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Infection Control in Medical Offices: Don’t Overlook Your Medical Linen Service

• August 18, 2025
• Recent News
• Century Linen Services

Most medical offices have infection control down to a science; hand sanitizer stations, surface disinfectants, sterile instruments. But there’s one area that sometimes gets overlooked: the linens. 

Think about it. Every sheet on your exam table, every gown your patients wear, every towel in your procedure room comes into direct contact with people. If those items aren’t being cleaned and handled properly, all your other infection control efforts could be compromised. 

At Century Linen & Uniform, we’ve watched practices transform their infection control outcomes simply by partnering with a linen service that understands healthcare standards. Your linens shouldn’t be an afterthought in your infection prevention strategy; they should be a cornerstone. 

Here’s what we’ve learned about why medical linen service matters more than most people realize, and how to make sure yours is actually protecting your patients instead of putting them at risk. 

Linens Are Touchpoints, Not Just Supplies 

Patients lie on them. Staff wrap themselves in them. Linens follow people through their appointments, procedures, and recovery. Every gown or pillowcase a patient uses becomes part of their care. These aren’t just supplies, they’re high-contact items that need to be clean, safe, and reliable.  

Improperly laundered or poorly stored linens can carry germs from one surface to another. Smaller offices or clinics face greater risk when they handle laundry onsite or rely on services that lack medical-grade cleaning standards. 

A professional medical linen service uses proven systems that reduce risk. Century’s healthcare laundry facilities meet TRSA certification standards and undergo routine third-party inspections by infection control professionals. We process garments and linens using tightly controlled protocols to ensure hygiene isn’t a guess, it’s guaranteed. 

Clean Isn’t Always Enough 

A linen that looks clean isn’t always free of pathogens. Proper disinfection requires more than soap and water. In fact, laundering healthcare textiles takes a different approach than general commercial laundry. Temperature, chemical composition, dwell time, and mechanical action must all work together to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and fungal spores. 

Century Linen & Uniform follows specific formulas designed for medical environments. Our facilities also separate soiled linen from clean stock, track items to prevent loss or mix-ups, and inspect all items for wear or contamination before they’re returned. 

Every patient gown, lab coat, and towel we deliver goes through a full cycle of validated hygienic cleaning. This protects both your patients and your staff. 

In-House Laundry Carries More Risk 

Some clinics or small practices still launder their own linen. While this may seem convenient, it brings added risk. Domestic machines often lack the temperature control or capacity required to properly sanitize healthcare textiles. Staff responsible for handling contaminated laundry may not have proper PPE or training, exposing themselves or others to unnecessary hazards. 

In these setups, clean and soiled linens often share space. That creates opportunities for cross-contamination. Even if folding takes place on a clean surface, improper storage or transportation methods can reintroduce germs. 

Outsourcing to a dedicated medical linen service eliminates those gaps. Century’s system ensures separation at every step, from pickup to delivery. Trained team members handle soiled medical textiles using specialized equipment that preserves fabric integrity while eliminating pathogens. 

Inventory Control Affects Cleanliness 

Running low on clean linen forces staff to cut corners. Some offices reuse items or extend their rotation longer than they should. Others mix in non-medical linens in a pinch, thinking it won’t matter for just one appointment. But small compromises like these add up. 

A well-managed linen program keeps your stock at safe, predictable levels. Century provides regular deliveries tailored to your volume, with emergency backup available when demand spikes. Our clients can monitor usage through an online portal, track inventory trends, and make quick adjustments without scrambling. 

You get clean items in the right quantities, and never have to guess what’s on the shelf. 

Staff Appearance and Safety Go Hand in Hand 

Lab coats, scrub sets, jackets, and even aprons protect both employees and patients. If your staff uniforms aren’t properly maintained, they can carry contaminants from room to room. 

Century’s uniform rental programs include regular laundering, repairs, and replacements. Items are processed to the same standard as patient linen. We embed RFID technology in many garments to track usage and hold ourselves accountable for timely service. If a coat goes missing or a scrub top needs repair, we take care of it, no reminders needed. 

This not only improves infection control, but also keeps your team looking sharp and professional. 

How a Medical Linen Service Supports Compliance 

Whether your facility is preparing for an inspection or simply maintaining high standards, your linen program must support regulatory requirements. From OSHA to CDC guidance, clean textiles fall under many layers of compliance. 

Working with a provider like Century helps you stay ready. Our process documentation, service records, and third-party certifications all support your compliance goals. If surveyors ask about your linen policy, you’ll have clear answers backed by a program built for medical use. Our approach blends smart systems with personal service—innovating with technology, delivering with care. 

Let’s Build a Linen Program That Works for You 

Infection control is never just about surfaces! It’s about every item that touches your patients, including the linens that make up the physical environment of care. Partnering with a trusted medical linen service gives your office better protection, smoother workflows, and more peace of mind. 

Century Linen & Uniform brings over a century of healthcare experience to every account. We’ve built our systems around hygiene, safety, and reliability, because in a medical setting, shortcuts aren’t an option. 

If your current system feels outdated or uncertain, it may be time for a fresh start. Contact Century Linen & Uniform today to schedule a free needs assessment.