Water soluble bag manufacturers are developing products that allow the user to dispose of used linens in a hygienic manner. The bags are used in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities to contain contaminated clothing or bedding. This prevents contaminating the washing machine or causing bacteria to spread to other items of laundry. It also helps reduce the risk of contamination from blood borne pathogens, MRSA and bed bugs. The soiled laundry is stored in the bags and placed in the washing machine for cleaning and disinfection. The bags dissolve into harmless ingredients during the wash cycle.
The invention provides a composite uniplanar plastic film comprising a strip of cold water soluble film bonded to an adjacent strip of hot water soluble film. The strips may have different widths and dimensions or a single continuous strip. The cold water soluble portion dissolves in cold water and the hot water soluble portion subsequently dissolves upon elevation of the temperature during the washing cycle. This allows the soiled laundry to be removed from the bag without the need for the operator to come into contact with the dirty laundry.
Bags produced from the composite film are useful for laundry in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care and hospitality facilities. They help reduce the risk of infection from soiled hospital bedding and garments by keeping them separated from clean linens and clothing. The bags can also be used to store and transport soiled laundry between locations.
In addition to reducing the risk of infection, water soluble bags are also an environmentally friendly and economical solution. They are made of biodegradable materials and can be easily broken down in a commercial compost pile. This makes them a good choice for people who want to make the transition to an environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Compared to traditional cloth laundry bags, the water soluble bag can be used repeatedly and still provide excellent protection for clothing. They are easy to open and close and can withstand a wide variety of washing temperatures. They are also resistant to greases, fats and oils and do not generate static charge.
In addition, the bags are easy to clean and can be used to isolate, store, transport and clean soiled clothing, uniforms and bed linens in laundries, hospitals, prisons, nursing homes and hotels. They are impervious to most gases and are odor-free, which helps protect against the spread of infectious diseases.
Currently, there are several methods for disposal of disposable laundry bags, such as running them under hot water in the sink or throwing them into your trash that goes to the landfill. However, most of these bags do not have a valid end-of-life strategy, so they are likely to be reused or disposed of in a way that is unsustainable. Moreover, some of the PVA films used in these bags are only classed as industrially compostable and would need to be melted down in order to be recycled.