The Benefits of Using Disposable Linens

The use of disposable linens in places like care homes, food factories, nurseries, and hospitals is becoming ever more popular as these institutions realise how many advantages they offer. Items like single-use, disposable gloves, aprons and soluble laundry bags are becoming the norm as they’re actually cheaper to use and safer than the traditional reusable ones.

Here are the main advantages to using disposable linens.

Disposables save a lot of time

If hygiene appliances, clothing, and other protective equipment are disposable, then this saves a lot of time on laundry and sterilisation. Care homes and hospitals can spend a lot of time on cleaning aprons, scrubs, masks and gloves. If a load isn’t deemed to be clean enough, it has to go through the wash again, which can cause delays. If there are no more hitches like this, an institution can operate more smoothly.

Disposables save money

Laundering reusables can cost quite a bit. It’s not just the electricity used by the washing machine and the drier; there’s the detergent, bleach, water, fabric conditioner and also the cost of maintaining and repairing the machines.

When you move over to disposable linens, it’s a predictable expense. You’ll probably place a monthly or weekly order and you know how much you’ll be paying and when. With reusables, you’ll have a washing schedule, but all it takes is for a washer or drier to break down and the cycle is interrupted. It also costs a lot of money to repair or replace a washer or a drier.

Using disposables also means you’re not reliant on laundry staff for your linens, as sickness or other absence can interrupt the supply of clean items. As long as you have a regular re-ordering schedule, you’ll always have fresh disposables available.

Disposables are reassuring to clients and customers

The image you present to your clients means a lot. If you can show that your staff care for children and patients, serve food and clean up while wearing single-use gloves and aprons, then you’ll reassure them that you take hygiene seriously. Disposable linens are as clean as possible – there’s no risk of a load having been washed at a low temperature, or of simply not being clean enough. There’s also a constant supply of disposables for unexpected busy times – no waiting for a drier to finish.

What about the impact on the environment?

One thing that can make people reluctant to adopt disposables is the worry that they’re not environmentally friendly. However, many manufacturers use recycled plastics or at least make sure that their products can be recycled. There are lots of new processes that result in very strong, flexible plastic films that are useful in lots of environments and applications. It’s true that this is an area in which disposables need to up their game, but it’s in progress.

If the environment is a particular concern of yours, then simply choose a supplier that uses post-consumer plastic waste, or even makes biodegradable linens. Disposables are now being embraced by environmentalists as they can be made from biodegradable materials, or be recycled, which is better for the environment than electricity guzzling washing machine and driers.