Guidelines for Operation and Service Prevention and Control in the Laundry and Dyeing Industry During the COVID-19 Pandemic

I. General Provisions

To prevent and limit the spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic in laundry service business premises, ensure the hygiene requirements of the environment and facilities of laundry enterprises, protect the health and life safety of employees and customers, maintain social stability and economic development, this guideline is formulated based on the current understanding of the disease transmission and service requirements during major epidemics. It applies to various laundry enterprises during the prevention and control period of novel coronavirus pneumonia infection (classified according to household laundry and public, medical textile washing services).

II. Operational Management Requirements

2.1 In severely affected epidemic areas, laundry enterprises shall comply with the management requirements of the prevention and control authorities and may only operate if permitted. If no operating license is obtained, customers should be informed and understanding sought. Arrange dedicated personnel to take turns on duty and maintain communication with relevant departments.

2.2 Laundry enterprises shall develop emergency plans for major epidemics and provide training to employees. When a major epidemic occurs, the emergency plan shall be immediately activated, an epidemic prevention and control emergency leadership team established, and 24-hour communication ensured to coordinate epidemic prevention and control work in a timely manner.

2.3 Members of the leadership team shall implement epidemic protection measures for all on-duty employees, assign dedicated personnel to check emergency supplies inventory, and strive to ensure adequate epidemic prevention materials according to all employees' needs. This includes medical surgical masks, medical disinfectant/alcohol, special antibacterial hand sanitizer or waterless disinfectant hand sanitizer, protective gloves, and may also include protective clothing, goggles, and other protective equipment as needed.

2.4 Staff information collection should be well conducted, and a related reporting system established. Employees showing symptoms such as fever or cough, or who have had close contact with potentially risky individuals, should be isolated promptly and reported to the competent authorities.

2.5 Health education and training on epidemic prevention knowledge and control measures should be carried out, including the "Seven-step handwashing method," use of protective equipment, disinfection of operating environment, ventilation, and prevention of droplet transmission.

2.6 The service process for household laundry should comply with the "Laundry Service Specification" (SB/T 11204-2017). The quality of public textile washing should meet the "Public Textile Cleaning Quality Requirements" (GB/T 35744-2017), and management should comply with the "Public Textile Cleaning Service Specification" (SB/T 11205-2017). The management requirements and washing quality of medical textile washing should comply with the "Technical Specification for Washing and Disinfection of Hospital Medical Fabrics" (WS/T508-2016).

III. Requirements for Business Premises

3.1 Service Site Requirements

3.1.1 Household Laundry Enterprises

3.1.1.1 Ventilation should be strengthened to maintain indoor air circulation, preferably natural ventilation. Doors and windows should be opened as much as possible for ventilation, or mechanical exhaust can be used. If air conditioning is used, it is recommended to appropriately increase ventilation power, increase air exchange frequency, and regularly clean filters. Exhaust ducts should be kept clean. Ensure the air conditioning system supplies safe air and sufficient fresh air intake, with all exhaust air discharged directly outdoors. When air conditioning is not used, return air channels should be closed.

3.1.1.2 Strengthen garbage classification management, collect and remove garbage promptly. Clean garbage bins and other waste containers regularly and disinfect them periodically. Chlorine-containing disinfectants with effective chlorine concentration of 250mg/L to 500mg/L can be sprayed or wiped, or disinfectant wipes can be used.

3.1.1.3 Functional areas such as laundry receipt and delivery, storage, and processing should be orderly divided and clearly marked.

3.1.1.4 Disinfected clothes should be packaged and isolated from clothes waiting to be washed.

3.1.1.5 A warning sign "No Entry for Infectious Disease Patients" should be prominently displayed at the store entrance.

3.1.1.6 Health education and epidemic prevention publicity should be carried out in prominent areas inside the premises through video loops or posters.

3.1.1.7 After completing disinfection operations, a notice should be posted during business hours.

3.1.2 Public and Medical Textile Washing Enterprises

3.1.2.1 Public and medical textile washing plants must be set up independently and separately.

3.1.2.2 Indoor business premises should be ventilated and dry, with a clean and tidy surrounding environment.

3.1.2.3 Ventilation Requirements

a. Public textile washing enterprises should preferably use natural ventilation. If indoor mechanical ventilation is used, the air exchange rate should reach once every 2 hours, and air disinfection should be conducted if necessary.

b. Medical textile washing enterprises should have a ventilation rate of about 10 air changes per hour in contaminated areas, with a minimum fresh air volume of no less than 2 air changes per hour. Air disinfection facilities should be installed in contaminated areas and air disinfection conducted regularly.

3.1.2.4 The washing area must strictly separate clean and contaminated zones. Isolation barriers and protective facilities between the two zones in medical textile washing plants must be inspected regularly and maintained in good condition.

3.1.2.5 Strictly implement the principle of textile flow from dirty to clean; staff must not shuttle between contaminated and clean areas during work.

3.1.2.6 Dedicated channels should be set up for staff and textile receiving and delivery.

3.1.2.7 Clean area air cleanliness must be ensured. Medical textile washing enterprises should use positive pressure exhaust in clean areas to ensure airflow from high-cleanliness to low-cleanliness zones.

3.1.2.8 Strengthen garbage classification management, collect and remove garbage promptly. Clean garbage bins and other waste containers regularly, and disinfect surfaces and surrounding areas periodically using effective disinfectants (e.g., chlorine disinfectants ≥1000mg/L, 70%-75% alcohol) by spraying or wiping.

3.2 Service Facility Requirements

3.2.1 Household Laundry Enterprises

3.2.1.1 Surfaces of facilities should be cleaned and disinfected. The business environment should be kept tidy and hygienic, disinfected regularly every day, and cleaning and disinfection records should be maintained. For frequently touched surfaces such as doors and windows, handrails, clothing receiving counters, cashier desks, sofas, telephones, sinks, faucets, restrooms, and other easily contaminated facilities, chlorine-containing disinfectants with an effective chlorine concentration of 250mg/L to 500mg/L can be sprayed or wiped, or disinfectant wipes can be used.

3.2.1.2 Mechanical equipment and related tools for washing and ironing should be effectively disinfected daily. Washing machines must be cleaned and disinfected after each use; ironing tools must be wiped and disinfected inside and out with disinfectant or alcohol cotton balls after use; clothing packaging machines should be wiped and disinfected daily with disinfectant or alcohol cotton balls.

3.2.1.3 For laundry workshops and storage rooms, after sealing, physical methods can be used for air and surface disinfection. Install ultraviolet disinfection lamps (installation capacity calculated as ≥1.5w/m³ based on room volume), with irradiation time not less than 30 minutes; use ozone generators (ozone concentration should be ≥20mg/m³) with an action time of 30 minutes.

3.2.1.4 For larger water-washing workshops, after sealing and when no one is present, disinfectants such as peracetic acid solution can be used for disinfection according to epidemic prevention department requirements.

3.2.1.5 Water-washed fabrics and leather products should be disinfected using a combination of physical and chemical methods to ensure disinfection effectiveness.

3.2.1.6 Disinfection of dry-cleaned fabrics and leather products should follow the procedure: when dry cleaning with tetrachloroethylene or petroleum solvents, corresponding sterilizers should be added to the dry cleaning agent. Additionally, fabrics and leather products dry cleaned with petroleum plus sterilizer require further ultraviolet or ozone sterilization disinfection.

3.2.1.7 Disinfection operations must be carried out strictly, meticulously, and scientifically according to procedures. Full consideration should be given to minimizing damage that disinfection and preventive measures may cause to fabrics or leather products.

3.2.1.8 Handwashing facilities should be ensured to operate normally, with dedicated antibacterial hand soap or waterless disinfectant hand soap. When possible, sensor-activated hand disinfection devices can be equipped.

3.2.2 Public and medical textile washing enterprises

3.2.2.1 After daily work, effective disinfectants (e.g., chlorine-containing disinfectants ≥1000mg/L, 70%-75% alcohol) should be sprayed on equipment surfaces and floors. Enterprises providing accommodation and meals must also spray disinfectant daily in public areas such as employee dormitories and canteens.

3.2.2.2 Dirty and clean textiles should be stored in dedicated packaging containers, which must be cleaned and disinfected daily after use, with records kept by designated personnel.

3.2.2.3 Before and after each shift, surfaces of workbenches, machinery, floors, etc., should be wiped or disinfected with disinfectants. When textile washing volume is large, timed disinfection every 2-3 hours is required to ensure environmental hygiene and safety.

3.2.2.4 The environment and air circulation in textile turnover areas should be maintained. Before and after delivery each day, indoor items should be disinfected and recorded by designated personnel.

3.2.2.5 Fabric receiving and delivery vehicles and transport vehicles should use sealed vehicles for transportation, disinfected before and after use daily, with records kept by designated personnel.

3.2.2.6 Disinfection operations must be carried out strictly, meticulously, and scientifically according to procedures. Full consideration should be given to minimizing damage that disinfection and preventive measures may cause to fabrics.

4. Service Personnel and Process Requirements

4.1 Household Laundry and Dyeing Enterprises

4.1.1 Service personnel should wear masks when starting and finishing work, avoid unnecessary public places as much as possible, and take good personal protective measures.

4.1.2 Before entering the business premises, service personnel must have their temperature checked. Those with normal temperature can enter and work, and should perform handwashing and disinfection. If the temperature exceeds 37.3°C, the service personnel should go home to observe and rest, and seek medical attention promptly if necessary.

4.1.3 Service personnel must wear medical surgical masks (or higher-level masks) and gloves when on duty; disposable gloves cannot be reused, and other reusable gloves must be cleaned and disinfected daily. It is recommended to wear work clothes and keep them clean, washing and disinfecting regularly. Steam circulation or boiling for 30 minutes, or soaking in 500mg/L chlorine disinfectant for 30 minutes before regular washing, is acceptable.

4.1.4 Front desk service personnel should minimize unnecessary conversations with customers during service and seek their understanding.

4.1.5 Pickup and delivery personnel should confirm appointment times and locations with consumers. When visiting, they must wear medical surgical masks and company service identification, and should not enter rooms unless necessary.

4.1.6 Service personnel should strengthen hand hygiene measures and clean their hands at any time. Effective waterless disinfectant hand soap can be used. Under special conditions, chlorine-containing or hydrogen peroxide hand disinfectants can also be used; if visible contaminants are present, hands should be washed with soap under running water before disinfection.

4.1.7 Establish a daily health check system for service personnel. Before starting work each day, check the personal physical condition and hygiene status of service personnel, including suspected symptoms, close contact with infectious or suspected patients, hand cleanliness, work clothes cleanliness and disinfection, protective equipment wearing, and other personal hygiene requirements.

4.1.8 Personnel who do not comply with protection requirements and unrelated personnel are not allowed to enter the work area.

4.2 Public and Medical Textile Washing Enterprises

4.2.1 Employees should wear masks when starting and finishing work, avoid unnecessary public places as much as possible, and take good personal protective measures.

4.2.2 Before employees enter the work area each day, designated personnel should measure their body temperature. Employees with normal temperature may enter and work, and should wash and disinfect their hands. If an employee's temperature exceeds 37.3℃, they should be asked to go home to observe and rest. If symptoms such as fever, cold, cough, or respiratory infection are detected, work should be stopped immediately and medical attention sought promptly.

4.2.3 Employees are prohibited from leaving the factory casually after entering. After being permitted to go out, they must have their temperature checked and be normal before returning to work.

4.2.4 Employees must wear work clothes and always wear masks while on duty. Employees in the receiving and contaminated area workshops must also wear gloves, protective clothing, hats, etc., correctly, and wear goggles if necessary. Gloves should be washed and disinfected daily, and work clothes should be kept clean and regularly washed and disinfected.

4.2.5 During the receiving and sending process, personnel should collect and deliver quickly, avoid lingering in crowded places, and not shuttle through hospital wards or hotel risk areas.

4.2.6 When collecting soiled textiles, shaking should be minimized as much as possible. Infectious textiles and soiled textiles should be collected separately, and infectious textiles should be clearly labeled.

4.2.7 During the receiving, sending, and transportation process, soiled textiles must not be exposed to the air to avoid environmental contamination and secondary contamination of clean textiles.

4.2.8 After completing each work step in receiving, sorting, and washing, hands should be washed and disinfected promptly and properly using special antibacterial hand sanitizer or waterless disinfectant hand sanitizer, following the seven-step handwashing method for hand hygiene. Hands must be washed after removing gloves or before touching clean textiles.

4.2.9 During the epidemic, the washing process must strictly follow the high-temperature washing and disinfection methods specified in WS/T508-2016 "Technical Specifications for Washing and Disinfection of Hospital Medical Textiles," raising the water temperature to 75℃ for ≥30 minutes, or 80℃ for ≥10 minutes, or achieving an A0 value ≥600.

4.2.10 After each batch of infectious textiles is loaded into the washing equipment, effective disinfectants (e.g., chlorine-containing disinfectants ≥2000mg/L) should be immediately used to wipe and disinfect the equipment door and surrounding areas.

4.2.11 The fabric drying temperature should not be lower than 60℃, and the flat ironing temperature should not exceed 180℃. Ensure that the drying air outlet and the last ironing roller of the flatiron machine are above 105-110℃ to ensure the dryness of the textiles.

5. Requirements for Consumers and Visitors

5.1 Consumers and visitors should cooperate with temperature measurement and truthfully report their physical condition. Those with fever or suspected symptoms should not enter the factory or store.

5.2 Consumers and visitors must wear masks and take corresponding protective measures when entering factories and stores.

5.3 In case of suspected or confirmed cases, under the guidance of professionals and in unoccupied conditions, disinfectants such as peracetic acid, chlorine-containing disinfectants, chlorine dioxide, or hydrogen peroxide should be used with ultra-low volume spraying for disinfection.

5.4 Visitors to public and medical textile washing enterprises must be disinfected after confirmation of no abnormalities before entering the clean area.

6. Traceability Mechanism

6.1 Front desk service personnel of household laundry and dyeing enterprises should, in addition to filling out laundry vouchers as usual, add a section for disinfection handling and clearly specify the responsible person to ensure the service process is traceable to individuals and positions with verifiable records.

6.2 Public and medical textile washing enterprises must keep paper or electronic records daily for the receipt, dispatch, washing, processing shifts, disinfection, and quality inspection of textiles from different units (organizations) per order. This ensures the service process is traceable to individuals and positions with verifiable records.

6.3 Video coverage of public service areas should comply with the relevant requirements of "Specifications for Video Image Information Collection in Key Public Security Areas" (GB 37300-2018).

China General Chamber of Commerce

China General Chamber of Commerce Laundry Professional Committee

National Laundry Standardization Technical Committee

February 3, 2020