Many employees wear workwear every day in order to carry out their work safely or hygienically. According to a survey, 63 percent of Germans have to wash them themselves. For the most part, this is done in the same washing machine that is used for private laundry. Textile service providers such as CWS wash workwear professionally in their own high-tech laundries.

Workwear and private laundry

According to a GfK study on hygienic washing, half of employees who wash their work clothes at home always separate them from their personal clothes. Only one in four employees is concerned that their work clothes could contaminate their personal clothes or vice versa. Nevertheless, 91 percent of those surveyed think that their work clothes are hygienically clean after washing.

"The no longer clear separation of work and private life is also reflected in the way we deal with workwear. Quite a few employees can be seen in their work clothes on the way to and from work," says Dr. Ole Rigbers, Regional Manager QESH (Quality, Environment, Safety, Health) DACH at CWS. "However, visually clean, i.e. free of stains, does not always mean hygienic. The indirect transfer of germs and contamination from one garment to another cannot be ruled out."

For professional groups such as those in industry or trade, hygiene generally plays a subordinate role when it comes to workwear. However, by commissioning a service provider for workwear, companies can relieve their employees and both can be sure that they are wearing professionally and hygienically maintained clothing. "With our service, we give our customers more control over their appearance, but also over the health and safety of their employees and customers," says Rigbers.

More job security

As a professional textile service provider, CWS offers workwear rental services for companies in almost every industry. This means that every employee receives their own clothing, which is then washed regularly according to defined standards and processes. All CWS laundries in Germany have a certified hygiene and quality management system in accordance with RABC (Risk Analysis and Biocontamination Control System) in accordance with DIN EN 14065 and ISO 9001, which ensures a high quality of service. "We ensure that employees are provided with hygienic workwear at all times. We are also currently carrying out increased hygiene monitoring in our laundries, which provides additional safety," assures Rigbers.

For employees in high-risk sectors such as care and healthcare, the strict requirements of HACCP or the Infection Protection Act (IfSG) can only be met with a professional laundry with the appropriate equipment, the necessary certifications and well-trained staff.

CWS processes workwear in its own high-tech laundries to conserve resources. The textiles are washed without any harmful washing additives. Each garment is provided with a barcode or chip that allows it to be assigned to its wearer. The service driver delivers the clothes regularly, even to the wardrobe compartment if required. This means that every employee always gets their own clothes back after washing.

According to documents from CWS / am