September 3rd, 2020
Kevin McLaren Director of Research and Development for Gurtler Industries recently presented a telecourse offered through Webber Training entitled “Hospital Laundry and C.difficile Spore Inactivation.” Webber Training presents an international lecture series on infection prevention and control topics. Its objective is to share the latest and best information on infection prevention and control with the largest possible audience. This telecourse was free and available to countries in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Webber Training estimates that nearly 900 attended the live broadcast, and over 4,500 have reviewed the on-line recording. The course partner/ sponsor was the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA).
The telecourse focused on healthcare laundering, including factors that impact the antimicrobial properties of the wash cycle; features of the modern tunnel washers; the role of laundry bleach for stain removal and microbial control; the factors involved in the selection of laundry chemicals; and the sporicidal properties of the modern laundry process.
The telecourse presented a brief historical perspective of the healthcare laundry as it pertains to microbial removal/kill. There was a summary of many of the evolutions which have occurred within the healthcare laundry space during the period from 1938 to today. Focusing on the current healthcare market, the spore forming bacterium Clostridioides difficile was addressed as a pathogen of concern specific to Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), and a life-form (spore former) which requires additional research.
A summary of ARTA’s research was presented as evidence that a tunnel washer process inclusive of peracetic acid bleach may be effective at achieving spore destruction. Kevin was the main researcher who developed ARTA’s recent investigation into the effect of certain laundry processes on C. diff.
Also presenting was Lynn Sehulster, PhD, of Environmental Infection Prevention, LLC, and previously with the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Infectious Diseases, US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
ARTA is a membership of allied associates, suppliers, operators, and manufacturers that support the textile maintenance industry. Their mission is to create greater appreciation and demand for reusable textiles — those cloth products that are reused rather than thrown away like paper disposable items. Their members represent all facets of the textile maintenance industry: manufacturers of textiles, machinery, and chemicals, as well as suppliers, sister associations, and the operators who clean and deliver clean linen and garments to customers in a variety of industries.
Gurtler Industries, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of advanced detergents and specialty chemicals for the commercial and institutional laundry industry. A privately held, family owned and operated business, Gurtler has grown into one of the largest specialists in the laundry chemical supply industry, offering a full line of processing chemicals, injection systems and personalized service across the US, Canada, Mexico, and Australia.