Laundryheap Blog – Laundry & Dry Cleaning

Same-day collection. Free delivery in 24 hours.


Leave a comment

school uniform hygiene tips

Photo by 周 康 from Pexels

With children now back at school, it’s important to take every precaution possible to ensure that their school uniform remains hygienic and COVID 19 free.

  • Wash daily
  • Make sure you are disnifecting 
  • Wear gloves
  • Wash inside out
  • Always use a hot wash 
  • Check the care label
  • Avoid shaking clothes
  • Don’t leave clothing in the washing machine
  • Let clothing dry completely
  • Don’t forget about school bags

Wash daily 

Your child’s school uniform needs to be washed every day to ensure that no COVID 19 germs linger on their clothing or transfer to their surroundings. 

Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels

Make sure you are disinfecting 

When washing your child’s school uniform, you must make sure that you are disinfecting, not just cleaning. Cleaning your child’s uniform will remove dirt and germs from the surface of their clothing, whereas disinfecting involves using chemicals to kill germs and bacteria to stop them from reproducing and spreading. 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Wear gloves

When handling your child’s school uniform, or any clothing that may have been exposed to COVID 19, it is advised that you wear gloves. They will prevent germs and bacteria from transferring on to your hands and being spread to other surfaces. If you do not have a pair of gloves, make sure that you thoroughly wash your hands after handling clothing

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

Wash inside out

Washing your child’s school uniform inside out will prevent piling and bobbling. You will be washing your child’s uniform frequently, so there is an increased risk of tears and rips in the fabric. Washing your child’s uniform inside out will help lessen this damage. 

Photo by Mary Taylor from Pexels

Always use a hot wash

Hot washes are the best way to kill germs and bacteria from clothing. For the best result of eliminated germs and bacteria, wash your child’s uniform at 60 degrees Celsius. 

Photo by Amina Filkins from Pexels

Check the care label 

Despite the fact that hot washes are the best way to eliminate germs and bacteria from clothing, always check the care label before washing your child’s uniform. Some items of your child’s uniform may not be suitable for hot washing, and doing so may leave the item damaged and unwearable.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Avoid shaking clothes 

Before and after you take your clothing out of the washing machine, avoid shaking it out. If you shake your child’s uniform, there is the potential of spreading COVID 19 germs and bacteria to the surrounding areas, even after you have washed your clothing. Wait until your item is completely dry before shaking. 

Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Don’t leave clothing in the washing machine

Regardless of COIVD 19, it is never a good idea to leave your washed clothing sitting in the washing machine as it can cause damp and mould. If left wet in the washing machine, any of the remaining germs on your child’s uniform, which would be removed in the drying process, could rapidly multiply. For the best result, take your child’s school uniform out of the washing machine to dry as soon as possible. 

Photo by Rachel Claire from Pexels

Let clothing dry completely 

For the best result of removing COVID 19 bacteria, tumble dry your child’s school uniform. However, if you do not have a tumble dryer, air drying will work effectively. Viruses and bacteria thrive in damp environments, so it’s important that you wait until your child’s school uniform is completely dry before allowing them to re-wear it. 

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

Don’t forget about school bags  

It’s important to not only disinfect your child’s school uniform, but also their school bag. Similarly to their school uniform, bags need to be washed every day. If your child’s bag is made from a cloth-like material, you can wash it with your child’s school uniform. Alternatively, if your child’s bag is made of leather, or a leather-like material, you can use disinfectant spray or wipes to wipe down the surface of the bag. If you are using this method, make sure that you reach every corner of your child’s bag. 

Photo by Luis Quintero from Pexels

At Laundryheap, our top priority is our customers safety. That is why we offer a hot wash service, completely free of charge, whenever you book a Laundryheap service. 

To book your Laundryheap service, simply head to the Laundryheap website, or download the free Laudndryheap app. 


1 Comment

Top tips for disinfecting clothing

Image by Marco Verch

With COVID19 restrictions being eased, it is more important than ever to make sure that your clothes are properly disinfected. These top tips for disinfecting clothing will ensure that your clothes remain clean and that you remain safe. 

  • The difference between cleaning and disinfecting 
  • Wear gloves
  • Use a bleach detergent
  • Choose a hot wash
  • Dry clothes completely 
  • Steam clean your clothes
  • Clean your machine
  • Disinfect your laundry basket
  • Use Laundryheap

The difference between cleaning and disinfecting 

It is not enough to simply clean your clothing, you need to disinfect them. Cleaning your clothes involves removing dirt and germs from the surface of the fabric. Disinfecting your clothes involves using chemicals that guarantee the removal of bacteria, preventing the spread of bacteria to other surfaces. 

Wear gloves 

Before you begin your laundry put on a pair of gloves. Your gloves will protect you from getting any of the bacteria from your clothing onto your hands, therefore limiting the risk of bacteria spreading to other surfaces. Once you have completed your laundry you are safe to remove your gloves and immediately wash your hands.

Image by Marco Verch Professional Photographer and Speaker

Use a bleach detergent 

To ensure that your clothes are adequately disinfected it’s best to use bleach detergent. The bleach will denature the protein in any bacteria lingering in your clothing, subsequently killing it. Before using bleach detergent, always check the care label on your clothing as bleach may damage you more delicate items of clothing. 

Choose a hot wash

Washing your clothes at 55-60 degrees will help ensure that your laundry comes out bacteria-free. Hot water makes many detergents more effective at tackling bacteria on clothing, plus the heat of the water aids in deactivating the bacteria. Similarly to when using bleach, always check the care label of your clothing as more delicate items of clothing may become damaged if hot washed. 

Image by Paul Hudson

Dry clothes completely  

Before you re-wear any freshly washed item of clothing you must make sure that it is completely dry. Bacteria thrive in damp environments, so wet clothing provides the perfect breeding ground for it. To make sure that your clothes are completely dry before re-wearing them, either dry them in the tumble dryer or put them in the dryer for a quick 5-minute blast. The heat from the tumble dryer will warm your clothing and kill off any of the remaining bacteria. 

Image by viZZZual.com

Steam clean your clothes

If you need to disinfect more delicate items of clothing that can’t withstand a hot wash or bleach detergent, try steam cleaning your clothes. A steam cleaner uses steam to disinfect your clothing, removing bacteria as well as odours. In addition to removing bacteria, steam cleaning also removes wrinkles from your clothes so there is no need to iron them.

Clean your machine 

After using your washing machine to disinfect your clothes it’s important that you disinfect your washing machine. If not cleaned, your washing machine could transfer lingering bacteria from a previous wash onto a fresh load of laundry, resulting in the spread of bacteria. To adequately clean your machine, either insert a dishwasher tablet or 2 cups of white cleaning vinegar into the machines detergent dispenser and set your machine to a hot wash. 

Disinfect your laundry basket 

Similarly to your washing machine, it’s important to disinfect your laundry basket once all of your dirty laundry has been removed from it. The best way to disinfect your laundry basket is to use 0.1% sodium hypochlorite to completely wipe down every surface of your basket. This will leave your laundry basket completely clean and unable to spread bacteria. 

Use Laundryheap

If you want to make sure that you laundry is completely disinfected book you Laundryheap slot now. Our hot wash service will disinfect your clothing, plus our contactless delivery will ensure that both you and our drivers are safely distanced. Book your delivery by visiting the Laundryheap website or by downloading the free Laundryheap app. 


Leave a comment

How to make hand sanitiser

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

As COVID 19 continues to affect our lives, we must do everything to stay safe. Hand sanitiser is perfect for fighting germs whilst travelling, however, is becoming increasingly difficult to buy. Try making your own hand sanitiser using this simple recipe. 

  • Warning 
  • Prep
  • What you’ll need
  • The recipe 
  • How to use it

Warning 

Please bear in mind that using hand sanitiser should not be a replacement for washing your hands. The most effective way to kill bacteria is to wash your hands using soap and water. Hand sanitiser should only be used when you are on the go, or if soap and water is not readily available to you. 

You should also be aware that your homemade sanitiser may not be as effective as a store-bought one. This is because the tools you use will not be effectively sterilised, nor will the environment that you produce the sanitiser in. It is always best to use a store-bought sanitiser for the most effective protection from bacteria so only make your own if there are no alternative options. 

Before making your own hand sanitiser, be wary about adding essential oils as they can cause skin irritation. Make sure that you are aware of how your skin will react to whatever essential oils you may add prior to their use. 

Prep 

Before making your hand sanitiser make sure you clean your work station using diluted bleach. You also want to ensure that you thoroughly wash and sanitise the equipment you will be using. This needs to be done to ensure that any bacteria in your environment is eliminated to the best of your ability and therefore will be less likely to transfer into your mixture. 

You will need to use rubbing alcohol in your hand sanitiser mixture. Prior to creating your mixture, you need to ensure that your alcohol is not diluted. Undiluted alcohol will have a higher success rate of killing bacteria. 

Finally, make sure that you wash your hands thoroughly before beginning the process. Similarly to sterilising your environment and equipment, you need to ensure that any bacteria are eliminated, including bacteria that you may be carrying on your hands. 

What you’ll need 

To make your hand sanitiser you will need:

  • ¾ of a cup of rubbing alcohol (99% alcohol volume)
  • ¼ of a cup of aloe vera gel
  • 10 drops of any essential oil you want to include- if you don’t have any essential oils add lemon juice 
  • An empty bottle for your mixture

The recipe 

The key to making an effective hand sanitiser is to keep the ingredients at a 2:1 ratio of alcohol to aloe vera. This keeps the alcohol level of your sanitiser around 60%, which is the minimum amount that is needed to kill bacteria. 

To begin with, pour all of your ingredients into a bowl and mix together with a spoon. Once your mixture has bound together, whisk it into a gel consistency. When your mixture has reached gel consistency, pour it into an empty bottle, ready for use.

How to use

To effectively use your hand sanitiser, apply a small amount to the palm of one of your hands. Thoroughly rub your hands together making sure to spread the gel over the entirety of your hand, including your fingers. Carry on rubbing the gel into your hands until it is completely dry, this should take between 30 and 60 seconds. Note, it will take at least 60 seconds from application for the hand sanitiser to begin killing bacteria. 

We want to ensure that you stay safe during Covid 19 and make sure that we are taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of coronavirus. That is why we now offer hot washes to kill bacteria, and contactless services to avoid our customers coming into contact with our drivers. Book your slot by visiting the Laundryheap website or by downloading the Laundryheap app. 

Exit mobile version