Ensuring Safety in Commercial Laundry: Essential Protective Gear & Equipment

Working in a commercial laundry, dry-cleaning shop, or any facility handling chemicals and heavy-duty cleaning involves more than just washing and pressing garments. It also means managing risks chemical exposure, spills, contamination, and general workplace hazards. Having the right safety equipment on hand is essential to protect staff, maintain hygiene standards, and comply with safety regulations.

Here are some of the key protective items and safety kits you can rely on, and why they matter.

Disposable medical-grade safety masks

When handling strong cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, or when working in dusty or poorly ventilated areas, protecting your respiratory system is crucial. Disposable medical-grade safety masks help filter out dust, chemical fumes and airborne particles, reducing the risk of inhaling harmful substances.

Benefits:

Provides protection against airborne particles, dust, and chemical splashes.
Lightweight, convenient and easy to supply in bulk.
Helps reduce cross-contamination risk especially important in shared facilities, healthcare laundry, or aged-care services.

These masks are useful whenever staff are working with powders, strong detergents, or bleaching chemicals, or anytime ventilation is limited.

Learn more about medical grade safety masks

Safety mask respirator

For tasks involving stronger chemicals, solvents, or fumes or in enclosed processing areas a standard mask may not be enough. A dedicated safety mask respirator offers enhanced protection for lungs, filtering out chemical vapours and potentially harmful fumes released during stain removal, bleaching or other chemical processes.

Benefits:

Higher-level respiratory protection than regular masks.
Safeguards staff from harsh chemicals and vapours that could irritate or damage the respiratory tract.
Ideal for frequent handling of chemical cleaning agents, solvents or concentrated solutions.

Using respirators where needed helps reduce long-term health risks and ensures compliance with occupational safety standards.

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Hand sanitiser

Clean hands are a small but vital part of maintaining hygiene and safety especially when handling chemicals, dirty linen, or potentially contaminated items. A reliable hand sanitiser keeps staff protected, helps prevent spread of microbes, and keeps operations hygienic.

Benefits:

Quick hand-cleaning solution useful between tasks or after glove removal.
Reduces risk of cross-contamination, particularly where staff move between soiled and clean linen, garments and storage areas.
Convenient for staff hygiene, especially in high-turnover, fast-paced laundry environments.

Regular hand hygiene complements the use of gloves and masks, ensuring overall workplace cleanliness and safety.

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Safety gloves with grip

Handling chemicals, detergents, wet linen and heavy loads demands hand protection. Safety gloves with grip give staff a secure hold and protect their skin against chemical exposure, irritants, hot water, and sharp objects such as zippers or metal buttons.

Benefits:

Barrier protection against chemical splashes, detergents, hot water or cleaning solutions.
Improved grip when lifting, carrying or moving slippery or heavy laundry loads reducing the risk of accidents or dropped loads.
Enhanced durability for repeated use in heavy-duty laundry operations.

Proper glove use is considered essential when handling industrial cleaning chemicals or doing repetitive laundry tasks, to prevent skin irritation or injury.

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Spill kit chemical safety kit

Accidental spills of chemicals are an occupational hazard in laundry and cleaning operations. A spill kit containing absorbents, neutralisers, disposal bags and protective materials is an indispensable safety item. It allows staff to respond quickly and safely, containing spills before they cause injury, contamination, or damage.

Benefits:

Enables immediate containment and clean-up of chemical spills reducing risk of slips, skin contact or airborne exposure.
Helps prevent contamination of clean linen, floors or washing areas.
Supports compliance with workplace safety and chemical handling regulations.
Reduces downtime and mitigates hazards, safeguarding staff and facility.

Spill kits are essential in any environment where chemicals, solvents, bleach or detergents are used so they should be kept accessible wherever chemicals are handled or stored

Learn more about the chemical safety kit