Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Clean, Green and Germ Free
 |  |  |  |
Tulsa Jail will stay clean, save green with new ozone laundry system
Published: 7/15/2012 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 7/15/2012 4:22 AM
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office operates the facility - feeding, clothing and caring for each inmate.
That's thousands and thousands of meals prepared, thousands and thousands of uniforms issued and countless loads of wash tumbling daily in washing machines in the jail's laundry room.
"I guarantee you, we're the largest laundromat in town," Undersheriff Tim Albin said.
And now, thanks to a federal stimulus grant, the jail is one of the largest laundromats around using an ozone laundry system.
The new system uses ozone - a less stable form of oxygen - as the primary cleaning agent, nearly eliminating the need for hot water and sharply reducing the use of detergent. Reducing detergent use also cuts down on overall water use because less rinsing is needed.
Bill Kimmel, president of RJ Kool in Kansas City, Mo., which sold the new laundry system to the jail, said hot water use will be reduced by 90 percent to 95 percent per load and overall use by about 30 percent.
"With a 100-pound washer, that's 161 gallons of hot water per load, and we're going to take it to about 24 gallons," Kimmel said.
The ozone laundry system works by gathering oxygen out of the air and running it through a concentrator, turning it to 95 percent pure oxygen. The pure oxygen is then fed into a generator, where it is electrically charged, turning the oxygen into ozone.
"Because it is unstable, that is why it is such a powerful oxidant - it's cleaning and disinfecting," Kimmel said.
He compared the cleaning process that takes place in the ozone washing system to what happens during a thunderstorm.
"Ozone is formed when lightning strikes," he said. "The fresh smell after a thunderstorm is residual ozone.
"Ozone is a fantastic deodorizer as well as a disinfectant."
The county used $64,313 in federal stimulus funds to buy the new ozone injector system, along with a new washer and dryer.
When fully operational, the ozone injector system will serve four washing machines - three old machines and the new one.
Linda Dorrell, the county's purchasing director, said the ozone washing system was one of the recommendations that came out of the county's energy audit.
"It's part of the county's overall energy conservation plans," she said. "One of the other areas we're working on right now is a lighting retrofit at Social Services, and of course, we have finished the solar panel installation at Chandler Park."
The ozone washing system is projected to save $10,380 a year in energy and water costs, Dorrell said.
Published: 7/15/2012 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 7/15/2012 4:22 AM
The David L. Moss Criminal Justice Center - commonly known as the Tulsa Jail - is a small town of its own, with more than 30,000 inmates a year passing through the heavy doors.
The Tulsa County Sheriff's Office operates the facility - feeding, clothing and caring for each inmate.
That's thousands and thousands of meals prepared, thousands and thousands of uniforms issued and countless loads of wash tumbling daily in washing machines in the jail's laundry room.
"I guarantee you, we're the largest laundromat in town," Undersheriff Tim Albin said.
And now, thanks to a federal stimulus grant, the jail is one of the largest laundromats around using an ozone laundry system.
The new system uses ozone - a less stable form of oxygen - as the primary cleaning agent, nearly eliminating the need for hot water and sharply reducing the use of detergent. Reducing detergent use also cuts down on overall water use because less rinsing is needed.
Bill Kimmel, president of RJ Kool in Kansas City, Mo., which sold the new laundry system to the jail, said hot water use will be reduced by 90 percent to 95 percent per load and overall use by about 30 percent.
"With a 100-pound washer, that's 161 gallons of hot water per load, and we're going to take it to about 24 gallons," Kimmel said.
The ozone laundry system works by gathering oxygen out of the air and running it through a concentrator, turning it to 95 percent pure oxygen. The pure oxygen is then fed into a generator, where it is electrically charged, turning the oxygen into ozone.
"Because it is unstable, that is why it is such a powerful oxidant - it's cleaning and disinfecting," Kimmel said.
He compared the cleaning process that takes place in the ozone washing system to what happens during a thunderstorm.
"Ozone is formed when lightning strikes," he said. "The fresh smell after a thunderstorm is residual ozone.
"Ozone is a fantastic deodorizer as well as a disinfectant."
The county used $64,313 in federal stimulus funds to buy the new ozone injector system, along with a new washer and dryer.
When fully operational, the ozone injector system will serve four washing machines - three old machines and the new one.
Linda Dorrell, the county's purchasing director, said the ozone washing system was one of the recommendations that came out of the county's energy audit.
"It's part of the county's overall energy conservation plans," she said. "One of the other areas we're working on right now is a lighting retrofit at Social Services, and of course, we have finished the solar panel installation at Chandler Park."
The ozone washing system is projected to save $10,380 a year in energy and water costs, Dorrell said.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Don't ruin your microfiber in the laundry!
Microfiber is an excellent product for many applications and especially cleaning hard surfaces. However, the proper laundering and disinfecting of microfiber is different than traditional laundry cycles with water temperatures 140 - 160 degrees as in many healthcare related laundries. Cold ozonated water should be the preferred method for washing microfiber but maintaining the highest levels of disinfection. Look at the article below and tell me what you think.
Tom Catchpole
Manager Ozone Laundry
Super Laundry, Inc.
(article from Clean Link February 2010)
Microfiber Maintained With Proper Use,
By Gabriel Phillips Email the CP editors
Laundering Heat is the biggest enemy of microfiber. It can destroy the fabric instantly or it can break it down over time Microfiber cloths and mop heads are becoming popular amongst building service contractors. But before a BSC jumps in to purchase them in bulk, the company should first educate managers and front-line workers about the proper use and care of microfiber as well as develop a maintenance program.Having a microfiber maintenance program saves a BSC money in a number of ways.
A good program will preserve the microfiber material, will keep the microfiber fabric performing at its highest potential and allows a BSC to purchase the most cost-effective microfiber heads available. Minimize Costly Mistakes Microfiber towels are made of a tough material. It’s considered to be a very high -performance product, but one of the major downsides is that the material is easily damaged by heat. Heat is the biggest enemy of microfiber. It can destroy the fabric instantly or it can break it down over time. Microfiber is made up of a blend of 80 percent polyester and 20 percent nylon. The chemical properties of nylon make the material a thermoplastic, so it can melt in hot temperatures.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Reusables vs Disposables
Reusables vs. Disposables
There is no argument!
Reusables WIN!
Disposables are twice as expensive as reusables:
-
Expensive initial purchase price
Disposal and Warehousing costs
Occupational health costs
Liability costs
Environmental consequences
The reusable comfort advantage
-
Doctors prefer them
Nurses prefer them
Patients prefer them
-
OSHA Standards
"Garments have to be appropriate for the task and degree of exposure to blood borne pathogens and infectious bacteria anticipated." When reusable barrier items are laundered correctly, the end result is that reusables are 70% better than the latest disposable spun-bond products when tested for meeting standards.
Reusables will help hospitals need to meet EPA waste reductions.
Reusables are people preferred (especially gowns by Dr., RN and Patient)
Reusables provide better barrier protection in surgery.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)