How to Separate Laundry in Care Homes: Colour Coding and Risk Categories Explained

Proper laundry handling in care homes is more than just good housekeeping—it’s a core part of infection control, resident dignity, and regulatory compliance. When laundry is mishandled, cross-contamination becomes a serious risk.

In this article, we explain how to separate laundry in care homes correctly, using colour-coded systems, risk categories, and best practices recommended by healthcare and care quality bodies.

Why Laundry Separation Matters in Care Homes

Care homes process large volumes of laundry daily, often including soiled items, personal clothing, bedding, towels, and staff uniforms. When these items are washed together without proper separation, pathogens can spread quickly—posing

risks to both residents and staff.

More importantly, CQC inspections and infection control audits routinely assess laundry procedures. Establishing a safe, standardised process helps ensure compliance—and peace of mind.

Step 1: Use Colour-Coded Bags for Sorting

Colour-coded laundry bags are a simple but powerful way to organise items by risk level before washing.

Here’s a breakdown of the standard system used across healthcare and care home environments:

Colour Use
Red (water-soluble) Infectious or soiled laundry (e.g. faecal matter, blood)
White or Clear Personal laundry (resident clothing)
Blue Soiled but non-infectious laundry (e.g. towels, bed sheets)
Green Kitchen laundry (e.g. tea towels, aprons)

To comply with best practices, red bags should be placed inside white outer bags and placed directly into the machine without being opened. This reduces the risk of airborne contamination or staff exposure.

If your home isn’t currently using a clear bag system, our team can advise on equipment and product solutions.

Step 2: Keep Laundry Bins Clearly Labelled and Covered

Make sure each laundry collection point:

  • Has colour-coded signage matching the bags

  • Uses lidded, easy-clean containers

  • Is separate from clean laundry storage

This step may seem minor, but it helps staff stay consistent—especially temporary or new team members.

Step 3: Train Staff to Identify Risk Categories

Every item should be sorted according to risk, not just appearance. Make sure your team understands:

  • Infectious laundry includes items contaminated with blood, bodily fluids, or from isolation areas

  • Heavily soiled but non-infectious laundry may still require hot wash cycles and should be washed separately

  • Personal items should be washed separately to preserve fabrics and reduce resident-to-resident cross-contamination

Adding visuals or wall charts in the laundry room is a great way to reinforce this process.

Step 4: Pre-Treat and Pre-Rinse Appropriately

Not all stains or soils should be handled the same way. For example:

  • Solid waste should be removed before bagging

  • Soiled bedding should never be shaken or handled excessively

  • Pre-rinsing can be done in sluice rooms if available, otherwise red bags should go straight into the machine

This step is crucial for maintaining effective infection control during laundry processing.

Step 5: Use Dosing and Disinfection Correctly

Once separated, it’s essential to wash laundry with the right chemical doses and water temperature. Many care homes now use auto-dosing systems, which help maintain consistent disinfection and reduce human error.

For care homes that haven’t yet upgraded, we recommend reviewing our chemicals and auto-dosing solutions—they’re built specifically for high-risk environments like yours.

Step 6: Use the Right Machines for Each Load Type

Not every commercial washer is designed to handle infectious laundry or PPE-heavy loads. It’s vital to:

  • Use machines with disinfection rinse cycles

  • Program correct cycle temperatures (usually 65–71°C minimum for thermal disinfection)

  • Regularly clean and maintain machines to prevent microbial build-up

If you need guidance on upgrading or expanding your setup, visit our laundry equipment page or get in touch with us.

Additional Resource

For additional clarity on infection prevention in laundry handling, the NHS Health Technical Memorandum 01-04 provides detailed, non-commercial guidance on the safe decontamination and separation of linen in care and healthcare settings. It’s a trusted resource that aligns with CQC expectations and best practice protocols.

Final Thoughts

Knowing how to separate laundry in care homes is more than a back-room task—it’s frontline infection control. With colour-coded systems, proper staff training, and reliable equipment, you can prevent contamination, meet audit standards, and keep residents safe.

Need help reviewing your current system or planning an upgrade? Contact our team today and we’ll help you find the right laundry solution for your care home.