TRSA Hygienically Clean Certification (HC)
Hygienically Clean believes microbial measurement of clean laundry is the only true assurance that textiles pose no risk of infection. Hygienically Clean adds outcome measures to structural and process measures long mandated, regulated or suggested by public and private authorities.
Hygienically Clean certification assures the safety and cleanliness of textiles rather than certifying only laundry processes. Hygienically Clean is scientifically based. It sets an established threshold that guides the reduction of pathogens on textiles to levels that pose no threat of human illness, according to the Certification Association for Professional Textile Service Administration (CAPTSA). The Hygienically Clean certification measures results of laundering with two tests: United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 62 which must show microbes at zero colony-forming units (cfu), and the RODAC Plate count that required a total aerobic microbial count (TMAC) of 20 cfu or less per square decimeter. Once certified, a laundry’s clean textiles are regularly tested to be sure safe bio-burden levels remain in compliance.
U.S. healthcare authorities are recognizing the value of outcome measures as opposed to structural and process measures and this trend has extended to laundry.
Hygienically Clean encompasses these concepts without ignoring the contribution of specific processes that are associated with achieving better outcomes. Hygienically Clean views every structure and process as an internal tactic, part of a comprehensive approach to achieving good outcomes rather than an end in itself. Hygienically Clean builds upon requirements such as documentation and inspection while adding quantifiable testing of outcomes.
