticed that the
chemical dosing pumps were not working?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
While carrying out your standard tasks in the washroom you should regularly check
that the washing machines are operating to the correct settings.
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1.5.
Dip level controls
Some washer extractors have dip tubes or sight glasses that allow you to judge at a
glance whether the correct, low, medium, or high dip is being achieved. Having the
dip tubes marked with these wash liquor levels will help you identify faults.
A high dip on the wash stage of the process will result in poor washing quality by
reducing the detergent concentration and reducing the wash action. It will also
increase wash costs because the machine will take longer to reach temperature and
use more water, steam and electricity.
A low dip on rinse stages will result in poor rinsing and increased rewash due to
detergent retention, yellowing of whites and skin contact reactions in the finishing
department. If badly rinsed work reached the customer a major complaint could result
from users getting sore skin (dermatitis).
Safety features
Washing machines have many safety features to protect the washroom operative and
it is important that your training covers these. There are some elements of the
machine design that may stop you doing something, such as not allowing you to open
the door on an operating washer extractor. Other features may need you to react to a
fault or emergency e.g. by pressing the large red stop button.
Exercise 4
What are the safety features built into the washing machines in your laundry?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
How would you check that these are working? ..................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
It is important that you check that safety features are in place and that they work. Do
not try to by-pass any safety feature, as this can be extremely dangerous.
1.7.
Loading and unloading washing machines will involve using linen transport
equipment for larger machines or a simple ‘laundry basket’ for smaller machines.
This could be linen bags or trolleys and trucks. Part of your responsibility is to check
that this equipment is in good working order and will enable you to do your job without
risk to yourself or damage to the items you are processing.
Exercise 5
Textiles often get damaged and re-soiled in the laundry. Look around your washroom
and list below possible areas or causes for damage and re-soiled items.
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
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1.8.
The cleanliness of the handling equipment is important; bags, trucks and trolleys
should be cleaned and disinfected regularly to prevent cross contamination. You
should use different trucks or trolleys for soiled and clean work unless they are
thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and a liner is used.
1.9.
The washroom operator will have to lift, carry, push and pull during their shift. These
activities should be carried out as safely as possible, using any equipment provided to
help you with these tasks (e.g. drum moving trolleys) and always following manual
handling advice.
Exercise 6
What health and safety precautions should you take when handling soiled fabric
items?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
1.10. Closing down procedure
At the end of your shift in the washroom you should plan to leave it so that the
following shift can start-up without unnecessary delays.
The floor should be swept, rubbish bins emptied and all debris from the day’s
production cleared away.
Washer extractors should be emptied, as unwashed or partially washed fabric can be
a fire risk when left in the confines of a washing machine. Heat can be generated by
oxidisible soiling leading to spontaneous combustion.
Any messages on production requirements, machine faults and so on, should be left
for the next shift using the organisation’s agreed communication system.
If production is to stop for any length of time after your shift, all washing machines and
other equipment should be left in a safe condition as laid down in your company’s
operational procedure. This may include switching all machines off at their control
panel and isolating some supply systems.
The end of a shift is a good time to:o check the washing chemicals supply situation and replenish stocks for
the following shift.
o Prepare and post notes for the next shift
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THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF A WASH PROCESS
2.
The main elements of a wash process.
Washing fabrics is not a simple task; there are many influences on the formulation of a
wash process, the chemicals used and the type of washing machine used.
A successful wash process has to combine a number of important elements as shown
in this diagram – sometimes called the ‘Sinner’s circle’:-
MECHANICAL
ACTION
DETERGENCY
WATER
TIME
TEMPERATURE
Water is the common factor with the mechanical action, time, temperature and
chemical activity being altered to achieve the required wash result. To achieve a
balanced wash process if one of the four elements is reduced, some or all of the
others would need to be increased.
The following pages and exercises will help you understand the influence of each
element on the wash process.
2.1.
Water
Water is something we all come into contact with every day and therefore tend to take
for granted. The laundry needs a reliable source of water but its quality and ‘hardness’
play a vital role.
2.1.1.
Quality
For water to be effective as a cleaning agent it must be free from substances
and bacteria that may soil or contaminate the textiles being washed. We are
lucky in this country to have water that is clean and of drinking quality;
however, occasionally contamination does occur. If there has been a burst
water pipe or if your water is drawn from a peaty soil area you may experience
brown water, which can give washed linen a yellow tint. A poor quality water
supply can be treated in the laundry before being used for washing, to remove
contaminants and bacteria but this can be expensive.
2.1.2.
Hardness
Water hardness is the amount of calcium and magnesium salts present in the
water. Although these react differently their effects on the washing process are
the same and always detrimental. Hardness can be easily removed from water
by using a water softener.
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Hardness is measured in different units, the more scientific being milligrams
per litre (mg/l) although in this country degrees Clarke (ºClarke) is still
commonly used. (1ºClarke = 14.28 mg/l).
The level of water hardness varies greatly from area to area and depends
upon the type of rocks and soil the water passes over and through on its way
to the mains supply. In some parts of the south east of England, it can be as
hard as 35ºClarke (500mg/l) whilst in parts of Scotland it can be as low as
0.5ºClarke (7.1 mg/l).
The following list gives you some of the problems caused by hard water:
destroys some of the detergent
can make loads feel greasy if soap is used
leads to scale build up in washing machines
leads to a hard skin forming around greasy and oily soiling making it
harder to remove
o makes fabrics feel hard and harsh.
o
o
o
o
Any water hardness has some effect on washing quality, but the higher
the hardness the greater the problem.
Exercise 7
Find out what your laundry’s raw water hardness is and what level it is softened to:Water hardness BEFORE softening is.....................................................................................
Water hardness AFTER softening is........................................................................................
2.2.
Time
Different parts of the wash process are given different amounts of time depending on
what is to be achieved. For example, it takes longer to remove soiling in the wash than
it does to remove residual detergent in the rinse.
The amount of time given in the wash will depend on the type of soiling and how much
there is, the type of material being processed (wool, cotton, polyester-cotton) and the
degree of loading, but the average main wash time will be between 7 and 15 minutes.
With very high loading levels the mixing time, that is, the amount of time it takes for the
water, temperature and chemicals to penetrate to the centre of the load, can be longer
than the target wash process programmed time.
The target programme times should start only once the target temperature and dip
level has been achieved.
Rinsing times will usually be 3 minutes once a high dip has been achieved and dilution
of wash chemicals can take place.
This may vary if a cool-down is required for polyester-cotton blends.
2.3.
Temperature
The accurate measurement of temperature during the wash process is vital to allow
the correct chemical reactions to take place.
Some critical wash temperatures are:40ºC
-
60ºC
65ºC
-
71ºC
-
protein soil set above this temperature; optimum temperature for enzyme
activity.
maximum temperature for sodium hypochlorite use.
minimum temperature for thermal disinfection (10 min) U.K.; minimum
temperature for hydrogen peroxide use.
U.K. thermal disinfecting temperature (3min)
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80ºC
90ºC
-
2.3.1.
On a typical white cotton sheet process a number of these target
temperatures would be achieved for different reasons:o
o
o
minimum temperature for heavy mineral oil removal.
minimum temperature for thermal disinfection (most of Europe).
The first wash will be kept below 40ºC to prevent setting protein stains.
Protein is present in food, blood, sebum (skin oil), faeces and so on. It will
usually take a minimum of 5 minutes to break down this type of soiling.
Thermal disinfection should be achieved on the main wash by washing for
at least 10 minutes at 65ºC or better still washing above 71ºC for more
than 3 minutes.
The higher temperature would improve the chemical reactions between
the alkali in the detergent and the soiling and if hydrogen peroxide bleach
was used would give better stain removal.
If sodium hypochlorite is used as the bleaching agent, a bleach rinse at
about 50-60ºC for 5 to 7 minutes would give you optimum stain removal at
reduce dosage levels with minimum damage.
Exercise 8
Obtain information about the following washer extractor wash processes in your
laundry and complete this table:Fabric
Soiling
1st wash
2nd wash
Type
temperature
temperature
White cotton
Protein
White cotton
2.4.
Mineral Oil
Mechanical Action
The mechanical action of a wash process depends on three main factors:o machine design
o degree of loading (DoL)
o level of water (dip level)
2.4.1. Design of the machine
Washing machines come in all shapes and sizes but all washer extractors are
designed to wash linen by lifting it out of the wash water and allowing it to drop.
The aim is for the wash action to imitate the lift, drop, squeeze and rub action
that you would use when hand washing in a bowl.
Two elements of the washer extractor design that will affect this mechanical
action are the speed at which the drum rotates and the design of the actual
wash drum.
The speed of rotation is usually fixed, but if the drive belts are slipping you may
see work wallowing in the bottom of the drum and not being carried up to the 11
o’clock position and dropped, as most open pocket machines are designed to
do. This ideal wash action would also be lost if the rotation was too fast and
work was just carried around the outside of the cage.
The gentle action setting seen on many washing machines keeps the rotation
speed the same but increases the dwell time between rotations – that is the
delay between the machine inner basket reversing direction.
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The design of the washing machines drum will usually be one of the following:Open Pocket
‘Y’ Pocket
‘D’ Pocket
2.4.2. The open pocket machine is the most common and to assist with the
mechanical action will probably be fitted with 3 or more lifters to help lift and
carry the work nearly to the top of the machine. The subsequent drop and
squeezing action of the work gives this type of machine the highest level of
action.
2.4.3. The ‘Y’ pocket drum is only usually found on larger washer extractors where it
helps to keep different classifications/customers separate and aids loading and
unloading, as well as aiding balancing of the machine when on high speed
extract. Due to the limited space inside the drum, lifters are not usually fitted.
The wash action is slightly reduced in this type of machine but is adequate for
light to medium soiling classifications.
2.4.4. The ‘D’ pocket machine is the least popular configuration and is usually found
on side-loading machines. Lifters are usually fitted but the wash action can be
restricted.
2.4.5. Washing inner basket speed – This is normally set by the machine
manufacturer and most washer-extractors will have 3 different rotational
speeds.
Normal or ‘wash speed: This is where the textiles will appear to be lifted
out of the water and then dropped back as the basket rotates. As the
textiles get to the 11 o’clock or 1 o’clock position (depending upon if it is
rotating clockwise or anti-clockwise) as the inner basket is rotating, the
textiles will fall off the inside of the inner basket back to the bottom into
the water. This produces the ‘lift-and-squeeze’ motion much the same
as hand-washing in the sink at home.
‘Inter-extract’ speed: This is a slightly faster speed that normally only
starts when the washing machine drain opens and is designed to help
evenly distribute the load around the inside of the washing machine
before going onto final extract. Open pocket machines will often start
this ‘inter-extract’ or ‘Drain speed’ and after 10-20 seconds the drain
then opens which means that the remaining water in the load assists in
spreading the wet textiles evenly inside the washing machine. This
inter-extract speed is often used after the main wash stages and in
between rinse stages to help improve rinse efficiency.
Final extract speed: This is when the machine goes into very high spin
speed to remove as much moisture as possible from the washed
textiles. With most washer-extractors this high-speed time duration will
be for 2-9 minutes depending upon the items being processed, e.g.
polyester cotton can be badly creased if extracted for too long whereas
100% cotton items need as long as reasonably possible to remove as
much moisture as possible. Remember – it is up to 15 times more
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expensive to remove the moisture in tumble drying than by extending
the high speed spin time to the correct duration.
2.4.5. Degree of loading
Washing machines are usually referred to by their maximum loading capacity
(e.g. a 90kg machine). This figure is usually calculated using dry 100% cotton
sheeting as the standard classification.
Loading above this designated weight will reduce the mechanical action
because of the restricted movement and lower drop of the linen. Overloading
will result in poor wash quality.
Below this weight (under-loading), increased mechanical action will occur which
can increase fabric damage. Wash costs increase because the same amount
of water, chemicals and energy are required for a smaller amount of work.
You may be trained to load your washing machines to a set weight, but you
must take into account how bulky an item is and how this will affect the
mechanical action of the wash.
For example, you would never manage to squeeze 90kg of lightweight polyester
filled duvets into a washing machine with a maximum loading capacity of 90kg.
If you are confronted with a washing machine with an unknown capacity, the
target weight for the machine can be readily calculated by measuring the
dimensions of the washing machine basket.
Measure the depth from the front to the back and the diameter of the machine
basket in centimetres.
From this you can then calculate the volume of capacity of the inner basket in
litres as follows:
Volume of a cylinder (in litres) =  x r x r x l
1,000
Where: = 22/7
r = radius of the inner basket (= ½ diameter) in cm.
l = length of the inner basket in cm.
Example:
A washing machine inner basket measures 140cm in depth by 90cm diameter.
Therefore the capacity of this washing machine is:-
=
=
(22÷7) x (90cm÷2) x (90cm÷2) x 140cm
1000
3.143 x 45 x 45 x 140
1000
891 litres.
If the degree of loading used in your laundry is, say, 56g/litre – then the capacity
for this washing machine is:891litres x 56g = 49,896g
@ 1,000g per litre = 49.9kg
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On the manufacturers machine name plate and technical specifications the
capacity of the washing machine (in litres) is often displayed – which saves you
having to calculate the volume of the washing machine.
However, as a general guide the following degree of loading information may be
of assistance:For 100% cotton medium soiled whitework:- For washing machines with a cage diameter of less than 100cm – 56g/l
- For cage diameters between 100 -200cm – 72g/l
- For washing machines with a diameter greater than 200cm – 100g/l.
It is also important that the degree of loading is reduced by up to 20-25% when
loading polyester or polyester cotton blended materials or heavily soiled work.
For woollens and blankets and duvets – this may be reduced even further down
to 50%.
2.5.
Level of water
This is usually referred to as the dip and is a very important factor in controlling the
mechanical action and wash quality.
The dip is referred to in two ways, either the standing dip or the running dip.
Standing dip
Running Dip
The running dip is usually lower than the standing dip as water is lifted by the cage
rotation.
Because of the cushioning effect of water and the tendency for textiles to float, a high
dip reduces the level of mechanical action. This is why it is important to ensure that
the wash stages of a process have a low dip and maximum mechanical action to help
break down the soiling embedded in the fibres.
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Exercise 9
Select a washer extractor in your washroom and find out what weight of load would be
selected for the following classifications?
Machine name: ........................................................................................................................
Inner basket design: Open pocket / ‘Y’ pocket / ‘D’ pocket
Maximum loading capacity:......................................................................................................
Classification
Loading Weight
Polycotton sheets
Duvets
Cotton towels
Polycotton workwear
2.6.
Chemical activity
The action of chemicals in assisting with the removal of soiling is a complex process,
which is constantly being researched and developed and improved.
A brief history of the development of modern laundry chemicals from the original ‘soap’
to the fully built detergents of today may help you understand the terminology.
Before the 1960s almost all laundries used a mixture of soap and alkali. The soap
was a product derived from the action of boiling caustic soda (a very strong alkali) and
natural oils or fats such as olive oil and palm oil (vegetable) or tallow (animal). The
type of oil used dictated the properties of the soap, e.g. high or low lathering capability.
Very little soap is now used in
Your contribution to HEALTH &
laundries, but the term soap is still
used
to
describe
washing
SAFETY in the Washroom is
detergents.
through:-
 Keeping the workplace clean and
tidy so no trips and slips
 Storing all chemicals correctly and
safely so no explosive mistakes
 Reporting machine faults
immediately so no ‘out-of-balance’,
electrocution or fires
 Washing hands and wearing PPE
to prevent cross-infection
 Loading/unloading machinery
correctly so no back injuries or
machinery damage.
The new chemicals used in the
washroom are soapless detergents
made by complex reactions based
the chemical reaction between
oleum (a very strong acid) and alkyl
benzene – a by-product from the
petrochemical
industry.
Various
types of detergents can now be
‘engineered’, each having different
properties, which can be effectively
used to remove different types of
soiling.
Detergents alone have limited
properties and if used on their own
may not give the desired results.
Because of this, fully built products
Page 16 of 47
extractors
were developed in the late 1960’s. They contain a wide range of different chemicals
that when combined in the correct proportions achieve a good wash result.
The ingredients of these fully built detergents vary depending on the type of soiling or
fabric they are intended to be used on, but most products share the same basic
ingredients although the ratios may vary.
3.
THE COMPONENTS OF A FULLY BUILT WASHING PRODUCT
3.1.
Soapless detergents. These are probably the most chemically complex ingredient
and their role is to lower the surface tension between the water and the fibres to allow
the water to quickly and thoroughly wet-out the fabric. A secondary action is to
actually remove soiling from the surface of the fabric.
Each molecule of detergent is made up of two parts, a ‘head’ and a long straight ‘tail’.
The ‘head’ is hydrophilic, that is it is attracted to water and the ‘tail’ is oleophillic and
attracted to oil.
Water loving head
(hydrophillic)
Water hating tail
(hydrophobic)
As virtually all soiling is either oil based or held in place by oil, the properties of these
detergent molecules can be used to good effect in removing soiling from fabric.
The diagram below shows a droplet of oil on a fibre submerged in water.
When detergent is added the molecules aim to establish a situation where both their
heads and tails are satisfied e.g. tails in oil and heads in water. The only place they can
achieve this is on the droplet of oil connected to the fibre.
As the surface of the oil becomes covered with detergent molecules, they begin to
attach themselves to the point where the oil and fibre are joined thus weakening this
joint.
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extractors
Eventually the connection between the oil and fibre is broken and the oil is lifted off
into the water by what is called the ‘roll-up’ action.
It was mentioned in the section on hard water that water hardness affects this process.
Firstly it will destroy some of the detergent and secondly it will coat the oil with a hard
shell of hardness salts (calcium and magnesium salts) almost immediately and make it
more difficult for the detergent molecules to attach themselves.
3.2.
Alkalis
In volume, alkalis will form the greatest proportion of a bag of built detergent product.
Several alkalis are available, but the most common are sodium metasilicate and
sodium carbonate. Both will be present in most fully built detergents but in different
ratios depending on the type of soiling and material the product is aimed at.
The main functions of an alkali are to:o To neutralise any acid soiling (most soils encountered are acidic).
o Prevent the detergent molecules from breaking down (by their heads separating
from their tails). By making the wash solution highly alkaline this is less likely to
happen.
o Create alkaline conditions that make some fibres swell (particularly cotton) making
soil removal easier.
o React with the oils and fats in the soiling to make crude soaps.
o Provide some soil suspension of removed soiling (only with sodium metasilicate).
3.3.
Soil Suspending agents
Due to changes in Environmental legislation products like sodium carboxy-methyl
cellulose (SCMC) are no longer used. Detergent manufacturers now use a range of
different chemicals that will vary somewhat based upon the detergent formulator.
These soil suspending agents are designed to introduce a strong electrical repulsion
between the soiling and the fabric so that the dirt particles remain in solution so they
can be flushed down the drain at the end of the wash process stages and not
redeposited back onto the fabric to turn it grey.
3.4.
Water softening agents
Again, sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) was added to the washing detergents you use
at home to effectively soften the wash water – but alternative more environmentally
friendly chemicals are used. With industrial detergents their role is to surround the
calcium and magnesium in the soiling to stop it having a detrimental effect on the
detergent activity and to contribute to the removal of hardness salts on the incoming
soiled textiles.
Although many larger industrial laundries use water softeners, there are many smaller
in-house laundries that do not – and therefore they need higher levels of water
softening reagents in the detergent formulation to reduce the risk of the fabric turning
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extractors
grey with the lime soap (calcium and magnesium salts) formed when soap or
detergent is added to hard water.
3.5.
Optical brightening agents (OBA)
These chemicals are added in very small quantities – often as little as 0.5% of the bag
contents. They coat the surface of the fabric, absorb the normally invisible ultra violet
light and reflect it back from the fabric as visible white light making the textiles appear
bright and fresh in daylight.
Soapless detergents, alkalis, soil suspending agents, polyphosphates and OBA are
the main ingredients of fully built detergents, but some contain special additives to
improve the product’s performance on certain soiling or fabrics.
3.6.
Soap
Soap is still added to some fully built detergents to add a slightly soft feel to fabrics
and provide lubrication inside the washing machine as well as to act as a suds
suppressant as many synthetic ‘soapless’ detergents will create a very high lather and
thus reduce mechanical action. This lather does not contribute to the cleaning process.
3.7.
Enzymes
Enzymes are very complex organic molecules found in the human stomach. They can
be manufactured digest specific types of protein, cellulose and fatty soiling. A wash
containing enzymes should be maintained below 50ºC for at least 10 minutes to
enable the enzymes to break down their particular soiling target.
3.8.
Bleaching agents
These are sometimes added to built detergent products in the form of sodium
perborate. Sodium perborate is only active between 60ºC and 80ºC, although
activators can be added to allow it to become active at lower temperatures. Bleaches
built into detergent products do not have the flexibility of bleaching carried out with
separate chemicals.
Organic chlorine bleaches (DCCA and TCCA) can be added into fully built detergent
formulations – but these should ONLY be used at wash temperatures below 60ºC to
avoid excessive fabric damage.
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extractors
Exercise 10
List the names of the fully built detergents used in your laundry and detail what hazard
warning symbol they have on the bag or drum e.g. corrosive, toxic and so on.
PRODUCT NAME
HAZARD WARNING
4.
Bleaches
Bleaches are used in the laundry to de-colour visible stains and unwanted dyes from
fabric. They fall into two basic categories, oxidising bleaches and reducing bleaches.
The two most commonly used laundry bleaches are sodium hypochlorite (NaOHCL)
and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) both are oxidising bleaches but operate in different
ways and require different conditions.
4.1.
Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCL)
This is still the most common type of bleach in use in this country and because of its
smell is commonly called ‘chlorine bleach’.
It is a very crude basic chemical that, like all bleaches, does not have a detergent’s
ability to remove soiling and hold it in suspension before carrying it away. Bleaches
work on stains by chemically attacking the coloured dyes in the stain on the fabric. A
side effect of this chemical attack is damage to the fibres.
If too much sodium hypochlorite is used or if the wash conditions are not correct then
the chemical damage to the fibres (particularly cotton) can be so bad that the item
being bleached just falls apart.
Sodium hypochlorite should only be used as a bleach on white or light pastel shade
items because it will remove the dye from coloured cotton and some dyed polyesters.
Sodium hypochlorite is normally sold on the basis of available chlorine by weight, the
normal commercial strength being 14-15%. It is a relatively cheap chemical and has
the benefit that at very low concentrations (approximately 120-150 parts per million) it
is an extremely effective disinfectant.
As noted earlier its optimum temperature for use is about 60ºC; below this its action is
slower and above this the action can be very rapid and can cause chemical damage to
fabrics. Bleaching with sodium hypochlorite is usually carried out in the first rinse with
a dose of approximately 6-8 mls per kg dry weight of work.
Due to the risk of chemical damage to fabrics from concentrated sodium hypochlorite,
it is usual practice to dilute it with 3 or 4 parts water before adding to the wash. On
automatic feed systems, hypochlorite bleach should always be added below the water
line and be flushed in by water.
Sodium hypochlorite bleach should not be used when washing some flame retardant
treated fabrics as it can destroy this treatment; it will also neutralize the benefits of
enzymes and perborate/peroxide bleaches if used in the same bath.
If you start getting large brown stains appearing on hospital work after being washed in
a process that includes sodium hypochlorite these are likely to be the result of a
chemical reaction between the hospital disinfectant Chlorhexadine (used in proprietary
products such as Hibiscrub, Hibicleanse and Savlon) and the bleach. The resulting
Page 20 of 47
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stain cannot be removed. The answer is prevention rather than cure so only sodium
perborate or hydrogen peroxide bleach should be used on hospital work where this
type of staining might be present.
4.2.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)
Hydrogen peroxide is usually sold at a strength of 35% to the commercial laundry
market. It is inactive below 60ºC and does not become fully active until temperatures
above 80ºC are reached. Unlike sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide has no
bacterial effect.
It is considerably more expensive than sodium hypochlorite and although only 23mls/kg of dry weight work is used it is still more expensive to use. The benefits of
hydrogen peroxide are that lower volumes need to be stored and it can be used on
pastel or coloured work without stripping the colour. Chemical damage to textiles from
using hydrogen peroxide is far less likely than with sodium hypochlorite.
These products should NEVER be mixed as they form free chlorine gas
From a health and safety view point both sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide
are corrosive and extreme care should be taken when handling either product.
4.3.
Sodium Perborate (NaBO3) is a similar chemical compound to hydrogen peroxide,
but in solid powder form. It is used at high temperature (70ºC) at a dosage rate of 4g
per kg of dry weight work.
4.4.
Reducing bleaches
The most common of these is sodium hydrosulphite (sodium dithionite – Na2S204).
Reducing bleaches are rarely used in laundries except for specific dye removal and
even then not as part of a wash process.
Exercise 11
List the types and number of washing machines you have in your laundry.
Machine type
Number
Open Pocket W/ex
Y Pocket W/ex
D Pocket W/ex
Exercise 12
What are the five main ingredients of a fully built detergent?
1...............................................................................................................................................
2...............................................................................................................................................
3...............................................................................................................................................
4...............................................................................................................................................
5...............................................................................................................................................
Exercise 13
What bleach do you use in your laundry? ...........................................................................
At what temperature is the bleach process carried out? ...................................................
Page 21 of 47
UNIT LDC 4 – Carry out the wash process using washer extractors
5.
OTHER CHEMICALS USED IN THE WASHROOM
5.1.
Sour (Acid)
As most washing detergents are chemically alkaline they can be neutralized by the
addition of an acid. A laundry sour is a mildly acidic chemical that can be added to the
final rinse of a process if white work is turning yellow (galling) because of the effect on
residual alkali of heat in finishing). Sours should not be used as a substitute for good
rinsing. They are designed to neutralise excess alkaline, from the raw water. Acetic
acid is a commonly used sour.
5.2.
Antichlor
An antichlor is added to a process to neutralize any retained chlorine bleach. If cotton
items are tumble dried or calendered with chlorine bleach residues on the fibres they
can be chemically damaged. Sodium thiosulphate and sodium bisulphite are
commonly used as antichlors.
5.3.
Fabric conditioner
Fabric conditioners coat the fibres with a cationic detergent to provide a soft feel and
body to cottons and reduce problems with static electricity on polyester. They are
added to the final rinse of a process.
5.4.
Starch
Starch is used to give body and
stiffness to fabrics and can help to
reduce soil and stain penetration. It
is typically used on table linen and
most successfully applied in a
special starch rinse at the end of the
wash process.
Natural starches made from wheat,
corn, rice or potato typically require
a low dip, minimum 38°C (ideally
50ºC) rinse of about 5-10 minutes
duration prior to the final extract.
Such natural starches do not readily
attach themselves to synthetic fibres
such as polyester unless used in a
‘boiled’ starch solution.
Some
synthetic
and
blended
starches are also available, often
containing PVA that have been
specially developed for man-made
fibres.
Your contribution to QUALITY in
the Washroom is through: Not mixing items to avoid batches of
linted boiler-suits
 Removing coloured items that could
discolour a load
 Separating heavily soiled work for
special treatment
 Identifying mildew and rust for
special processing
 Selecting the right wash process so
that the items come clean the first
time.
Page 22 of 47
6.
DEVELOPING A WASH PROCESS
6.1.
You now have all the necessary ingredients and knowledge to start to develop a
suitable wash process.
The amount of chemicals, the duration of each stage of the wash process and
the temperature used will be dictated by a number of additional factors:-
-
-
-
6.2.
The type of soiling on the textiles, e.g. oily soiling requires high
temperatures and high alkalinity versus protein soiling, such as blood and
milk need lower temperatures and good detergency.
The level of soiling. The higher the amount of soiling present the more wash
stages required to dilute and remove it and the more chemicals that ay be
required.
The type of fabric to be processed. Woollen articles are severely damaged
by high washing temperatures, increased levels of mechanical action and
strong alkalis – whereas cotton items are not.
The colour of the items. Not all colours (dyes) are safe. Unless the textile
has been VAT dyed, they can be affected by the process temperatures and
chemicals additions resulting in some colour loss – or bleeding (transfer) of
loose dye into the wash water and onto the other textiles in the load.
It is therefore essential when loading the washing machine to ensure that all the
items in the load are of the correct classification and no ‘rogue’ items have been
accidentally miss-classified by the sorting room operators.
A red shirt or a red paper napkin, for example, accidentally placed into a load of
white cotton sheets or table cloths can result in the whole load turning pink. This
may look very nice – but not possibly what the customer is looking for.
6.3.
It is also necessary for you to fully understand and be able to interpret any care
labels that may be attached to the items you are processing. If you do identify a
‘rogue’, in order to decide what type of wash process to apply, the care label will
give you all the information required. (See Unit LDC3 – Check Items and makeup loads for cleaning)
6.4.
Similarly you will also need to be able to identify the various fibre and fabric
groups as, depending upon the fibre content of the article, this will dictate the
type of wash process that can most effectively be applied. (See Unit LDC3 –
Check Items and make-up loads for cleaning)
The wash stage
6.5.
All the ‘ingredients’ of a wash process have now been detailed, so this section
will show you how they are all put together to make a wash process.
6.6.
All wash processes are made up from two basic elements:6.6.1. The wash process during which the soiling is removed; and
6.6.2. The rinse process where the soiling and chemicals used on the wash
stages are diluted and discharged down the drain or sewer.
Depending upon the type and extent (or degree) of soiling on the fabrics to be
cleaned, the soil removal stage may involve repeating the washing several
times and giving 2 or even 3 washes in order to remove all the soiling.
6.7.
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6.7.1. For example, the first wash stage could involve merely adding a high dip
(water level) using cold water only – with no detergent – and running the
machine for 5-7 minutes before draining the water from the washing
machine.
6.7.2. The times we would want to do this is when there is a large quantity of
water soluble or particulate soiling that can be easily removed just by
rinsing the work in a lot of water. The type of work that is most likely to
benefit from this stage of the wash is foul or infected hospital linen, dust
mats with high levels of sand and soiling or towels that have a high level
of residual hardness salts.
6.8.
The next stage – which is where most classifications will start the wash process
– is using a medium dip level filling with cold water with a detergent addition and
taking the temperature up to a maximum of 39ºC and running for 5-7 minutes.
6.8.1. It is during this stage that most of the loose soiling is removed and, in
particular, any protein soiling. Using temperatures in excess of 39ºC may
well set protein soiling to create permanent staining that may only
respond to special bleach treatments.
6.8.2. Depending upon the amount of soiling removed and the amount of
soiling remaining on the textiles either the water can be drained and a
‘Hot’ wash given – or – in situations where the soiling levels are quite
low, without draining the machine after the allotted 5-7min, the
temperature of the wash can be simply increased to 71º-75ºC. This is
called a ‘stepped’ process.
6.8.3. If the water is drained and fresh water is then used for this hot wash,
additional detergent additions will be required – whereas by simply
increasing the temperature of the wash using the ‘stepped’ process
technique, no further detergent is usually required and it saves on both
water and steam costs.
6.8.4. Either way, this part of the wash process where a higher temperature is
used is essential to provide:(a) Thermal disinfection of the processed load; and
(b) To emulsify the oils and fats which generally need higher
temperatures and alkalinity to effectively remove them.
The Rinse stage
6.9.
The rinse stage has several functions which are:6.9.1. Dilute and remove all the soiling removed from the textiles;
6.9.2. Dilute and remove any chemicals used during the wash stages;
6.9.3. Carry out any ‘special’ stain removal activities;
6.9.4. Apply any ‘special finishes’ that may be required on the finished items
6.10. Rinses are normally carried out using high dip levels in the washing machine in
order to obtain the quickest dilution possible. However, it is important at this
stage that not too much water is used – especially if very low levels of detergent
additions have been made on the Main hot wash stage(s). All detergents have
only a limited suspending power to hold the soil removed in suspension to be
flushed away down the drain. If very low levels of detergent have been used
and the detergent is diluted too quickly during the first rinse, some of the soiling
will come out of suspension and redeposit back onto the textiles to turn them
grey.
Page 24 of 47
6.10.1.
6.10.2.
6.10.3.
6.10.4.
6.10.5.
6.10.6.
6.10.7.
It is often at this stage bleaching will take place if sodium hypochlorite
bleach is to be used. This is because sodium hypochlorite should
never be used at temperatures above 60ºC and the cold water used
will always cool the load down to below this temperature – and – as
bleach attacks all protein, it become most effective and less can be
used once the excess protein has been removed in the wash stages.
Some laundries prefer to use alternative types of bleach such as
sodium perborate, hydrogen peroxide or peracetic acid – but these
would normally be use don the ‘Hot wash’ stage as these bleaches
work better at higher temperatures.
At the end of the first rinse – which normally would be for 3 minutes
without bleaching, 5 minutes with bleaching, the water is drained in
readiness for the next rinse. It is at this point, once most of the water
has drained from the washing machine that a short 1-2minute ‘Interextract is highly effective in improving rinsing efficiency.
Almost all washer-extractors have an ‘intermediate’ spin speed before
they finally increase to maximum speed for the final extract. The
purpose of this intermediate speed is to remove all of the excess water
and ensure that the load is evenly distributed around the washing
machine cage so that it does not go out of balance when it is on high
speed.
The use of an intermediate extract stage at the drain of the first rinse
stage is one method of improving rinse efficiency by extracting a
greater amount of the ‘grey’ water from the textiles so there is less to
dilute in subsequent rinses.
Depending upon the amount of residual chemicals carried over from
the first rinse, it is sometimes necessary for one more rinse whereas if
no inter-extract speed is used then a further two rinses will normally be
required.
It is on the final rinse where any ‘special’ treatments that may be
required to enhance the finish or appearance or handle of the washed
items will be added. Such additions can be a ‘sour’ or acid to
chemically neutralise any last traces of alkalinity or starch to impart a
stiff finish to the fabric when ironed or softener to impart a ‘soft’ finish
to the fabrics.
Final Extract stage
6.11. This stage is possibly the one aspect that will have the greatest impact on the
finishing departments as the amount of water remaining in the textiles after
washing will determine the production from the finishing departments – and –
for polyester cotton blends, if they are extracted for too long or with an extract
speed that is too high, the fabric will be excessively creased and very difficult (if
not impossible) to remove from the fabric.
6.12. It is significantly more cost effective to remove moisture from textiles by
moisture extraction during this final extract than it is by removing it either in
tumble drying or on the calender/press or Steam/Air tunnel finisher.
6.13. 100% cotton items will normally benefit the most from a final extract time of 58minutes depending upon the final extract speed and the time of the year.
(During the colder winter months longer extract times are often necessary).
However, polyester cotton items seldom need more than 1 or 2 minutes – and
normal procedure is to let the washer-extractor just achieve maximum speed
Page 25 of 47
before then stopping the extract. This is to ensure the lowest levels of additional
creases are put into the material.
6.14. For 100% cotton items the ideal moisture retention after extraction is ±45% which means that if you have 100kg dry weight of fabric when loaded into the
washer-extractor, when the load is taken out after washing and extraction is
should weigh 145kg.
6.14.1. If the load has a higher moisture retention than this, extra time will be
needed in the tumble dryers to dry towels or the calender will need to
be slowed down so that the sheets or pillow slips leave the calender
dry.
6.14.2. It is therefore essential that the final extract time is NEVER cut-off
earlier than programmed.
6.14.3. Periodically you should check the moisture retention from each
washer-extractor you are responsible for as mechanical failures can
occur or drive belts can start slipping which may result in higher
moisture retention in extracted items.
Moisture retention test
6.15. In order to complete a moisture retention test the following procedure should be
adopted:6.15.1. Take a full load of washed, damp work that has been through the final
extract stage and weigh the full load. Ideally a classification such as
towels should be used. After weighing record the total weight of the
load (do not forget to either set the ‘tare’ on the scales to cater for the
weight of the trolley the load is in.)
6.15.2. Then take the load of work to a tumble dryer and fully dry the load. It
is important that you check that the whole load of work is kept together
and the load is ‘bone-dried’.
6.15.3. Now re-weigh the bone-dry load of work and record the result.
6.15.4. The moisture retention percentage can now be calculated using the
following example:Weight of damp towels – minus the weight of the bone dry weight = the weight
of water left in the load.
The weight of water in the load divided by the bone dry weight x 100 = the
Percentage moisture retention.
Page 26 of 47
Example:
Damp load weight =
185kg
Bone dry weight
=
125kg
Amount of moisture in the load = 185kg – 125kg = 60kg
The amount of moisture (60kg) ÷ The bone dry weight (125kg) x 100 = 48%MR
6.16. For polyester and polyester cotton blended items the Moisture Retention will be
significantly lower as polyester does not absorb moisture the same way that
cotton or woollen items will. However, a certain amount of moisture will be held
in the weave between the fibres which will add to the moisture retention level.
6.17. Because the amount of moisture retention in a polyester cotton blended article
will vary according to the amount of cotton present, it is necessary to determine
what is the correct moisture retention levels on these types of items for YOUR
laundry. The machinery will have been set-up to process the work at a given
level based on the normal moisture retention achieved from the washroom. So
it may be necessary to take several loads of polyester cotton blended items and
calculate the average moisture retention so this can be recorded and used as
the bench-mark criteria for all future testing.
6.18. It is also well worth while co-ordinating any moisture retention tests with the
Tumbler operators as they will also be checking the Evaporation rates from the
tumble dryers, i.e. How efficiently the tumblers are working and how long it
takes to evaporate the moisture form the items tumbled dry. Whilst you are
doing your moisture retention test – the Tumbler operator can also do their
Tumbler evaporation rate tests.
Selecting the right process
6.19. If you want to achieve the
best results on processed
items without risk of damage
to them, it is essential that
the correct wash process is
selected based on the
classification
being
processed and the type and
degree of soiling to be
removed.
Your contribution to IMPROVED
PRODUCTIVITY in the
Washroom is through: The correct sequencing of
customer’s work to maintain workflow through finishing departments
 Allowing all programme stages to
complete – no short-cuts – so work
washed and extracted correctly
 Sequencing machines correctly for
maximum output
 Not under-loading machinery so
that production is maximised
 Making the next machine load
ready and loading it before taking
the cleaned load for finishing.
6.20. For example, if a White-work
kitchen cloth process is
selected for use on, say, a
load of woollen blankets, the
whole load of blankets will be
totally ruined as the high
alkalinity detergents, higher
mechanical action and higher
temperatures
used
for
processing kitchen cloths will
destroy the wool fibres in the
blankets and the load is likely to leave the washer-extractor as a soggy, slimy
lump that can be removed by the handful.
Page 27 of 47
6.21. It is essential to therefore ensure that all process cards and drums are
CLEARLY marked or identified to avoid this type of error. Any cards where the
identification is illegible or difficult to read should be carefully remarked and
these cards should ALWAYS be stored in a safe place where the risk of
damage is eliminated.
6.22. If a process card or drum should become cracked or broken it should be
replaced immediately as any cracks or breakages may allow the automatic
controls to make extra additions of water, steam or dose the wrong chemicals –
with the high risk of disastrous results.
6.23. If your machine has a PLC (Programmed Logic Computer) installed with all the
wash processes programmed into it – ensure you have a clearly labelled list of
all the programme numbers posted on the front of the washing machine beside
the PLC unit so that the programme number can be easily identified and
selected.
6.24. All of the PLCs should have a ‘Password protection’ system inbuilt so that
nobody other than a suitably trained or authorised person can get into the wash
programmes and make any changes.
6.25. With process cards or drums – these should ONLY be prepared by a suitably
trained and qualified person as even small errors in the sequence of the
process steps can cause damage to the machine or the wrong sequence of
process steps.
Never change or alter any aspect of these pre-programmed wash
processes unless you have been trained and are authorised to do so.
Typical wash process
6.26.
The following process is a typical washer extractor process for medium soiled white
cotton work.
Operation
Wash 1
Drain
Wash 2
Drain
Rinse 1
Drain/Inter extract
Rinse 2
Drain/Inter extract
Rinse 3
Drain/Final Extract
Totals:
Time
(Min)
8
1
12
1
7
1
3
1
3
10
47
Med
Temp
(ºC)
35
Detergent
Low
80
Detergent
Med
45
Hypochlorite
High
Cold
High
Cold
Dip
Additions
Wash 1
As most soiled linen contains some protein soiling a first wash has been programmed
to provide 8 minutes at below 40ºC to allow for the complete breakdown of protein
soiling. A medium dip has been selected to ensure thorough wetting out, reasonable
mechanical action and enough water to carry any heavy soiling.
The amount of detergent added will depend on the level of soiling, but approximately
two thirds of the total detergent addition should be made at the start of the first wash.
Page 28 of 47
Drain
The machine is drained to dump the removed soiling. No inter-spin is used as this
would remove too much detergent and force the soiled water through the fabric, which
would act as a filter and become recontaminated.
Wash 2
This wash is where the firmly attached and ingrained soiling is removed so it is
important that the mechanical action, temperature and chemical activity are all at their
maximum and enough time is given to allow them to work.
To ensure a high mechanical action the wash dip should be low. You should ensure
that the dip is still low after the high temperature has been reached because if there is
a poor steam supply and it takes quite a long time to achieve 80ºC the steam might
have condensed back to water in the machine and raised the dip.
The remaining one third of detergent should be added to the detergent ‘carried-over’
from the first wash to give a high level of chemical activity.
A temperature of 80ºC will give good chemical activity and ensure thermal disinfection.
It is essential that this temperature is maintained throughout the set wash time of 12
minutes.
Drain
The machine is drained again to remove the suspended soiling.
An inter-spin can be used at this point – but caution should be used with low detergent
dosage levels as the suspended soiling can be filtered back onto the fabric if
suspending power is poor.
Rinse 1
The object now is to remove all the remaining wash chemicals and any remaining
staining. Once the medium dip has been achieved, sodium hypochlorite should be
added at a rate of approximately 8-10mls per kg of dry weight of work. The medium
dip will allow the bleach to be evenly distributed throughout the wash load. A lower dip
may result in a patchy result, a higher dip and the bleach would be over diluted.
To ensure good bleaching activity without excessive chemical damage a temperature
of 50-60ºC should be maintained for 5-7 minutes.
Drain/spin or ‘inter-extract’
The machine is again drained, but this time an inter-spin is also used to greatly
increase the removal of chemicals.
Rinses 2 to 3
These rinses are to completely remove the remaining chemicals, including the sodium
hypochlorite. Rinsing is merely a process of dilution and thus a high dip is required.
No temperature is used and 3 minutes after the dip has been achieved is usually
sufficient time for total mixing.
Drains and inter-spins between rinses will increase chemical removal, and allow
reduced water consumption.
Final extract
The length of the final extract will depend on the classification, the type of washer
extractor and the finishing process the load will be destined for.
The above is just an example of a standard two wash process.
There are many variations that could be made to it depending on the requirements of
classification, fabric type, soiling level.
Page 29 of 47
Exercise 14
If you were to use hydrogen peroxide bleach instead of sodium hypochlorite on this
process where would you add it?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
How much would you use per kg of dry weight work?
.................................................................................................................................................
A wash process for engineers coloured polycotton workwear would not normally
include any bleach addition at all and would have other significant differences from the
cotton sheet process.
Soiling on engineers’ workwear is likely to be mineral oil based and this tends to form
a firm bond with the polycotton fabric. To help the detergent to break this bond the first
wash temperature may be set above 80°C. This will soften the oil and grease and
increase the chemical activity of the alkali in the fully built detergent.
As polyester fibres tend to suffer from thermal shock creasing if the reduction in
temperature from the high wash temperature to the cool rinse is too rapid, a special
cool-down stage has to be added to the process. The water inlet pipe to the washing
machine should be below the normal dip level – normally into the bottom of the
machine. If the normal water supply line is used, thermal shock can still occur as the
cold water sprays over the top of the hot fabric.
This stage will ensure that the temperature falls from about 80ºC to below 52°C no
quicker than 4°C per minute. This should reduce the level of ‘thermal’ creasing, but
more pressure creases could be imposed if the polyester cotton process included a
long final extract stage. As polyester cotton is not as absorbent as cotton it will only
require a very short spin.
Note:
When loading polyester-cotton or 100% polyester items into the washing machine, the
degree of loading should be reduced by 25% to avoid the risk of pressure creasing.
Polyester cotton is also more bulky and takes up more space than 100% cotton items
and so mechanical action will be reduced if the higher degree of loading is applied.
Page 30 of 47
MACHINE FAULT RECOGNITION AND REMEDIAL ACTION
7.
It is essential that you are familiar with all of the controls and accessories that have
been fitted onto the washer-extractors under your control. All washer-extractors will
have certain minimum controls that are readily visible, e.g. Wash programme controller,
On/Off switches and Emergency stop buttons. However, depending upon the style or
type of equipment there will be other important accessories that are ‘hidden’ inside the
machine covers.
7.1.
The key areas that you should continuously monitor as you are working on the
machines are:7.1.1. Rotational direction: All washing machines rotate backwards and
forwards and should rotate for the same number of revolutions in both
directions at the same speed. If they rotate more in one direction than
the other, the work inside the machine will become a tangled ‘lump’
making it very difficult and time consuming to unload. The reason for
this can be a fault has developed on the electrical reversing controller or
the drive belts may have stretched or become wet and are slipping on
the drive shaft.
7.1.2. Dip levels: Some washing machines will have a dip-level sight glass
which is readily visible and located to one side of the machine. With
other machines this sight glass may be hidden inside the machine
covers – but, almost all washer-extractors have a glass panel in the
loading/unloading door so that you can see what is happening inside
the washing machine. Depending upon the stage of the wash process
different dip levels are required and by careful observation of the dip
level and being able to read the process card, it should be possible to
visibly assess if the right amount of water is in the machine. Variations
in the water or dip level will have a major impact on both the costs as
well as the quality of the work produced. Faults can develop with faulty
water inlet or drain valves or the sensors in the dip measuring tube.
7.1.3. Temperature controls: All washing machines will have a thermostat
prominently displayed on the front panel. This tells you the temperature
of the water inside the washing machine and it is essential that process
target wash temperatures are maintained for each stage of the wash
process.
7.1.4. Timers: With PLC controlled machines some timers will give the
elapsed time since the process started, others will count down the
remaining time for the relevant wash stage. With card or drum
controlled machines the card will travel through the controller at a set
rate or the drum will rotate at a constant speed. With all of these control
mechanisms they sometimes go wrong. An electrical ‘spike’ can affect
PLC controllers or cards/drum can get stuck or the drive motor simply
‘stops’. Be aware at all times. Make a mental note if a process seems to
be taking longer than usual and investigate if it is.
7.1.5. Extract speeds: All washer extractors use various types of devices and
systems to evenly distribute the wet work around the inside of the
machine for when the machine goes onto high speed. The forces inside
of any washer-extractor are calculated in ‘G’ force – which is the force
of gravity – and many washer extractors will achieve or exceed 500’G’ –
which means that the load inside of the washer-extractor will weigh 500
Page 31 of 47
7.1.6.
7.2.
times more when the machine is on high speed. If the load is not evenly
balanced inside of the washer-extractor when it does go onto high
speed, the machine will start to vibrate excessively or even start to
‘jump around’ if it is excessively out of balance. All washer-extractors
will be fitted with several safety cut-off switches that measure the level
of vibration – and if this becomes excessive, they are ‘tripped’ and the
machine will cut-out. However, these safety cut-out switches can go
wrong and either cut-out too slowly or simply not work at all. If this
happens the washing machine can be torn from its foundations and
then going for a ‘walk around the factory’ where it will totally destroy
everything in its path. It is therefore essential that if a washer-extractor
starts to go wildly ‘off-balance’ and does not automatically stop – you
should hit the emergency stop button to prevent any possible major risk
of injury or parts breaking off from the machine.
Use your ears and eyes: After a while, if all the equipment is working
correctly, you will be familiar with the ‘normal’ sounds and sights of the
machinery whilst in operation. If you hear or see anything unusual –
NEVER ignore it. An unusual sound could be a bearing that is breaking
up or needs lubrication or an airline that has vibrated loose. If the
machine starts making unusual sounds – stop the machine and report it
immediately
All of the above potential problems and faults you should be able to recognise –
and it is your duty to report them immediately to a responsible person according
to your company policy. If the machine is behaving dangerously (such as out of
balance) or making strange noises – stop it immediately using the emergency
stop button and report it immediately. NEVER turn the power off directly at the
mains – especially if the machine is on extract speed – as the electricity will
often control the braking or balance mechanisms and by turning off the power
supply the machine may well go totally out of control.
Routine Maintenance
7.3. However, some of these faults can be prevented by ensuring that your
complete routine checks and maintenance on the machinery. These routine
checks will be detailed in the manufacturer’s maintenance manual that was
supplied with the washing machine and you should ensure that these
procedures are carried out according to direction to minimise the risk of injury to
yourself or damage to the machinery. The range of checks will vary somewhat
between each type of machine – but the following are just some examples:7.3.1. Sight-glass/dip-tubes: Ensuring these are clean and free of deposits
inside the dip-tube so the water level can be easily identified. With
some types of machinery a special long-handled brush for this purpose
is supplied.
7.3.2. Cleaning of soap hoppers and chemicals delivery areas: This ensures
that all product is delivered into the washing machinery and no
blockages occur which could prevent chemicals entering the washing
machine.
7.3.3. Cleaning of all sight-glasses: So the inside of the washing machine can
be seen clearly.
7.3.4. All process cards and drums are in good condition, clean and correctly
labelled.
7.3.5. There are no leaks on air, water and steam lines.
Page 32 of 47
7.3.6. All gauges are working correctly showing temperature, air pressure and
so on.
7.3.7. All chemicals dosing pumps are clean and functioning correctly – and if
liquid dosing via peristaltic pumps, the drums are replenished correctly
and pinch tubes are not cracked or broken or too soft.
7.3.8. Checking and monitoring detergent consumption levels and reporting any
significant changes.
Page 33 of 47
FAULTS WITH PROCESSED WORK
8. When you have now completed the wash process and you are now unloading the clean
work from the washing machine you will have a ’close-up’ view of the condition of the
processed work. It is at this stage where many potential problems and faults can be
identified and the appropriate remedial action taken.
8.1.
Some common faults and their solution are:8.1.1. Sheets, pillow slips and table linen linted and fluffy: This can often occur
when processing polyester or polyester blended fabrics and either a
towel or a paper napkin or similar has been accidentally included in the
load. The remedy is to find the offending item, remove it from the load
and then re-process the whole load.
8.1.2. A white load of work is now tinted a different colour: This is where a
rogue coloured item has been incorrectly classified or a coloured paper
napkin or similar has been included in the load or a pen has been left in
a pocket. The solution is to identify and remove the item that has
caused the discolouration and then re-process the load using either
bleach or a dye removal agent such as ‘stripping salts’.
8.1.3. The load has lots of small grease black deposits – often found inside of
pillow slips: This is commonly called ‘copper grease’ and these greasy
balls are oils and fats which have come out of solution during the wash
process and re-deposited on the fabric. This is caused by insufficient
alkalinity (not enough detergent) during the main wash and/or the first
rinse dip is too high. The solution is to immediately re-wash at high
temperature using additional levels of a strong alkali such as sodium
metasilicate.
8.1.4. Processed work is still heavily stained: This will commonly occur on
hospital soiled work, kitchen textiles and butcher/abattoir soiled work.
The cause is either the pre-wash temperature was too high and the
protein soiling has been ‘cooked’ onto the fabric or the bleach addition
used did not take place or was too little. The solution is to re-wash with
the correct type of bleach with the right addition.
8.1.5. Polyester fabric are very creased: This can be for a number of reasons
ranging from over-loading of the washing machine, correct cool-down
procedures not being used or excessive time on high extract. In this
situation it is essential that the degree of loading and the wash process
is checked to ensure the correct process was used and there are no
machine faults. Sometimes this type of fault can be corrected by rewashing the load and ensuring the main wash temperature exceeds
70ºC and then the load carefully cooled down to avoid thermal shock.
8.1.6. Items are smelly or look grubby: This is normally an indication that
insufficient detergent or temperature was used on the wash process.
This will very often occur on heavily soiled greasy engineers overalls
and chefs clothing which require high levels of alkali at high wash
temperatures in order to remove all of the ingrained grease and oil. The
solution is to re-wash with high levels of a strong alkali such as sodium
metasilicate.
8.1.7. The load looks dingy and dull: This is normally a sign of soil deposition,
i.e. the soil has been removed from the textiles and then evenly redistributed over the entire load. This can occur if 100% cotton and
Page 34 of 47
polyester cotton items are washed together – and the polyester
preferentially picks up the soiling form the load or if insufficient
detergent was added to the process or if the process was designed for
a light – medium soiled load and a heavily soiled item was incorrectly
classified with them. The solution for this is very difficult and good
improvements are seldom achieved. A repeat wash process with the
correct detergent additions may help to reduce the problem – but only
repeated well controlled wash cycles will produce a gradual
improvement. However, the first action in this case should be to check
the detergent delivery system to ensure the correct amount of detergent
was added to the process.
Exercise 15
Using the information you have been given above see if you can complete the
following process for medium protein soiled white polycotton workwear.
You may wish to complete this process as a group exercise.
Time
Temp
Operation
Dip
Additions
(Min)
(ºC)
Wash 1
Drain
Wash 2
Cool-down
80
10
Med
Drain
Rinse 1
Drain
Rinse 2
Drain
Rinse 3
Drain/Final Extract
2
Totals:
Exercise 16
How do you start a loaded washer extractor on your standard nightwear programme?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Page 35 of 47
Exercise 17
How do you programme your machine to achieve a standard towel wash?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Exercise 18
Follow a standard cycle on one of your washer extractors and note the times,
temperatures and chemicals at each stage.
Operation
Time
(Min)
Dip
(cm)
Temp
(ºC)
Additions
Product name and quantity
Wash 1
Drain
Wash 2
Drain
Rinse 1
Drain
Inter-spin
Rinse 2
Drain
Inter-spin
Rinse 3
Drain/Final Extract
Totals:
Page 36 of 47
Questions on Module 3
Washing Process
Use this self check questionnaire to make sure that you know all that you need to
know about preceding section.
When you have finished discuss your answers with your trainer.
Health and Safety
1. What do you do if you see smoke coming from a washer extractor motor?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
2. If you deem it safe to put the fire out, what do you do first?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
3. Which fire extinguisher do you use to put out a motor fire?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
4. Which is your nearest fire exit?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
5. How do you minimise the risk of a manual handling injury when loading/unloading
a washer extractor?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
6. You get a ‘tingle’ sensation when you press the start button of the washer
extractor. What does this tell you?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
7. You see a pool of chemicals on the floor under the dosing equipment. What do you
do?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Page 37 of 47
8. You spill detergent powder into a large puddle of water over the floor. How do you
make the area safe?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Washing machine operation
9. At the start of each shift, what would you look for?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
10. What would happen to the washer extractors if the steam pressure drops?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
11. What are the main causes of the water pressure dropping?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
12. What are the consequences of the dip levels not being at the correct levels for
washing?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
13. What action should you take at the end of your shift in the laundry?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Page 38 of 47
14. What are the main elements of a wash process?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
15. What are the problems caused by hard water?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
16. Can you name the 7 critical wash temperatures?
1...............................................................................................................................................
2...............................................................................................................................................
3...............................................................................................................................................
4...............................................................................................................................................
5...............................................................................................................................................
6...............................................................................................................................................
7...............................................................................................................................................
17. What is the correct temperature for a pre wash?
.................................................................................................................................................
18. What are the 3 main factors which govern the mechanical action of a wash
process?
1...............................................................................................................................................
2...............................................................................................................................................
3...............................................................................................................................................
19. What are the dangers of over or under loading the machine?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
20. How would you plan your washer extractor loads for the following: 8 loads of
sheets, 6 loads of towels and one load of pillowcases?
...............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Page 39 of 47
A new employee has just started in your department and you have been assigned to
train them on how to operate the machinery in your department.
Choose one item of equipment in you department and list the 3 most important things
you would tell them to ensure they understood the correct use or operation of it.
1...............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
2...............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
3...............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
For the piece of equipment selected in question 14 above – How much work is it
capable of handling and where is the manufacturers’ safety manual for this equipment
kept?
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................
Page 40 of 47
Appendix 1
LDC4
Carry out the washing process
At level 2, this unit is for those who wash items using a washer extractor, and organize and control the washing
process using a washing extractor
The job role will involve:
1. Maintaining operating standards, equipment and supplies
2. Washing items
3. The job role will involve
4. Planning the work required for washing processes
5. Control the washing process:
The competent person must:
1. Make services and machinery ready for use
2. Select detergents, chemicals and programmes
that are correct for the classification
3. Operate machinery in accordance with
supervisor’s instructions
4. Load and unload machines
5. Handle items with care
6. Report any machine faults and identify;
7. Remove any items that are not washed
satisfactorily or have been damaged
8. Plan the work required
9. Make the best use of resources available
10. Identify any problems that may arise in carrying
out the work
11. Brief colleagues and check that they understand
what work they must do
12. Control the washing process
13. Select detergents, chemicals and programmes
suitable for the load
14. Check that thermostats and temperature gauges
have the correct settings
15. Check that work is being carried out as planned.
The key areas of knowledge and understanding
1. Operational settings and range of performance from
machines
2. Common faults
3. Which detergents, chemicals and additives to use
and what they do
4. Care labels
5. Understanding fibres and fabrics
6. How the complete washing process works
7. How to carry out routine machine maintenance
8. Who to report faults to
9. How to communicate effectively
10. The correct load weight for the machine and the
fabric.
11. The difference between wash programmes.
12. The temperature setting for the wash programme.
13. The problems associated with high and low dip
levels.
14. How the wash process operates.
15. How to select different wash programmes
16. How to recognise faults and malfunctions within the
machine or wash process and the action to take.
17. How to stop a malfunctioning washing machine
safely.
18. How to recognise faults or deficiencies in washed
work.
The skills and techniques
1. Making services and machinery ready for safe use
2. Using machines and machine controls
3. Taking action when faults, inefficient machine operations or hazards are found
4. Reporting and record keeping
5. Waste disposal
6. Receiving, checking and confirming supervisor’s instructions
7. Planning how to carry out instructions, making best use of resources
8. Identifying problems and getting advice
9. Briefing colleagues and checking understanding
10. Checking loads for classification and process requirements
11. Identifying and redirecting unsuitable items
12. Selecting detergents, chemicals and programmes
13. Checking thermostats, temperature gauges and dip levels
14. Using correct additives
15. Operating machines
16. Reporting and recording faults
17. Removing and redirecting unsatisfactory items
18. Checking the progress of planned work
Page 41 of 47
Regulations, rules and guidelines
1. The organisation’s rules, codes, guidelines and standards
2. Equipment operating procedures
3. Machine and equipment capabilities
4. Relevant responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act and COSSH (Control of Substances
Hazardous to Health)
5. Manufacturers instructions
Workplace skills
1. Communicate effectively with colleagues and customers
2. Comply with written instructions
3. Complete forms, reports and other documentation
4. Keep accurate records
Page 42 of 47
APPENDIX 2
BY FOLLOWING THE NVQ4 WASH
Your contribution to COST
CONTROL in the Washroom is
through: Never over-riding the time, dip,
chemicals or temperature settings to
avoid wastage
 Loading machinery to the correct
weight to optimise utility usage
 Selecting the correct process to avoid
re-wash or over-washing and wastage
 Processing heavily soiled and stained
work separately to avoid re-wash
 Monitoring wash parameters and
reporting faults to avoid excess
temperatures, chemicals and water
usage.
Your contribution to QUALITY in
the Washroom is through: Not mixing items so no batches of
linted boiler-suits
 Removing coloured items that could
discolour a load
 Separating heavily soiled work for
special treatment
 Identifying mildew and rust for
special processing
 Selecting the right wash process so
that the items come clean the first
time.
PROCESS - WASHEX MODULE
Your contribution to HEALTH &
SAFETY in the Washroom is
through: Keeping the workplace clean and
tidy so no trips and slips
 Storing all chemicals correctly and
safely so no explosive mistakes
 Reporting machine faults
immediately so no ‘out-of-balance’,
electrocution or fires
 Washing hands and wearing PPE
to prevent cross-infection
 Loading/unloading machinery
correctly so no back injuries or
machinery damage.
Your contribution to IMPROVED
PRODUCTIVITY in the
Washroom is through: The correct sequencing of
customer’s work to maintain workflow through finishing departments
 Allowing all programme stages to
complete – no short-cuts – so work
washed and extracted correctly
 Sequencing machines correctly for
maximum output
 Not under-loading machinery so
that production is maximised
 Making the next machine load
ready and loading it before taking
the cleaned load for finishing.
Page 43 of 47
The following is a list of the key words and phrases used in this module
A
accident--------------------------------------------------------------- 7
Acetic acid ----------------------------------------------------------22
acid ----------------------------------------------------- 16, 18, 22, 25
age ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
alkali ------------------------------------------- 12, 16, 18, 22, 30, 34
alkalis------------------------------------------------------------ 18, 23
alkyl benzene-------------------------------------------------------16
Antichlor -------------------------------------------------------------22
article ------------------------------------------------------------ 23, 27
attacks ---------------------------------------------------------------25
B
bacteria --------------------------------------------------------------10
balancing of the machine----------------------------------------13
bench-mark criteria -----------------------------------------------27
benefits --------------------------------------------------------------20
blankets --------------------------------------------------------- 15, 27
bleach -------------------------7, 12, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 29, 30, 34
Bleaching------------------------------------------------------- 19, 20
blood------------------------------------------------------------- 12, 23
boiler ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5, 6
boiler house ----------------------------------------------------------- 5
brakes ------------------------------------------------------------------ 5
breakdowns--------------------------------------------------------- 4, 7
bright -----------------------------------------------------------------18
Broadbent washer extractors---------------------------------------- 4
brown stains --------------------------------------------------------20
brown water---------------------------------------------------------10
brush -----------------------------------------------------------------32
burning----------------------------------------------------------------- 5
burst ---------------------------------------------------------------6, 10
buttons ---------------------------------------------------------------31
C
cage ---------------------------------------------------------12, 15, 25
calcium ---------------------------------------------------------- 10, 18
care label ------------------------------------------------------------23
care labels ----------------------------------------------------------23
caustic soda --------------------------------------------------------16
cellulose -------------------------------------------------------- 18, 19
chemical activity ------------------------------------------10, 29, 30
chemical damage -------------------------------------------- 20, 29
chemical reaction------------------------------------ 11, 12, 16, 20
chemicals 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29,
32, 33, 36, 37, 41
Chlorhexadine------------------------------------------------------20
chlorine gas ---------------------------------------------------------21
Clarke ----------------------------------------------------------------11
classification ------------------------------- 4, 14, 23, 26, 27, 29, 41
classified----------------------------------------------------23, 34, 35
clean------------------------------------------------- 9, 10, 32, 33, 34
cleaning process --------------------------------------------------19
cleanliness ----------------------------------------------------------- 9
colleagues------------------------------------------------------ 41, 42
colour--------------------------------------------------- 20, 21, 23, 34
colour loss-----------------------------------------------------------23
compensation--------------------------------------------------------7
compressed air --------------------------------------------------------5
Compressed air--------------------------------------------------------5
computerised controls------------------------------------------------4
condensed---------------------------------------------------------- 29
Control cards --------------------------------------------------------7
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health------------ 7, 42
cool-down-------------------------------------------------- 11, 30, 34
copper grease ----------------------------------------------------- 34
COSHH ---------------------------------------------------------------7
cotton - 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 34
Cotton --------------------------------------------------------------- 16
covers ------------------------------------------------------------ 8, 31
creased----------------------------------------------------- 13, 25, 34
creases----------------------------------------------------------26, 30
creasing ------------------------------------------------------------- 30
cross contamination------------------------------------------------9
customer --------------------------------------------------------- 8, 23
customers ------------------------------------------------------13, 42
D
damage ---------------------------8, 12, 14, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 32
damaged ------------------------------------------- 4, 5, 8, 22, 23, 41
damp----------------------------------------------------------------- 26
DCCA ---------------------------------------------------------------- 19
debris ------------------------------------------------------------------9
degree of loading ---------------------------11, 12, 14, 15, 30, 34
depth----------------------------------------------------------------- 14
dermatitis -------------------------------------------------------------8
designated weight ------------------------------------------------ 14
detergent- 3, 7, 8, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 28, 29, 30,
33, 34, 35, 38
detergents ---------------------------16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 24, 27, 41
digest ---------------------------------------------------------------- 19
Dilute----------------------------------------------------------------- 24
Dip level controls ---------------------------------------------------8
dip levels------------------------------------------------ 7, 31, 38, 41
dip-tubes ------------------------------------------------------------ 32
disinfectant --------------------------------------------------------- 20
disinfected ------------------------------------------------------------9
documentation----------------------------------------------------- 42
DoL------------------------------------------------------------------- 12
dosing pumps--------------------------------------------------- 7, 33
Drain ----------------------------------------------- 13, 28, 29, 35, 36
drum control units ----------------------------------------------------4
drying time------------------------------------------------------------6
dust------------------------------------------------------------------- 24
Duvets --------------------------------------------------------------- 16
dye removal ----------------------------------------------------21, 34
dyes --------------------------------------------------------------20, 23
E
efficiently------------------------------------------------------------ 27
electrical problems ---------------------------------------------------4
Electricity --------------------------------------------------------------4
electrocution-----------------------------------------------------------5
Emergency stop--------------------------------------------------- 31
environment -----------------------------------------------------------4
enzymes --------------------------------------------------------19, 20
Enzymes ------------------------------------------------------------ 19
Page 44 of 47
evaporate------------------------------------------------------------27
extraction ------------------------------------------------------------26
ironers ------------------------------------------------------------------4
K
F
kitchen cloth-------------------------------------------------------- 27
fabric------- 6, 7, 9, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, 34, 41
fabric conditioner----------------------------------------------------- 7
face mask ------------------------------------------------------------ 7
face masks ----------------------------------------------------------- 7
faeces ----------------------------------------------------------------12
falls ------------------------------------------------------------ 5, 20, 30
feel---------------------------------------------------------5, 11, 19, 22
fibres---------------------------------- 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27, 30, 41
filter -------------------------------------------------------------------29
Final extract---------------------------------------------------- 13, 29
finish ------------------------------------------------------------------25
Finishing equipment ----------------------------------------------- 6
finishing process---------------------------------------------------29
fire extinguisher----------------------------------------------------37
flicking air-line ------------------------------------------------------- 5
fluffy-------------------------------------------------------------------34
foul --------------------------------------------------------------------24
frayed ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4
fresh ------------------------------------------------------------- 18, 24
fully built products -------------------------------------------------16
G
label ------------------------------------------------------------------ 23
lagging -----------------------------------------------------------------5
lathering capability ----------------------------------------------- 16
laundries --------------------------------------------- 6, 7, 16, 21, 25
laundry ------ 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 38
laundry sour --------------------------------------------------------- 22
leaks ------------------------------------------------------------ 5, 6, 32
length ---------------------------------------------------------9, 14, 29
lifters ----------------------------------------------------------------- 13
linen --------------------------------------------- 8, 10, 12, 14, 24, 28
linen bags-------------------------------------------------------------8
linted ----------------------------------------------------------------- 34
liquid detergent systems ------------------------------------------7
loading capacity-----------------------------------------------14, 16
low dip --------------------------------------------------- 8, 15, 22, 41
lubrication-------------------------------------------------------19, 32
M
galling ----------------------------------------------------------------22
gas --------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
Gas -------------------------------------------------------------------- 6
gauges--------------------------------------------------------- 5, 33, 41
glass ------------------------------------------------------------- 31, 32
gloves ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7
goggles --------------------------------------------------------------- 7
greasy ----------------------------------------------------------- 11, 34
grey -------------------------------------------------------------- 24, 25
H
hand washing ------------------------------------------------------12
hazard----------------------------------------------------------------19
hazards --------------------------------------------------------------41
head ------------------------------------------------------------------17
health and safety--------------------------------------------4, 7, 9, 21
Health and Safety -------------------------------------------------37
heavy soiling--------------------------------------------------------28
Hibicleanse ---------------------------------------------------------20
Hibiscrub ------------------------------------------------------------20
high dip --------------------------------------------- 8, 11, 15, 24, 29
hydrogen peroxide ------------------------- 11, 12, 20, 21, 25, 30
hydrophilic-----------------------------------------------------------17
hydrophobic---------------------------------------------------------17
hypochlorite bleach ------------------------------------------ 20, 25
machine --- 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 23, 24, 25, 28,
29, 30, 31, 32, 34, 36, 38, 39, 41
machine faults -------------------------------------------7, 9, 34, 41
machine guards -------------------------------------------------------4
machinery-----------------------------------------5, 6, 27, 32, 40, 41
machines ------------------------- 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 31, 41
magnesium-----------------------------------------------------10, 18
maintenance -----------------------------------------------4, 5, 32, 41
man-made fibres-------------------------------------------------- 22
mechanical action10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, 39
messages ------------------------------------------------------------4, 9
mg/l------------------------------------------------------------------- 11
milligrams per litre ------------------------------------------------ 11
Mineral -------------------------------------------------------------- 12
mixing time --------------------------------------------------------- 11
moisture------------------------------------------------13, 25, 26, 27
moisture extraction ----------------------------------------------- 25
moisture retention --------------------------------------------26, 27
molecule of detergent ------------------------------------------- 17
N
Natural starches -------------------------------------------------- 22
neutralise -------------------------------------------------- 18, 22, 25
numbered --------------------------------------------------------------4
O
I
identification --------------------------------------------------------28
infected --------------------------------------------------------------24
ingrained soiling ---------------------------------------------------29
injury---------------------------------------------------------- 7, 32, 37
Inter-extract ---------------------------------------------------- 13, 25
L
OBA ------------------------------------------------------------------ 18
Oil 12
oily----------------------------------------------------------------11, 23
oleum ---------------------------------------------------------------- 16
olive oil -------------------------------------------------------------- 16
Page 45 of 47
open pocket machines -------------------------------------------12
Organic chlorine ---------------------------------------------------19
organic molecules-------------------------------------------------19
out of balance ------------------------------------------------- 25, 32
over-load ------------------------------------------------------------34
oxidising bleaches ------------------------------------------------20
P
palm oil---------------------------------------------------------------16
particulate -----------------------------------------------------------24
parts per million----------------------------------------------------20
Password protection----------------------------------------------28
peaty soil ------------------------------------------------------------10
peristaltic pumps --------------------------------------------------33
personal protective equipment------------------------------- 6, 7
petrochemical industry -------------------------------------------16
pillow slips------------------------------------------------------ 26, 34
pins --------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
Planned preventative maintenance --------------------------------- 4
plastic ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4
PLC ----------------------------------------------------------- 4, 28, 31
PLC controlled machines----------------------------------------4, 31
polycotton workwear----------------------------------------- 30, 35
polyester-------------------- 11, 13, 14, 15, 22, 25, 27, 30, 34, 35
Polyester ------------------------------------------------------- 30, 34
polyester-cotton----------------------------------------------- 11, 30
PPE -------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
PPM -------------------------------------------------------------------- 4
precautions ---------------------------------------------------------- 9
pre-cut process cards------------------------------------------------- 4
Prepare ----------------------------------------------------------------- 9
prepared -------------------------------------------------------------28
pressing--------------------------------------------------------------- 8
pressure ------------------------------------------------5, 6, 30, 33, 38
pressure creasing -------------------------------------------------30
pressure gauge -------------------------------------------------------- 5
procedures ----------------------------------------------7, 32, 34, 42
process time --------------------------------------------------------- 7
processes ------------------------------------------ 6, 12, 23, 28, 41
product ---------------------------------------------- 7, 16, 18, 21, 32
production ------------------------------------------------4, 6, 7, 9, 25
programme --------------------------------- 4, 11, 28, 31, 35, 36, 41
programmes -------------------------------------------------- 4, 28, 41
protect----------------------------------------------------------------- 8
Protein ---------------------------------------------------------------12
protein soil ----------------------------------- 11, 23, 24, 28, 34, 35
protein soiling ---------------------------------------- 23, 24, 28, 34
pump ------------------------------------------------------------------ 6
PVA -------------------------------------------------------------------22
R
redepositing---------------------------------------------------------18
reducing bleaches-------------------------------------------------20
residues--------------------------------------------------------------22
reversing direction ------------------------------------------------12
rinse stages ------------------------------------------------------8, 13
Rinsing times -------------------------------------------------------11
roll-up-----------------------------------------------------------------18
Rotational direction -----------------------------------------------31
Routine checks ----------------------------------------------------- 7
rubbish ---------------------------------------------------------------- 9
running dip ----------------------------------------------------------15
S
safe ------------------------------------- 4, 5, 7, 9, 23, 28, 37, 38, 41
safety features-------------------------------------------------------8
safety shoes ---------------------------------------------------------7
sand------------------------------------------------------------------ 24
Savlon --------------------------------------------------------------- 20
scale build up ------------------------------------------------------ 11
scales---------------------------------------------------------------- 26
sebum --------------------------------------------------------------- 12
sewer ---------------------------------------------------------------- 23
Sheets --------------------------------------------------------------- 34
shirt------------------------------------------------------------------- 23
side-loading machines ------------------------------------------ 13
sight -----------------------------------------------------------8, 31, 32
sight glass ------------------------------------------------------- 8, 31
sight glasses ---------------------------------------------------------8
signs -------------------------------------------------------------------6
skin ------------------------------------------------------------8, 11, 12
skin oil --------------------------------------------------------------- 12
smell -------------------------------------------------------------- 6, 20
smoke --------------------------------------------------------------- 37
Soap ----------------------------------------------------------------- 19
soap hopper-------------------------------------------------------- 32
soapless detergents --------------------------------------------- 16
soaps ---------------------------------------------------------------- 18
Sodium -------------------------------------------- 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
sodium bisulphite ------------------------------------------------- 22
sodium dithionite-------------------------------------------------- 21
sodium hydrosulphite -------------------------------------------- 21
Sodium Perborate ------------------------------------------------ 21
Sodium thiosulphate --------------------------------------------- 22
Sodium tripolyphosphate --------------------------------------- 18
soil suspending agent ------------------------------------------- 18
soiled ---------------------------------------- 8, 9, 15, 28, 29, 34, 35
soiling-- 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29,
35
speed of rotation -------------------------------------------------- 12
spontaneous combustion -----------------------------------------9
squeezing----------------------------------------------------------- 13
stained--------------------------------------------------------------- 34
staining ----------------------------------------------------- 20, 24, 29
stains ------------------------------------------------------------12, 20
standards -------------------------------------------------------41, 42
standing dip -------------------------------------------------------- 15
starch ---------------------------------------------------------7, 22, 25
static ----------------------------------------------------------------- 22
static electricity ---------------------------------------------------- 22
steam -------------------------------------- 5, 6, 8, 24, 28, 29, 32, 38
steam pressure------------------------------------------------- 5, 6, 38
steam temperature ----------------------------------------------------5
still ----------------------------------7, 11, 12, 16, 19, 20, 29, 30, 34
stock -------------------------------------------------------------------7
storage ----------------------------------------------------------------6
STPP ---------------------------------------------------------------- 18
stripping salts ------------------------------------------------------ 34
supplies -------------------------------------------------------- 4, 7, 41
symbol--------------------------------------------------------------- 19
T
table linen-------------------------------------------------------22, 34
tallow----------------------------------------------------------------- 16
tare ------------------------------------------------------------------- 26
TCCA ---------------------------------------------------------------- 19
Page 46 of 47
technical specifications ------------------------------------------15
temperatures -- 6, 11, 12, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 31, 34, 36, 39
textile -----------------------------------------------------------------23
textiles----------------------------10, 13, 15, 18, 21, 23, 24, 25, 34
thermal disinfection --------------------------------------11, 12, 29
thermal shock ------------------------------------------------- 30, 34
thermostats ------------------------------------------------------7, 41
time --------------------- 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 25, 26, 29, 31, 34
tingle ---------------------------------------------------------------4, 37
tinted------------------------------------------------------------------34
toxic -------------------------------------------------------------------19
trained--------------------------------------------------------- 4, 14, 28
transport equipment ----------------------------------------------- 8
trolleys ------------------------------------------------------------- 8, 9
trucks --------------------------------------------------------------- 8, 9
tumble dry ---------------------------------------- 5, 6, 14, 25, 26, 27
tumble dryers --------------------------------------------- 5, 6, 26, 27
tumble drying -------------------------------------------------- 14, 25
U
under-loading-------------------------------------------------------14
unloading ------------------------------------------- 8, 13, 31, 34, 37
unusual sounds ----------------------------------------------------32
volume of capacity ----------------------------------------------- 14
W
warning lights ---------------------------------------------------------5
warning signs----------------------------------------------------------4
Wash costs--------------------------------------------------------- 14
washing --- 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20,
21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32, 34, 38, 41
Washing----------------------------- 4, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 37, 38, 41
washing machines ----------- 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 31
washroom operator ---------------------------------------------4, 6, 9
water5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25,
26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 38, 39
Water ---------------------------------------------------- 6, 10, 11, 17
Water hardness -----------------------------------------------10, 11
water inlet valve-----------------------------------------------------6
water main------------------------------------------------------------6
water softener ----------------------------------------------------- 10
water soluble------------------------------------------------------- 24
whites ------------------------------------------------------------------8
White-work --------------------------------------------------------- 27
wool --------------------------------------------------------------11, 27
woollen -------------------------------------------------------------- 27
workwear ----------------------------------------------------7, 16, 30
workwear garment--------------------------------------------------7
V
valves ----------------------------------------------------------------31
VAT dyed ------------------------------------------------------------23
vibrated --------------------------------------------------------------32
Volume of a cylinder----------------------------------------------14
Y
yellowing --------------------------------------------------------------8
Page 47 of 47

unit ldc4 carry out the wash process using washer extractors laundry

Transcription

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