Healthcare workers who wash their uniforms at home could unknowingly be contributing to the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections, new research has revealed.
‘Experts’ from De Montfort University have found that many standard household washing machines do not always reach or maintain the temperatures required to properly disinfect and remove harmful pathogens from clothing, which they say ‘raises serious concerns about infection control across the healthcare system’.
Current NHS guidelines state that healthcare workers can launder their uniforms at home, provided they wash them at 60 °C using detergent. However, only half of the six domestic washing machine models tested met the required standard. Some did not reach 60 °C, or stay hot for long enough. Short and ‘eco-friendly’ wash cycles – commonly used to save time and reduce energy costs, were shown to be particularly poor at removing harmful pathogens.
The team from De Montfort University, led by Professor Katie Laird (pictured), Professor of Microbiology and Deputy director at the Leicester Institute for Pharmaceutical and Health Innovation, also sampled inside 12 machines to identify the types of bacteria present, discovering biofilms in detergent drawers and rubber door seals. Biofilms can survive regular cleaning and potentially re-contaminate laundry during each wash. Harmful bacteria such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Mycobacterium were found to be living in the machines.
Additionally, researchers tested whether repeated exposure to household laundry detergents could make bacteria stronger and more resistant to antibiotics. They grew common bacteria in detergent over several cycles, and found some became more tolerant to the detergent, and less sensitive to antibiotics. They says this ‘cross-resistance’ means that improperly laundered uniforms could play a role in the spread of antibiotic-resistant infections.
Professor Laird is calling for the NHS to revise its laundry guidelines for healthcare workers, and consider using on-site industrial machines or commercial laundry services to improve patient safety, and control the spread of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
She said: “Domestic washing machines are not designed with infection control in mind, and should not be relied upon for effectively laundering uniforms. They’re built for energy efficiency and convenience to suit private households. We’re urging healthcare providers and policymakers to reassess this guidance and explore safer alternatives, such as on-site commercial-grade machines or outsourced professional laundry services. These machines are specifically designed to meet healthcare hygiene standards, and consistently reach the high temperatures required to safely decontaminate clothing. While washing uniforms at home might seem convenient, it’s imperative that we rethink how we launder our healthcare workers’ uniforms to ensure patient safety, staff wellbeing, and basic infection control, across the NHS.”