There is a wide variety of laundry detergents on the market, but they generally fall into one of two categories: solid laundry detergent or liquid detergent systems.
For busy IPC professionals, it’s worth taking a moment to understand the pros and cons of each approach so that you can make an informed choice about your laundry hygiene system. Adequate disinfection is the goal to ensure your residents remain safe and healthy, and the laundry is a key area where potential infection needs to be kept in check.
It’s likely that your facility has one of these common systems in place already, however knowing the benefits and potential drawbacks of your chosen system will help you confidently assess whether a different laundry system might offer greater safety, better efficiency and more economical results.
In this article, we take a look at the differences between solid and liquid systems and reveal the key factor to minimise the spread of infection at your facility.
How Do Solid Laundry Systems Work?
Solid laundry systems use a series of granulated chemical detergents and softeners, contained in plastic pod capsules that are inserted directly into the dispenser of the washing machine.
This solid detergent dissolves when exposed to a jet of water, gradually flushing into the machine when the wash cycle begins. When the product dissolves it acts like any other detergent, effectively cleaning and brightening clothing and linens.
Benefits of Solid Laundry Systems
Solid laundry systems are often touted as a more sustainable choice as they can offer a reduction in packaging waste compared to bulk liquid detergent systems. Whilst they do offer smaller and easier to handle packaging when compared to large drums, they are similar in packaging to liquid capsule systems.
Likewise, they offer similar ease of handling when compared to liquid capsules, as the product is delivered by a small lightweight cartridge of concentrate which does not present any manual handling hazards for your team.
One of the benefits of solid laundry systems is the out-of-product alarm: a warning that sounds when the cartridge is empty and needs to be replaced. This audible alert makes refill operations easy for staff.
Solid systems are also less prone to leak, meaning fewer slip hazards in the laundry area.
Benefits of Liquid Systems
Liquid laundry detergent systems use a concentrated container of product that is diluted and flushed into the washing machine. Liquid detergents are relatively cheap and easy to refill, with automated systems offering the safest and most easy-to-use option.
Liquid detergents are commonly available in large drums which is a budget-friendly option, however, this presents a number of WHS issues. Open containers of liquid can easily be spilled causing serious slip hazards, and there is potential for unnecessary chemical exposure for staff when the pickup tubes are refilled. Additionally, there can be manual handling risks when staff need to lift and shift heavy containers around the workplace.
This has led to the popularity of safety-focused liquid systems such as enCap, a liquid laundry system with a special cap that contains a built-in pickup tube. This allows the detergent to be automatically decanted into the machine’s dispenser, eliminating any chemical exposure hazards.
Pre-packaged liquid capsules are also available, which provide precise dosing, taking the guesswork out of how much detergent to add.
Comparison: Solid vs Liquid Laundry Systems
| Laundry System | Bulk Drums of Detergent | Automatic Liquid Laundry Systems | Packaged Solid Laundry Systems |
| Wide range of detergent choices | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Good for high volume laundries | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Use with cold or hot water | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Easy to refill | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Safe for staff to manually handle | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Limits exposure to chemicals | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Leak and spill-proof | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Concentrated formula | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Compact and easy to store | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Handles multiple washing machines at once | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Low detergent alarm | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Cost | 💲 | 💲💲 | 💲💲💲 |
The Key to Successful Infection Control: Your Laundry Processes
Whilst your choice of laundry detergent is important, the safety procedures, hygiene practices and staff training at your facility are the real key to maintaining your accreditation.
When you start to compare costs, it’s clear that solid laundry systems are quite expensive, and this can sometimes lead to a false sense of security. The assumption that spending a lot will ‘fix’ the issue is not always correct, so it’s critical that you put the spotlight on your overall laundry operations.
What are your laundry handling procedures like? What is your cleaning and maintenance schedule? Have your employees been trained on correct laundry procedures? Are you using the appropriate wash cycles? All these aspects of laundry management are the key to an efficient operation with minimal infection risk.
Learn About Laundry Hygiene Practices with Veridia
The Veridia team is here to support IPC professionals with a wide range of resources, audits, training and products that will help you improve your laundry operations. From sorting and loading laundry to advice on wash cycles, we help you make the right choices for safety, hygiene, and peace of mind.
