Barbara Richter, Healthcare Segment Manager

Rising expectations among family members of seniors are inspiring many extended care providers to offer more comforts and amenities to their residents. The decision to transition a family member to long-term care is never easy and today’s families are increasingly seeking to match the comfort and standard of living their loved ones enjoyed in their own homes. One way to create a home-like environment is by using the brands that residents know and trust.

Show Your Residents You Truly Care

The 2014 “Gentle on Skin” survey, conducted by the American Association for Long Term Care Nursing and P&G Professional, found that:

  • 68% of respondents agree that residents feel more at home with brands they know and trust.
  • 98% of LTC nurses surveyed agree that the quality of the laundry system, including detergent is important to a resident’s well-being1.
  • 91% of caregivers are more likely to use a laundry product that is clinically tested to be gentle on skin over a survey that isn’t.
  • 97% are willing to go above and beyond to provide residents with linens that are gentle on their skin.

Choosing a Laundry System that is Gentle on Skin

The survey also confirmed that 100% of providers say presenting a home-like environment is important to the well being of their residents. Knowing that, below are some important considerations when evaluating your laundry system.

Near-Neutral Formulation

Choosing a laundry system that meets Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, is non-caustic, safe for your staff to use and keeps linens softer and whiter longer is of the utmost importance.

  • Near-neutral pH:  Unlike other commercial on-premise laundry systems, the Tide Professional Laundry System is a near-neutral pH system, which means it’s non-caustic and does not require an acid neutralizer.
  • Prevent Calcium Deposits: The Tide Professional system prevents calcium deposits and is the only professional laundry system clinically tested to be gentle on sensitive skin. Eliminating calcium deposits from your linens helps to keep them soft and inviting for your residents and staff. The familiar scent of Downy gives them that home-like comfort.
  • Safety First: Many high-alkaline systems are corrosive, can create safety concerns for laundry staff and will damage fibers over time, causing them to feel rough and wear out quickly. Using a near-neutral pH, phosphate-free laundry system, like Tide Professional, can help prolong linen life and save money, while still providing the clean, soft and white linens your residents expect.
  • Clean the First Time: In addition, getting garments and linens clean the first time and avoiding rewash helps reduce the amount of water and chemicals you use, boosting your bottom line.

The Right System

When it comes to laundry chemicals, more is not always better. Often, systems will dose more than is necessary to clean the garments or linens and that can have a big impact on laundry costs. To make sure you’re getting the most out of your dosing equipment and laundry system, ask your service technician to walk you through the dosing levels for each cycle and the cost-per-dose, and monitor over time. Weigh that with the frequency of re-wash to ensure you are getting the best possible value.

Dedicated Staff

An added benefit of using a near-neutral detergent like Tide Professional is helping create a more satisfying work environment for laundry staff. When surveyed, 77% of P&G Professional customers reported an improvement in employee satisfaction within six months of switching to the Tide Professional Laundry System2. The top two reasons reported were: The cleaning performance and the aroma in the laundry room.

When choosing a laundry system, there are many elements to consider, especially efficiency, effectiveness and overall value, but providers that address the broader needs of their residents and staff can develop a program that sets them apart from other facilities and helps establish a more welcoming environment for residents.

Barbara Richter is the Healthcare Segment Manager at P&G Professional. For more information on the Tide Professional Laundry System, visit www.PGPro.com.