As research on ozone increases and ozone technology becomes more accessible, many industries are applying this technology with great results. Some businesses looking to get the benefits of ozone’s disinfection power are laundromats and professional laundry businesses.

Ozone has been used for washing clothes for over a decade. It is especially favored at hospitals where sanitization is an absolute priority, and at fire departments, to remove strong, stubborn odors from used firefighter uniforms. In recent years, gyms, nursing homes, and privately owned laundromats have begun implementing ozone cleaning systems, with real results for both business owners and their customers.

What makes cleaning with ozone different?

In a traditional laundromat without an ozonated water generator, a wash cycle for an industrial-sized washing machine may include hot water along with alkali, detergent, acid, and bleach. Depending on how much and how many chemicals are used, there may also be several rinse cycles as well. 

With ozonated water injected into the wash, the need for chemicals is reduced. Furthermore, the ozonation process is just as effective with cold water, which means there’s no need to spend on electricity to heat the water for the wash cycle. Although many laundromats provide detergent to their customers, the ozonated water generator can neutralize microorganisms and break up soil deposits in the fabric. 

How does ozone work for laundry?

Ozone is an effective sanitizing agent because of its chemical nature. Ozone, or O3, is a reactive gas that will react naturally and immediately with most substances. As a type of “reactive” oxygen with an extra O molecule, it will instantly react with organic matter, such as bacteria, mildew, or mold. This results in the near-instant neutralization of the microorganism. 

When it comes to washing clothes, the ozone, which is dissolved directly into the water throughout the wash cycle will leave clothing clean, soft, and completely odor-free. 

How does an ozonated water generator system work? 

There are several ways to put ozone gas and water together. At BES Group/BioSure Professional we use three of them: venturi, spray contact, and self-priming pump. For professional laundry ozone systems, the self-priming pump is used because it has a higher rate of efficiency in producing ozonated water, and provides a higher volume of ozonated water from the system. This means it can produce a larger flow rate of ozonated water to ensure clothing and linens are properly disinfected. 

What are the benefits?

An effective ozone system gives customers peace of mind by preventing cross-contamination caused by bacteria from other customers. Secondly, it leaves a fresh smell at each wash, eliminating mildew odors. Overall, there is a better wash resulting in fresh and clean linens.

Additionally, there is no longer any need to maintain stores of chemicals to wash clothing and bedding. With fewer chemicals, that also means there is less need for multiple rinse cycles. With ozonation, the wash and rinse cycle are essentially combined into one. Increased use of ozone systems will do a lot to reduce water consumption throughout society.

Since there is no need to heat the water in the wash cycle to activate the cleaning chemicals, businesses will also save money on energy spent in heating large amounts of water — a substantial cost. After installing their ozonation system, some laundromat owners have reported a 40 to 50 percent reduction in monthly utility costs. Customers also benefit from the ozonation system in more ways than one. First, fabrics come out thoroughly sanitized. Secondly, the amount of time it takes to wash a load is reduced, which will save customers time waiting for loads to finish. 

And last, ozone has natural fabric softening qualities. This is thanks to its effectiveness at breaking down calcium, which can build up in washes over time. The reactive nature of ozone also helps break down other hard deposits in the fabric, whether from sweat, deodorant, or soil. In combination with the shorter wash cycles, ozone washes will ultimately increase fabric life. 

Ozone laundry is a win-win

Thanks to numerous benefits to customers such as improved wash quality and cost reductions to business owners, ozone for professional laundry is a no-brainer. Many traditional laundry businesses will continue to use a mix of chemicals to wash and disinfect laundry, but ozone systems are becoming the new standard and will eventually replace chemicals in the laundry cycle. As a business owner, your wallet will thank you for it, and as a citizen of the world, the Earth will as well.

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The Problem

In Hong Kong, housing for the elderly has become a big issue for both families of the elderly and city planners. Due to an aging population, the demand for nursing homes in Hong Kong is exploding. According to Hong Kong Population Projections, the number of elderly people aged 65 or older will reach 2.58 million by 2064, making up around 36 percent of the population. As of 2017, there are 32,316 nursing homes or senior care centers in Hong Kong. Maintaining comfortable living standards for residents in senior centers has also become a huge challenge, as many of these senior care centers are understaffed and overcrowded.

One of the biggest issues nursing home facilities face in keeping quality of life up to standards for their residents is keeping odors under control. Despite electricity and water for these facilities being subsidized by the local government, nursing home staff in Hong Kong still have to deal with the monumental task and cost of controlling odors that can seep through and contaminate entire floors. This is because many elderly residents are unable to control bowel movements and cannot reach bathrooms on time.

Odors from bowel movements attach themselves to clothes and linens. While they do get washed in extremely hot water for disinfection (up to 170 degrees celsius), odors can remain after a wash. Thus, these nursing homes needed a more effective solution.

The Solution

Ozonated water used in laundry wash cycles has the ability to not only disinfect water and linens by killing bacteria and viruses, but it’s also extremely effective in combating odors. In Hong Kong, more than 100 Ozone Water systems (OWS Series) from BioSure Professional have been installed in nursing homes and senior care centers. These OWS units can be easily attached to laundry water lines without taking up too much space. 

The OWS works by infusing tap water with a concentration of ozone that results in an ozonated water solution that is effective against bacteria and odors while also being safe for human contact. 

On top of this, ozonated water from OWS units doesn’t leave chemical residues as bleach does. It only takes a concentration of 0.8 to 1.2 ppm of ozonated water to disinfect linens and clothes, which OWS units can consistently and efficiently supply.

The OWS Series from Biosure – Revolutionizing Laundry

The OWS from Biosure eliminates odors in laundry from mildew, bowel movements, and other odors — for cleaner, softer, and longer-lasting linens. The system improves washing results, helps sanitize linens, and helps keep laundry machines mildew and odor-free. The OWS helps reduce the usage of chemicals, keeping chemical residues and pungent chemical odors out of nursing homes and leaving a lighter touch on the environment.

The WDS Cuts Energy Costs for Nursing Homes

In the UK, a report by the Competition Markets Authority estimates that over 1.3 million businesses are overpaying for energy, resulting in approximately £500 million each year in additional profits for energy suppliers. Without the need for extremely hot water to disinfect linens in the wash, energy costs are greatly reduced for nursing homes, with these resources available to be allocated where they are needed most.

The OWS Series is Easy to Use

By simply connecting the unit to the existing water input, the system will turn ordinary tap water into an effective and safe sanitation solution. Ozonated water acts as a natural sanitizer for improving hygiene and reducing cross-contamination. The WDS improves laundry and machine sanitation while naturally eliminating odors. 

The WDS Saves Time for Nursing Home Staff

Ozonated water via OWS units from Biosure has come as a relief for nursing home staff. These employees tend to work up to 72 hours a week, as there aren’t enough nursing home employees to handle the increasing number of residents. Measuring chemical based detergents in laundry takes time, as it means carefully measuring concentrations — a process prone to human error that can cause overuse of dangerous chemicals or underuse of chemicals causing no effect. 

Now, these overworked employees can save time by automating the linen disinfection and odor-removal process. But the real benefits are enjoyed by the senior care residents, as the units keep odors under control, significantly improving quality of life during their sunset years.

Final Thoughts

Through BES patented electrolytic ozone generation technology, Hong Kong nursing homes have been able to improve the quality of life for residents while relieving nursing home staff in keeping odors from contaminating these facilities and cutting energy costs. While there is still much work to be done in staffing and accommodating the tens of thousands of aging Hong Kongers, nursing homes can now rely on ozonated water to give these residents better places to live, and staff a better place to work.

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More professional laundry businesses have been using aqueous ozone to deliver superior laundry services by adding a sanitizing process to the wash cycle. During a pandemic, laundry centers in nursing homes have a new urgency to ensure that viral cross contamination doesn’t become a threat to the safety of nursing home residents. Ozonated water is a powerful oxidant, and an ozone system like the OWS series by BioSure gets the job done by using aqueous ozone in the laundry operation to minimize the use of chlorine bleach while disinfecting any traces of virus or bacteria on clothes.

BioSure Ozonated Water System and the OWS Series don’t just provide an ozone cleaning and disinfecting system — it does so with greater purity, more consistent water flow, and higher levels of ozone. As ozone is an effective sanitizer that can be used even in cold water to effectively clean linen and clothes, nursing homes stand to significantly save on energy and electricity costs by reducing the use of hot water requirements for laundry. Environmental impact is minimized compared to chemicals as well.

The OWS Series can be installed in laundry water lines to implement ozonated water into every segment of the laundry process in nursing homes. It pumps ozonated water that sanitizes the tap water running through the pipes of the nursing home — water that is used to not only clean all aspects of the laundry requirements but the actual washing machines themselves.

The OWS Series sanitizes the physical pipelines, as well as all of the water that passes through them. What’s more, the process eliminates biofilm or residue in the pipelines that lead into the washing machines, meaning only pure, clean water is dispersed into the laundry machines. This greatly reduces the mildew and mold in laundry rooms and on linens.

Washing with ozonated water means using one of the most powerful disinfectants available, but it also allows for washing in lukewarm and cold water. On top of this, the bleaching properties of ozone can reduce the amount of laundry detergent and other chemicals used, which in turn decreases the chemical discharge and pollutants produced with each laundry load. It’s not only good for the environment, but it also reduces the number of chemicals that come into contact with clothing. This means clothing and linens last longer.

The Benefits of Ozone for Laundry

Longer-lasting clothing is a nice benefit, but for some people, great-looking clothing might be even more important. While ozone cannot replace bleach as a laundry bleaching agent, it’s possible to use less bleach and other detergents because ozone is a better catalyst for bleach than hot water. It not only reduces the use of bleach but in addition it helps reduce detergents, degreasers, and fabric softeners. However, bleach is still required to whiten, although less may be required depending on existing conditions within a facility.

Ozonated water has enough benefits that more nursing homes are implementing ozone into their sanitizing procedures. With nursing home residents among the most vulnerable to Covid-19, the need to implement efficient and cost-effective sanitation systems is critical.

The BioSure Ozonated Water System or OWS Series doesn’t just provide an ozone cleaning and disinfecting system — it does so with greater purity, more consistent water flow, and higher levels of ozone. As ozone is an effective sanitizer that can be used even in cold water to effectively clean linen, nursing homes stand to significantly save on energy and electricity costs by reducing the use of hot water requirements for laundry.

The OWS Series can be installed to laundry water lines to implement ozonated water into every segment of the laundry process in nursing homes. It pumps ozonated water that sanitizes the tap water running through the pipes of the nursing home — water that is used to not only clean all aspects of the laundry requirements but the actual washing machines themselves. 

The OWS Series sanitizes the physical pipelines, as well as all of the water that passes through them. What’s more, the process eliminates biofilm or residue in the pipelines that lead into the washing machines, meaning only pure, clean water is dispersed into the laundry machines. This greatly reduces the mildew and mold in laundry rooms and on linens.

Conclusion

Washing with ozonated water means using one of the most powerful disinfectants available, but it also allows for washing in lukewarm and cold water. On top of this, the bleaching properties of ozone can reduce the amount of laundry detergent and other chemicals used, which in turn decreases the chemical discharge and pollutants produced with each laundry load. It’s not only good for the environment, but it also reduces the number of chemicals that come into contact with clothing. This means clothing and linens last longer.

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In at least seven European countries and the United States, seniors are the fastest-growing segment of the population. This is creating high levels of demand for new nursing homes. There are currently more than 15,000 nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the US, housing one million elderly people. That’s almost three times the number of patients than those residing in hospital rooms in the past year. Each one of these facilities has a responsibility to keep its residents safe and healthy, starting with providing clean and sanitized towels, bedding, and clothes.

At first, dismissed as a usual cough or usual breathlessness, in early 2020 the world learned the true horror of the COVID-19 virus, which destroys respiratory health and ravages immune systems. COVID wreaked havoc in nursing homes around the US and caused thousands of deaths. In July and August 2020, more than 16,800 nursing home residents and workers died from COVID-19 — these shocking and sad numbers meant that during those two months in 2020, on average, more than one nursing home resident became infected minute and 11 residents died per hour. Could these tragic numbers have at least been lessened — if not totally prevented — with better hygiene and sanitation in nursing homes?

The Importance of Hygiene for Nursing Homes

Clean laundry in the nursing home is a monumental job that includes both cleaning and disinfection of bedding and towels in each room, to washing residents’ clothing and employee uniforms. 

Nursing homes have to balance cost-effectiveness and impact on the environment with the cleanliness and quality of linen for their residents. They often look to commercial laundry solutions to handle this challenging task. However, these cleaning businesses face elevated levels of financial and regulatory pressure as they increase their capacity to meet demand. Commercial laundry services face challenges in working with nursing homes servicing elderly people. These include the mounting costs for hot water washing, waste and chemical management, efficiency per laundry load, and lifetime fabric costs. 

And these concerns pale in comparison to the challenge of keeping linens free of deadly viruses such as COVID-19. According to the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene (IFH) 2011 study on the role of laundry in everyday life, soiled linens and clothing were shown to carry pathogens and bacteria that can be linked to numerous diseases, with linen being a vehicle that carries and passes along microorganisms that cause excess risks of passing on infectious diseases that damage respiratory health and immune systems. As the elderly population is the most susceptible group to these diseases, sanitized laundry is the first line of defense against bacteria and viruses, including COVID-19. Ozone laundry systems are the first line of defense for keeping nursing home residents safe.

Ozone Laundry Systems Can Save Lives

Ozonated water – when used in the laundry – disinfects clothing and greatly reduces the risk of spreading infectious microorganisms that are found on dirty and soiled clothing. Using ozone to sanitize fabric-based cleaning materials results in extremely low levels in the survival rate of pathogens on cleaning supplies. It also kills dangerous microorganisms and helps eliminate mildew in washing machines.

Ozone is created when water is electrolytically infused into the water. It does not leave any, not even low levels, of chemical residue in the washing water or laundry water lines. This makes ozonated water much safer for the environment compared to chemical disinfectants like chlorine. BES ozone laundry systems like the bestselling Waterline Disinfection System (WDS) is an ozone generator that can easily attach to laundry water lines and produce consistent ozone flow for each load and every wash. Ozonated water also reduces the amount of laundry detergent used in each wash load, requiring fewer rinse cycles, thus saving water. 

Nursing home employees are tasked with providing a safe and clean living space for residents. Mildew and its odor are a result of bacteria found in laundry machines due to humidity and residual water in the washing machine. Ozone can be used to remove this mildew by sanitizing washing machines. Ozone can eliminate mildew and its associated odor and deodorizes the machines for fresher-smelling laundry. Whether you wash your laundry load using cold water or hot water, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens that can cause infectious diseases can and do remain on “clean” linens and clothes. There is no reason to expose nursing home residents — many of whom already have compromised immune systems — to high levels of potential excess risks when a simple, environmentally-friendly solution is available: ozonated water in an ozone laundry system. Many of our clients for the past year say investing in BES ozone generators was the best choice they ever made. Contact us to learn more.

BioSure Professional: Innovative technology built to work, and built to last

Biotek Environmental Science Ltd (BES Group) has been developing electrolytic technology to produce highly concentrated dissolved ozone (as ozone gas that is infused with water to produce ozonated water) and high purity hydrogen for both household and professional applications since the firm was established in 1988. Our ozone laundry systems for nursing homes are an important and growing segment of our business.

Our goal is to improve the environment that we live in by utilizing the benefits of our superior electrolytic technology. Our products are categorized into three categories and brands. Powered by BES® as an original design manufacturer, BioSure Professional® for commercial applications, and Biolux® for home.

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