Laundry Testing & Facility Inspection Procedures

A laundry facility seeking a TRSA Hygienically Clean certification must submit laundered textile products for initial bacteriological testing. Various types of products (work wear, towels, linens, etc.) are subject to examination. After the laundry facility inspection and testing requirements have been determined and fulfilled, the facility is tentatively certified and its probationary period begins, with testing continuing on two different items in the each of the next two months. If these three examinations reveal that all tested items meet the TRSA’s Minimum Performance Specifications, the probationary period ends and testing resumes on a semi-annual basis.

All testing is done by a TRSA-approved laboratory recognized under the ILAC MRA (Mutual Recognition Arrangement) or recognized by federal or state agencies for microbiological testing. Examples of acceptable third-party accreditation bodies include the International Accreditation Service (IAS), American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), and ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board doing business as ACLASS. Laboratories recognized by federal or state agencies such as the EPA, FDA, Department of Agriculture, CDC, CPSC and OSHA are also approved.

In the second laundry facility inspection and all subsequent ones (every three years), the TRSA representative selects two items for testing projected to have the highest potential to fail based on the previous examination. The representative ships these samples to a TRSA-approved laboratory chosen by the laundry.

Initial Certification

Upon applying for the program, facilities seeking Hygienically Clean certification should contact the TRSA for applicable inspection and testing requirements. This will clarify textile product types that require testing. Following that determination, the facility’s management will send its goods to a TRSA-approved laboratory of their choice with a chain of custody form.