Criterion HS102
# Linen used by children or adults is hygienically laundered off-site or on-site.
Guidance
How to show you are complying
You must make sure any linen used at your service is properly laundered (cleaned). You can do this at your service if you have the right facilities, or you can ask parents to help or hire a professional laundry service.
Hygienic laundering
Linen is hygienically laundered when it has been cleaned in a way that removes dirt, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms.
In the context of early learning services, we consider linen includes:
bedding
kitchen laundry (dish cloths, tea towels, hand towels, oven mitts, and so on)
bibs
dress-up clothes
fabric play items
towels
furniture coverings
art and messy play cloths
cloth nappies (if used).
To make sure linen is hygienically laundered:
use a washing machine that can meet thermal disinfection requirements (water temperature above 60°C and holds times for the temperature)
ideally do not wash nappies in the same washing machine as other centre items
use a hot wash (above 60°C) and adequate laundry detergent for all washing followed by effective drying and handling to prevent recontamination
launder kitchen, bathroom, and bedding items separately have clear separation of clean and dirty areas in the laundry
dedicated storage for clean laundry.
Soiled clothing
The National Public Health Service (NPHS) recommends that soiled clothing should not be rinsed. Instead, remove any solid material, place the clothing in a double bag, and store it in an area that children cannot access—such as the laundry. Soiled clothing should be sent home with whānau.
Drying considerations
Any drying racks used should not block corridors, exits, or entryways, or interfere with children’s play areas.
Reusable nappies
The National Public Health Service (NPHS) recommend reusable nappies should be sent home with the child. If you need to launder reusable nappies, NPHS advice is:
to have a dedicated separate place for ‘soiled’ (faecal) contaminated nappy liners from ‘wet’ nappy liners in nappy change areas
to separate ‘soiled’ (faecal) contaminated nappy liners from ‘wet’ nappy liners when transporting to the laundry area
ideally use separate washing machines for washing nappies and other centre items
wash reuseable nappies on a full cycle (not a quick wash) in a washing machine that reaches a temperature of at least 60°C
provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), for example, gloves and apron
have a clearly marked bucket for sanitising soiled nappy liners and a process for sanitising
make sure all soiled items are rinsed and pre-soaked in an approved sanitiser, such as Napisan or Vanish, diluted as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
After washing nappies, clean the washing machine, following the manufacturer’s instructions using hot water and detergent. Allow the entire machine cycle to run before washing any other linen.
Washing machines can be disinfected using a hot wash cycle and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) to give 0.1% hypochlorite while the machine is filling (based on the capacity of the washing machine bowl).
When assessing whether you comply with HS102
Questions we are likely to ask
What is your process for washing linen? If linen is washed off-site, how do you make sure it is hygienically laundered?
How is soiled linen managed?
We are likely to look at, measure or count
How linen is being laundered.
We are likely to request
The hash symbol # indicates that we might ask for a report from National Public Health Service, under Regulation 55 of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
The tools below are here to support you. You do not have to use them. You can use other tools or methods that work better for your service.
If you choose to ask parents to hygienically launder linen, you could create a parent roster with clear hygiene steps to follow to make sure it is done properly.
Creating a procedure for everyone to follow will help you to make sure linen is hygienically laundered consistently off-site or on-site.
HS102 Laundering checklist [DOCX, 62KB]
For further advice, contact National Public Health Services.
Cleaning and sanitising guidelines – HealthEd
Early learning service health assessments – Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Contact public health services – Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Making sure linen is hygienically laundered helps maintain a clean environment and promotes the health and wellbeing of everyone in the service.
Doing more than the minimum can shape better outcomes for children. Here are some ideas or examples you might like to consider:
You may wish to check you have enough spare linen available to use while other items are being laundered.
If you have a washing machine on-site, it is a good idea to have a door leading directly from the laundry to the outside area, so staff can access the washing line without walking through the service.
Develop a procedure for cleaning the washing machine. This should include:
following the manufacturer’s instructions
using hot water and detergent
allowing the entire machine cycle to run.
Washing machines can be disinfected using a hot wash cycle and sodium hypochlorite (bleach) to give 0.1% hypochlorite while the machine is filling (based on the capacity of the washing machine bowl).