unsanitary wash dry fold

[tree6199]

We've been getting a reasonable amount of WDf that has a decent amount of blood, on towels and underclothes. A few other customers are giving us clothes with an excess of urine, and actual feces stuck in the underwear. One was so bad that there was feces smeared on the laundry basket the WDF came in. Today another customer came in with a sheet that a dog soiled in. There was dog feces, urine and matted dog hair that needed to be shaken out.

Although this is unsanitary, I feel I can't keep turning these customers away because it is good steady business. However, I don't want my employees, who are complaining, to quit on me. It is also a health risk as I know one or our customers has hepatitis and another has HIV. I have written notes to a few customers and asked them to put soiled garments in a net bag, but usually they don't do it.

Any suggestions on how to handle this?

[detlaundry]

it's your choice, however, I can tell you that I have returned one or two garments in a plastic bag along with their completed WNF order and an explanation that we could not process certain articles for health reasons. They remained customers and also got the message.

[seflaundry]

At the very least have latex gloves for the employees to wear if the chose to.

[tree6199]

Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea of separating the worst of the soiled items and doing the rest of the order.

We do have latex gloves available, but my help is still complaining. I'll have to take it on a case by case basis, because they are starting to balk at too many things.

Thanks for the advice.

Theresa

[fishmanz]

Your paying them right? This is part of our industry. Tell them to get over it.

[TLR]

If you do a really bad load (no pun intended) - or do dog hair and dog beds - be sure to run your washer again after the load with a clorox run - on extra hot - no clothes - to try and sterilize your machine for your walk in customers.

TLR

[PeterH]

Apron, rubber gloves and hand sanitizer is always available for the attendants. If the order is bad, we do an enzyme soak in the toploaders for at least 45 minutes with two full scoops of Tide powder before finishing with a regular cycle in the frontloaders.