JP3492280B2 - Method for cleaning medical textile products and washing machine used for the method - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a medical facility,
The present invention relates to a washing method suitable for washing various textiles such as linens, wrapping bags, and lab coats attached with blood, which are discharged from welfare facilities and the like, and a washing machine used in the washing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When laundering textile products collected from medical facilities, welfare facilities, etc., it is necessary to take different considerations from those for washing many ordinary laundry items.

[0003]

That is, the first problem is that blood stains, which are very difficult to remove, are included as one of the stains. As a method for cleaning such a textile product having blood stains, there is a conventional method, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-818.
The method described in Japanese Patent No. 0 is known. In this method, first, preliminary cleaning is performed with an acid solution, and then main cleaning is performed with a sodium hypochlorite (soda) solution. However, according to the experiments by the present inventors, in such a method,
For heavy blood stains and almost dry blood stains,
A sufficient cleaning effect cannot always be obtained.

For the same purpose, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-
The method described in Japanese Patent No. 190075 is known. This method first removes most stains including blood stains by pre-washing with an alkaline solution containing a water-soluble polymer compound, and then performing main washing with a washing solution containing a bleaching agent to remove residual blood. It is intended to remove stain stains. However, according to the experiments of the present inventors, according to such a method, although it is effective in removing blood stains that have not been relatively passed since it adheres, it is possible to remove blood stains left for several days. Does not always provide a sufficient cleaning effect. That is, the conventionally known cleaning methods are not sufficient to completely remove blood stains, particularly stains that have become spots after a lapse of time since adhesion.

A second problem is that bacteria, viruses, etc. that cause diseases (in this specification, bacteria, viruses, amoeba, etc. that cause these diseases are generically called "bacteria". And) may be attached to the object to be cleaned. In recent years, so-called nosocomial infections, especially in medical facilities and welfare facilities, have become a problem, and although fiber products are not always the cause, there are other ways to ensure high safety (that is, hygiene). It is desirable to use the same sterilization or sterilization treatment as that of medical instruments, etc. By the way, although the standards (so-called guidelines) for disinfecting such equipment in medical facilities differ from country to country, the German standards, which are said to be the most strict in the world, require heat disinfection at a high temperature of 93 ° C for 10 minutes. Recommended. In view of the current situation of increase in nosocomial infections as described above, it is expected that such regulations will become stricter in Japan in the future as well.

Considering the possibility that various kinds of bacteria are attached to the laundry, it is undeniable that the laundry worker may get sick due to contact infection, and a measure to protect the laundry worker is also desired. . Furthermore, although the person in charge of hospitals etc. is relatively accustomed to seeing blood, it is not always the case for laundry workers, and there is a great psychological resistance to handling laundry soiled with blood. In some cases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to completely remove blood stains and sterilize an object to be washed while maintaining a hygienic environment for a laundry worker. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for cleaning a medical textile product that can ensure a clean and hygienic finish, and a washing machine used for such a cleaning method.

[0008]

Means for Solving the Problems A method for cleaning a medical textile product according to the present invention, which was made to solve the above problems, comprises:
A method for washing a medical textile product having blood adhered thereto as a material to be washed, which is performed using a washing machine, comprising: a) high water solubility having a characteristic of dissolving at a temperature in the range of 50 to 70 ° C. A pre-process of coating an article to be cleaned with a molecular film and storing it in the washing tub of a washing machine as it is, and b) using an alkali cleaning liquid having a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature in the washing tub, A preliminary cleaning step in which the molecular film is dissolved and the object to be cleaned is brought into sudden contact with the alkaline cleaning solution to perform cleaning, and c) following the preliminary cleaning step, a bleaching agent is further added into the washing tub, Effective in killing most bacteria 93
And a main cleaning step of cleaning with a cleaning liquid heated to a temperature of not less than 0 ° C.

Further, a washing machine according to the present invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is provided with a washing tub rotatably in an outer tub, and is housed in the washing tub by rotating the washing tub. and has a washing machine for washing the object to be cleaned, 50
A washing machine for washing an article to be washed coated with a water-soluble polymer film having a characteristic of dissolving at a temperature in the range of 70 ° C to 70 ° C , a) a detergent in which a detergent is put into the washing tub Charging means, b) bleaching agent charging means for charging a bleaching agent into the washing tub, c) heating means for heating water stored in the washing tub, and d) washing tubing by the detergent charging means. Put the detergent inside
After performing <br/> predetermined time washed while heating above the melting temperature of the water-soluble polymer film material, with continued washing by introducing a bleaching agent by the bleaching agent dosing means, the cleaning of the middle And an operation control means for controlling the heating means to raise the temperature of the water in the washing tub to 93 ° C. or higher, which is effective for killing most of the bacteria, at an appropriate time.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the cleaning method according to the present invention, after the object to be cleaned coated with the water-soluble polymer film is placed in the washing tub, the film is heated to 50 to 70 ° C. in the preliminary cleaning step.
Contact with an alkaline cleaning solution having a melting temperature of not less than the range . As a result, the film body dissolves, and the object to be cleaned begins and
Contacting the alkali washing solution. The alkaline cleaning solution has a function of dissolving proteins, and the higher the temperature is, the stronger the effect is. Therefore, the alkaline cleaning solution dissolves proteins faster than the proteins in the blood are denatured by heat, and thus adheres to the object to be cleaned. Blood is removed. Of course, general dirt other than blood is also removed. Most blood stains that have adhered to the object to be cleaned remain as yellowish brown stains even after the pre-cleaning process is completed, but in the next main cleaning process, the bleaching agent is oxidized. This stain is also removed by the action. Furthermore, bacteria attached to the object to be cleaned are killed by heat of 93 ° C. or higher, and sterilization is also achieved.

In the cleaning method according to the present invention, as the water-soluble polymer film body, for example, a polyvinyl acetate polymer can be used. Although the polyvinyl acetate polymer is water-soluble, its dissolution temperature can be controlled depending on the degree of saponification. Specifically, when polyvinyl acetate obtained by polymerizing vinyl acetate is saponified 100% (esters are replaced with hydroxyl groups), it becomes polyvinyl alcohol, and the melting temperature in that case is about 80 ° C. On the other hand, when the saponification value is 0%, it dissolves in water at room temperature. Therefore, it can be controlled so as to melt at an appropriate predetermined temperature within the range of room temperature to about 80 ° C.

The melting temperature of the water-soluble polymer membrane is 50
Was set within the range of to 70 ° C., in the preliminary washing stroke, a result of considering the trade-off between modification of the protein by washing efficiency and heat of proteins with an alkaline cleaning solution
Is.

In the preliminary washing step, the higher the pH value is, the better the washing efficiency of the protein with the alkaline washing solution is. Therefore, the pH value is preferably 11 or more.

Further, since the main washing step is carried out at a high temperature, it is desirable that the bleaching agent is slowly decomposed even in high temperature water, that is, the bleaching action is sustained. In order to meet such requirements, the bleaching agent may contain either a perborate, hydrogen peroxide or a percarbonate.

In order to perform more reliable sterilization, it is desirable that the time of the main cleaning process is long, but it is necessary to consider the balance with the total operation time. Further, it is preferable that the temperature in the main cleaning process is high, but the higher the temperature is, the more the heating method is limited and the cost is increased. Therefore, in view of the standard of heat sterilization for medical instruments, it is preferable that the main cleaning step is performed at least at 93 ° C. or higher for 10 minutes or longer.

Further, in the washing machine according to the present invention, the worker puts the article to be washed coated with the water-soluble polymer film body in the washing tub as described above and sets a predetermined detergent or bleaching agent. Then, the cleaning method according to the present invention is automatically executed thereafter. That is, under the control of the operation control means, the detergent is charged into the washing tub by the detergent charging means and prewashed with the detergent water (that is, the alkaline cleaning liquid), and then the bleaching agent is washed by the bleaching agent charging means. It is put into the tank and the main cleaning is performed. This completely removes blood stains. Further, during the washing, the water in the washing tub is heated to a temperature effective for killing the bacteria by the heating means, and thereby sterilization is also achieved.

In the washing machine according to the present invention, since it is necessary to completely dissolve the water-soluble polymer membrane during the pre-washing process, it is necessary to determine the temperature of the detergent water according to the melting temperature of the membrane. At the same time, it is necessary to consider the cleaning efficiency with detergent water as described above. From these facts, for example, when the melting temperature of the water-soluble polymer film body is set to about 60 ° C., the operation control means is about 60 to 70 ° C. after the detergent is added.
It is preferable that cleaning is performed for a predetermined time with detergent water heated in the range.

Considering the effect of sterilization, it is preferable that the operation control means heats the detergent water in the washing tub to 93 ° C. or more after the bleaching agent is added, and further, the temperature is 93 ° C. or more and 10 minutes or more. It is more desirable to perform washing.

In addition, it is preferable to set the water level at the time of washing after adding the bleaching agent to be higher than that at the time of normal washing. Here, the "normal cleaning" refers to cleaning before adding a bleaching agent or cleaning for general objects to be cleaned, which is not cleaning for blood stains as performed here. As the water level in the washing tub increases, the heat capacity of the water increases and the volume of the upper space in the washing tub decreases, making it difficult to lower the water temperature. For example, it is easy to maintain a temperature of 93 ° C or higher as described above. become. Therefore, the certainty of the bactericidal effect is enhanced.

Since the water in the washing tub is extremely hot after the washing with the detergent and the bleaching agent is completed, if the water is drained as it is, there is a risk of damaging the external drainage pipe and the like. . Therefore, in the washing machine according to the present invention, it is preferable that after the washing with the detergent and the bleaching agent is completed, additional water is supplied to the washing tub without draining. According to this structure, the temperature of the water in the washing tub can be quickly lowered by mixing with the additionally supplied water at room temperature. Therefore, the operation time can be shortened as compared with the case of waiting for the temperature of the water to drop.

In order to prevent damage to the drain pipe made of vinyl chloride, for example, it is preferable to start draining after the temperature of the water in the washing tub has dropped below a predetermined temperature.

Further, when the cleaning is performed using the alkaline cleaning liquid as described above, even if the rinsing is carefully performed, a slight amount of the alkaline component remains on the object to be cleaned.
Therefore, it is preferable that the washing machine according to the present invention further includes a neutralizing agent feeding means for feeding the neutralizing agent into the washing tub at the time of rinsing after the washing is completed. The neutralizer may be added in any of a plurality of rinses, but it is most effective when the final rinse is performed.

[0023]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION According to the method for cleaning a medical textile product of the present invention, the following effects are exhibited. (1) By covering the object to be cleaned with the water-soluble polymer film at first, the washing worker has no or less chance of coming into direct contact with the object to be cleaned. It is possible to reduce the contact infection by the kind. This water-soluble polymer film does not dissolve unless it is water above a certain temperature, so if the object to be cleaned is covered, even if it gets wet with water at room temperature during transportation or handling, If the object itself is wet and comes into contact with it, the object to be cleaned is not exposed to the outside. Therefore, the object to be cleaned is surely covered with the water-soluble polymer film body. (2) Not only is it effective in preventing contact infection of laundry workers, but blood and other dirt attached to the objects to be washed are not exposed to the eyes of laundry workers, so the working environment is also improved. It (3) Adhesion to the object to be cleaned was caused by two-step cleaning including preliminary cleaning using an alkaline cleaning solution and main cleaning using a bleaching agent, and moreover, the object to be cleaned suddenly contacted with the high temperature alkaline cleaning solution. It is possible to cleanly remove blood stains, particularly stains that are very hard to remove even after they have adhered. (4) Bacteria are killed at a high temperature, which is effective for sterilization and can enhance not only visible cleanliness but also hygiene.

Further, according to the washing machine of the present invention, the operator puts the article to be washed coated with the water-soluble polymer film body in the washing tub and even sets a predetermined detergent or bleaching agent. If
After that, the clean and highly hygienic cleaning as described above can be automatically achieved.

[0025]

EXAMPLE First, the procedure of the method for cleaning a medical fiber product according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing a washing step when the main washing method is embodied using a washing machine described later. The main feature of the main washing method is each step of steps S1, S3 and S4 in FIG.

Here, the object to be cleaned is a used clothing, wrapping bag, linen or other textile product that is issued from various welfare facilities such as medical facilities such as hospitals and nursing homes for the elderly. is there. These items to be cleaned are, for example, collected by a specific contracted laundry company, transported to the laundry workplace of that company, and washed there. Needless to say, a laundry workshop may be installed in parallel at the facility where the items to be cleaned are put out. As a preparatory step before washing, these items to be washed are housed in a dedicated washing bag made of a water-soluble polymer film. This storage work may be performed by the laundry worker before the laundry starts, but in consideration of the ease of handling and transportation, it must be done by the workers of the facility in the facility where the items to be washed are taken out. Is preferred.

The water-soluble polymer film body constituting this laundry bag has the characteristic of being soluble in water at about 60 ° C. or higher. Specifically, a polymer obtained by saponifying polyvinyl acetate can be used. When polyvinyl acetate is saponified to 100% (so-called saponification value: 100%), polyvinyl alcohol which is soluble in water at about 80 ° C or higher is produced. Also,
When it is not saponified at all (that is, the saponification value is 0%), it dissolves in water at room temperature. Therefore, when the saponification value is about 80%, it can be dissolved in water at about 60 ° C. An example of the film material that can be obtained is Gohsenol manufactured by Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

A laundry bag made of this water-soluble polymer film is
Although it is water-soluble, it does not dissolve unless the water temperature is about 60 ° C or higher. Therefore, even if the object to be cleaned contains water, or if it is exposed to water at a temperature of about 60 ° C or less during transportation or handling, It does not dissolve. Therefore, once the object to be cleaned is housed in the laundry bag, the object to be cleaned is not exposed to the outside and is not exposed to the eyes of the laundry worker.
In the laundry workplace, the object to be cleaned is thrown into the drum (that is, the washing tub) of the washing machine while being housed in the laundry bag (step S1).

When the washing is started, the first washing step is first executed (step S3). The feature of this step is that the washing is carried out at least at the temperature at which the laundry bag is dissolved, that is, at 60 ° C. or higher, and the detergent is dissolved in water to form an alkaline washing solution. For example, when water at room temperature is introduced into the drum for heating, the washing bag does not dissolve in the initial stage of heating, so the object to be washed does not come into contact with the alkaline cleaning liquid (that is, water in which the detergent is dissolved), and the water temperature is about 60 ° C. When the temperature rises to the above level, the laundry bag is dissolved and the item to be cleaned comes into contact with the alkaline cleaning liquid for the first time. As is well known, the protein contained in blood is denatured by heat, but since the washing performance is high when the water temperature is high, the blood can be dropped faster than the denaturation. However, blood stains may remain as yellowish brown stains in the first cleaning process.

Then, the second cleaning step is then executed (step S4). The feature of this process is that the bleaching agent is additionally added to the alkaline cleaning liquid, and the cleaning is performed after the water temperature is raised to 93 ° C. or higher which is effective for killing most bacteria. As the bleaching agent, one that performs oxidative bleaching is used. As a result, the stain stains remaining previously are removed, and the bacteria are almost completely killed by the heat. Thus, with such a two-step cleaning,
Blood stains soaked in the object to be cleaned are almost completely removed without leaving stains, and sterilization is also achieved.

Next, an embodiment of a washing machine which is an apparatus for implementing the above cleaning method will be described. FIG. 1 is a piping system diagram of water and steam of the drum type washing machine of this embodiment. Figure 1
In the outer tank 1, a drum 2 in which an object to be cleaned is housed is rotatably provided, and the drum 2 is rotationally driven by a drum motor 35 (not shown). Further, a first temperature sensor 3 and a second temperature sensor 4 for measuring the temperature of water stored in the outer tub 1 are provided at the bottom and the side of the outer tub 1, respectively. A main water supply pipe 6 provided with a strainer (filter) 7 and a water supply valve 8 at the upper part of the outer tub 1.
Are connected. When this water supply valve 8 is opened,
Water supplied from an external tap or the like to the water supply port 5 is poured into the outer tub 1 through the main water supply pipe 6.

Further, the main water supply pipe 6 is provided with a sub water supply pipe 9 branching in the middle thereof. The sub water supply pipe 9 is provided with a flow rate adjusting valve 10 and is further divided into three systems to divide the first,
It is connected to the auxiliary agent injector 14 via the second and third auxiliary agent valves 11, 12, 13. The auxiliary agent feeder 14 has a first,
The second and third auxiliary agent accommodating parts 141, 142, 143 are independently provided, and the first, second and third auxiliary agent valves 11,
When any one of 12 and 13 is opened, the water that has flowed into the auxiliary agent injector 14 through the valve is discharged to the outside together with the auxiliary agent accommodated in the corresponding auxiliary agent accommodating portions 141, 142 and 143. Water is poured into tank 1. The flow rate adjusting valve 10 is a manual valve and is adjusted in advance so as to have an appropriate opening.

A drain pipe 15 is connected to the bottom of the outer tank 1, and a drain valve 17 is provided in the drain pipe 15. In addition, the overflow pipe 1 connected to the side portion of the outer tank 1
8 is a drain pipe 15 and has a drain valve 17 and a drain port 16
Is connected between and. In addition, a pressure pipe 19 is connected between the outer tub 1 and the drain valve 17 in the drain pipe 15, and the end of the pressure pipe 19 is stored in the outer tub 1 by detecting the air pressure inside the pressure pipe 19. A water level sensor 20 for detecting the water level of fresh water is provided. In such a drum washing machine, the water level is expressed by a water depth obtained by dividing the bottom of the drum 2 into "0", the center of the drum 2 into "10", and dividing the interval into 10 equal parts.

Further, a steam supply pipe 21 is also connected to the bottom of the outer tank 1, and the high temperature steam supplied to the steam supply port 22 is supplied to the outer tank 1 via a strainer 23 and a steam supply valve 24. It When high-temperature steam is supplied into the outer tub 1 while water is stored in the outer tub 1, the steam passes through the water and heats the water by heat exchange. In addition to the main water supply pipe 6 and the sub water supply pipe 9, an exhaust pipe 25 is connected to the upper part of the outer tub 1 and has a function of letting the vapor in the outer tub 1 escape to the outside through an exhaust port 26.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the essential parts of the electric system of this drum type washing machine. The control unit 30 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and has a memory that stores an operation program. A key input signal from the operation unit 33, a temperature detection signal from the first and second temperature sensors 3 and 4, and a water level detection signal from the water level sensor 20 are input to the control unit 30 as input signals. The operation unit 33 is
A blood cleaning key 33a for designating a blood cleaning course and a start key 33b for instructing the start of operation are included. The control unit 30 receives these input signals and, in the process of executing a predetermined operation program, through the valve drive unit 31, the water supply valve 8, the first, second and third auxiliary agent valves 11, 12, 13, The opening / closing operations of the drainage valve 17 and the steam supply valve 24 are controlled, the rotation of the drum motor 35 is controlled via the motor drive unit 32, and a predetermined display is displayed on the display unit 34. Instead of providing the blood cleaning key 33a on the operation unit 33, the blood cleaning course may be selected by performing a predetermined key operation with one or a plurality of keys.

In this drum type washing machine, it is possible to selectively execute either a generally known washing operation or a washing operation according to the blood washing course, which is a characteristic operation of this embodiment. It has become. Hereinafter, the washing operation of this blood washing course will be described with reference to FIG.
And FIG. 4 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the main setting parameters of each stroke during the washing operation according to the blood washing course, and FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of the temperature change of the water stored in the outer tub 1 from the start of washing to the middle thereof. Is.

Before washing, it is assumed that the article to be washed has already been stored in a dedicated washing bag as described above. As a preparatory work, the laundry worker prepares a predetermined detergent (that is, a detergent that becomes an alkaline cleaning liquid when dissolved in water) in the first auxiliary agent accommodating section 141, and a bleaching agent and a third auxiliary agent in the second auxiliary agent accommodating section 142. The neutralizing agent is stored in the portion 143, and the laundry bag containing the object to be cleaned is put into the drum 2 (step S1). As a detergent,
For example, a soap-based detergent containing a nonionic activator and using sodium tripolyphosphate as a builder (for example, Super Conte H (trade name) manufactured by Genbu Co., Ltd.) is useful. Further, as a bleaching agent, a perborate (peroxoborate) having the same oxidizing power as hydrogen peroxide and sterilizing power by boric acid is useful.

When the above-mentioned preparation is completed, the laundry worker presses the blood cleaning key 33a on the operation unit 33 to select the blood cleaning course and then presses the start key 33b to instruct the start of the operation (step). S2). Control unit 3
When 0 detects that the door is surely closed by the door switch (not shown), it accepts the input of the start key 33b and starts the washing operation.

(I) First Washing Step (Step S3) After the operation is started, the control unit 30 closes the drain valve 17 via the valve drive unit 31 and opens the water supply valve 8 to enter the outer tank 1. Start water supply. Further, the drum motor 35 is driven via the motor drive unit 32 to rotate the drum 2 in a predetermined drive pattern. Here, in all of the first cleaning process, the second cleaning process, the cool-down process and the rinsing process, [clockwise rotation 5 seconds on-1 second off-
Left rotation 5 seconds on-1 second off] is set as one cycle, and left and right inversion rotation is performed by repeating this. Further, the rotation speed of the drum 2 in this first cleaning step is 40 r
pm.

The first auxiliary agent valve 11 at the beginning or in the middle of water supply.
Is opened for a predetermined time (for example, 40 seconds), and the first auxiliary agent storage section 1
The detergent contained in 41 is poured into the outer tub 1. Furthermore, the steam supply valve 24 is opened at the beginning or in the middle of the water supply to supply the high temperature steam to the outer tub 1 to pass through the water stored in the outer tub 1. The control unit 30 closes the water supply valve 8 and stops the water supply when it detects that the water level has risen to 3 degrees by the water level detection signal from the water level sensor 20. After that, the high temperature steam is fed, and the temperature of the water stored in the outer tub 1 continues to rise as shown in FIG.

When the water temperature reaches about 60 ° C., the laundry bag begins to melt, and the object to be cleaned therein first comes into contact with the detergent water (that is, the alkaline cleaning liquid). That is, in this washing machine, the detergent is sufficiently dissolved in water and the concentration thereof becomes substantially uniform, and then the object to be washed comes into contact with the detergent water. Therefore, the high-concentration detergent water does not directly contact the object to be cleaned. Further, when blood adheres to the object to be cleaned, it comes into direct contact with detergent water at a temperature of about 60 ° C. or higher, and due to its high cleaning ability, the protein contained in blood dissolves faster than it denatures.

When the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 3 reaches 70 ° C., the control section 30 starts the time counting by the timer. Also, so that the temperature is maintained near 70 ° C,
The opening / closing of the steam supply valve 24 is controlled. After 2 minutes have elapsed from the start of counting by the timer, that is, after washing with detergent water maintained at about 70 ° C. for 2 minutes, the process proceeds to the next second washing step.

(Ii) Second Washing Step (Step S4) When the first washing step is finished, the control unit 30 opens the steam supply valve 24 to continuously supply high temperature steam, and the water in the outer tank 1 Is further heated. The second auxiliary agent valve 12 is opened for a predetermined time (for example, about 40 seconds), and the second auxiliary agent accommodating portion 142 is opened.
The bleaching agent stored in the above is poured into the outer tank 1. As a result, the water level in the outer tub 1 also rises to a water depth of 4 degrees. Also,
The rotation speed of the drum 2 is reduced to 20 rpm, and the drum 2 is driven so as to rotate in the same drive pattern as above.

The temperature of the water stored in the outer tank 1 is shown in FIG.
As shown in, the temperature rises from 70 ° C. The control unit 30
When the temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 3 reaches 95 ° C., the time measurement by the timer is started and the temperature becomes 9
The opening / closing of the steam supply valve 24 is controlled so as to be maintained at around 5 ° C. As described above, in this second washing step, during the first washing step (and during normal washing that is not this blood washing course)
The water level is higher than that. Therefore, the heat capacity of the water stored in the outer tub 1 increases, and the amount of steam accumulated in the upper space in the drum 2 decreases. This makes it difficult for the water temperature to drop, so that the water temperature can be stably maintained near 95 ° C. In this manner, the detergent water containing the bleaching agent is kept at about 95 ° C. until 10 minutes have elapsed from the start of the timer. During this period, blood stains remaining on the object to be cleaned are bleached and removed by the oxidizing action of the bleaching agent in addition to the detergent. In addition, bacteria attached to the object to be cleaned are killed. It should be noted that when the water temperature drops sharply, the detection operation of the temperature sensor cannot follow the temperature change, and there is also a problem that the water temperature fluctuation becomes more severe due to the delay in reheating, but this problem is also described above. It can be avoided by raising the water level.

As described above, cleaning is performed at about 95 ° C. for 10 minutes, and the second cleaning process is completed. Basically, since the washing process is completed as described above, detergent water is not necessary, but since the detergent water at this time has a high temperature close to 100 ° C, there is a high possibility of damaging the external drainage pipe if the drainage is performed as it is. . Since the heat resistance temperature of a vinyl chloride resin pipe that has been generally used in the past is about 60 ° C, the temperature of the drainage is 60
It is necessary to lower it to below ℃. Therefore, the drainage operation is not performed immediately after the end of the second cleaning step, and the next cooldown step is executed to lower the water temperature.

(Iii) Cooldown Step and Intermediate Dehydration Step (Step S5) The control unit 30 closes the steam supply valve 24 to stop the steam supply, and at the same time, opens the water supply valve 8 to remove normal temperature tap water. Water is poured into the tank 1. As a result, the temperature of the water in the outer tub 1 begins to drop as shown in FIG. The water supply valve 8 is closed when the water level reaches a water depth of 9 according to the water level detection signal from the water level sensor 20, and the drum 2 is rotated for 20 minutes.
Continue to flip left and right with pm. Water temperature is about 7 minutes after 1 minute
It goes down to about 0 ℃. Next, in order to supply additional water, the first and second water are supplied for a predetermined time (for example, about 75 seconds).
The auxiliary agent valves 11 and 12 are opened. At this time, since the first and second auxiliary agent accommodating portions 141, 142 are empty,
Normal temperature tap water is supplied to the outer tub 1 through the sub water supply pipe 9. Here, water is supplied through the sub water supply pipe 9 because the opening / closing operation of the water supply valve 8 can be controlled only in accordance with the water level detection result of the water level sensor 20. Water may be supplied through the main water supply pipe 6 in a configuration in which the water can be freely opened and closed.

What is required here is that the temperature of the water stored in the outer tub 1 is reduced for a short time by supplying water up to a water level of 10 or more which is not necessary for general washing operations. It is to lower with. That is, when the water is supplied as described above and the drum 2 is continuously rotated for another 1.5 minutes, the temperature of the water in the outer tub 1 drops to about 57 ° C. Of course, since the temperature drop at this time is affected by the ambient temperature, it may not always be 60 ° C. or lower depending on the conditions. Therefore, the control unit 30 determines the water temperature based on the temperature detection signal from the second temperature sensor 4 which is in a state of being immersed in water by sufficient water supply, and extends the cool down process when the temperature is not 60 ° C. or lower. On the other hand, if the water temperature has fallen sufficiently, the drain valve 17 is opened to start draining. That is, the detergent water containing the bleaching agent is discharged to the outside through the drain pipe 15 for the first time here.

When the water level detected by the water level sensor 20 has dropped to a predetermined position after the start of drainage, the drum motor 35 is driven so as to rotate the drum 2 in one direction at a high speed in order to perform intermediate dehydration. The rotation speed of the drum 2 at this time is, for example, 550 rpm. As a result, the detergent water contained in the laundry is discharged by the centrifugal force and scattered to the outer tub 1.

(Iv) Rinse Step and Intermediate Dehydration Step (Step S6) After intermediate dewatering has been performed for 30 seconds, the rotation speed of the drum 2 is reduced, the drain valve 17 is closed and the water supply valve 8 is opened. Introduce clean tap water into the tank 1. Then, after the water is supplied to the water depth 7, the rinsing operation is performed for 3 minutes, and when the rinsing operation is completed, the stored water in the outer tub 1 is discharged. Then, intermediate dehydration is performed as in the previous case. Such rinsing is repeated twice.

(V) Final rinsing step and final dehydration step (steps S7 and S8) After that, the final rinsing is performed. At this time, the water supply valve 8 is opened and the third auxiliary agent valve 13 is also opened, and the third auxiliary valve is opened. The neutralizing agent contained in the agent container 143 is introduced into the outer tank 1. This neutralizing agent has a softening effect for neutralizing the alkalinity of the detergent components remaining in the laundry to a slight extent and for softening the laundry. After rinsing with water containing the neutralizing agent in this way, the rotation speed of the drum 2 is increased to the maximum of 830 rpm to perform sufficient dehydration, and all the washing steps are completed. In addition,
The neutralizer may be added during the first and second rinsing steps, but since the alkalinity is the lowest at the final rinsing step, a small amount of a high neutralizing effect can be obtained by adding the neutralizer here. can get.

By the above washing steps, blood stains adhering to the laundry are removed and at the same time, sterilization is performed, so that a clean and hygienic finish can be achieved.

Next, a test example of cleaning performance by the cleaning method according to the present invention will be described. [Test Example 1] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a comparison result of cleaning conditions and cleaning performance between the cleaning method (method A) according to the present invention and other three cleaning methods (method B, method C, method D). is there. In both methods, two-stage cleaning including a first cleaning process (preliminary cleaning) and a second cleaning process (main cleaning process) is performed. Method A and B
The major difference from the method is whether or not to use a washing bag made of a water-soluble polymer film. In other words, as a result of not using the washing bag in the method B, the object to be cleaned first comes into contact with cold water and the temperature gradually rises as described in the condition column of the first cleaning process. On the other hand, in the method A according to the present invention,
Since the laundry bag is used, the object to be cleaned will suddenly come into contact with the detergent water at a high temperature of 60 ° C. without coming into contact with the cold detergent water. In both methods C and D, preliminary cleaning is performed with an alkaline cleaning solution and then main cleaning is performed with a cleaning solution containing a bleaching agent. The preliminary cleaning is 40 ° C. and the main cleaning is 60 ° C. The cleaning is performed at a lower temperature than the method A. The method D is described in the above-mentioned JP-A-63-1.
This is based on the cleaning method proposed in Japanese Patent No. 90075.

The object to be cleaned was a blood-contaminated cloth, and the cleaning efficiency was calculated by measuring the reflectance before and after cleaning and calculating the cleaning rate by the following equation, and converting the method according to the present invention into 100 and converting it into a relative value. . Cleaning rate (%) = {(reflectance after cleaning-reflectance before cleaning)
/ (Reflectivity of white cloth-Reflectivity before washing)} x 100 As a result, it was confirmed that the method A according to the present invention has a higher washing ability than the other three methods.

[Test Example 2] This test was conducted to examine the degree of discoloration of the textile product itself as well as the blood stain removal performance, and FIG. 7 shows another method to be compared with method A according to the present invention. The cleaning conditions for the two cleaning methods (method D and method E) are described. The item to be cleaned is green cotton clothes with blood stains obtained from a hospital. The ratio between the weight of the clothes and the amount of water was 20 kg of the amount of water of 90 L (bath ratio 1 / 4.5).

After the washing was finished, the stain removal of the dried clothes was visually observed, and the method A according to the present invention showed no stains of blood stains.
Moreover, the green color of the clothes remained unchanged, that is, no discoloration was observed. On the other hand, in the D method and the E method, although blood stains could be removed to the extent that bloodstain stains slightly remained, the green color of the clothing itself was almost decolorized, and the state became almost white. . From this result, it can be said that the cleaning method according to the present invention is excellent not only in its ability to remove blood stains, but also in that the original color of the textile product is not lost.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples, and it is obvious that appropriate changes and modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a piping system diagram of a drum type washing machine according to an embodiment of a washing machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an electric system configuration diagram of a main part of the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a view showing main setting parameters of each stroke in a washing operation in a blood washing course in the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of temperature change of water stored in the outer tub from the start of washing to the middle of washing in the drum type washing machine of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a washing process in the drum type washing machine of this embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a comparison of cleaning conditions and cleaning results in Test Example 1.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a comparison of cleaning conditions in Test Example 2.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Outer tank 2 ... drum 3, 4 ... Temperature sensor 5 ... Water inlet 6 ... Main water supply pipe 7, 23 ... Strainer 8 ... Water supply valve 9 ... Sub water supply pipe 11 ... First auxiliary valve 12 ... Second auxiliary valve 13 ... Third auxiliary valve 14 ... Auxiliary agent injector 141 ... 1st auxiliary agent accommodating part 142 ... Second auxiliary agent storage section 143 ... Third auxiliary agent storage section 15 ... Drainage pipe 16 ... Drainage port 17 ... Drain valve 18 ... Overflow pipe 19 ... Pressure tube 20 ... Water level sensor 21 ... Steam supply pipe 22 ... Steaming mouth 24 ... Steam supply valve 25 ... Exhaust pipe 25 ... Exhaust port 30 ... Control unit 31 ... Valve drive unit 32 ... Motor drive unit 33 ... Operation part 33a ... Blood wash key 33b ... Start key 35 ... Drum motor

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Yoshitsugu Kitamura 2-5-5 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Miyaji 2-5 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture No. 5 within Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP 63-190075 (JP, A) JP 61-2800 (JP, A) JP 7-290567 (JP, A) JP 9- 201323 (JP, A) JP 10-33448 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) D06L 1/00-3/16 D06F 23/00-23/06 D06F 39/04 D06F 33/00-33/10 C11D 7/54-7/56 C11D 3/395

Claims (10)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method of washing a medical textile product having blood adhered thereto as a material to be washed, which is washed with a washing machine, comprising: a) a property of dissolving at a temperature within a range of 50 to 70 ° C. A pre-process of coating the article to be cleaned with a water-soluble polymer film having the above and accommodating it in the washing tub of a washing machine in the coated state, and b) using an alkaline cleaning liquid having a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature in the washing tub. A pre-cleaning step in which the water-soluble polymer film is dissolved and the object to be cleaned is brought into rapid contact with the alkali cleaning solution, and c) bleaching is further performed in the washing tub after the pre-cleaning step. It is effective in killing most bacteria by adding agents 93
A method of cleaning a medical textile product, comprising: a main cleaning step of cleaning with a cleaning liquid heated to a temperature of not less than 0 ° C. 2. The cleaning method according to claim 1, wherein the water-soluble polymer film body is a polyvinyl acetate polymer. 3. A method of cleaning according to claim 1 or 2, medical textiles cleaning method, wherein the pH value of the alkaline cleaning liquid is 11 or more. 4. The method of cleaning according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bleach, medical, characterized in that it is intended to include any of the perborate, hydrogen peroxide or percarbonates Textile cleaning methods. 5. A cleaning method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the cleaning step is and at 93 ° C. or higher 1
A method for cleaning a medical fiber product, which comprises cleaning for 0 minutes or more. 6. A washing machine having an outer tub rotatably provided therein, wherein the washing tub is rotated to wash an object to be cleaned contained in the washing tub at 50 to 70 ° C. of
A washing machine for washing an article to be washed coated with a water-soluble polymer film having a property of dissolving at a temperature within a range, comprising: a) a detergent introducing means for introducing a detergent into the washing tub; b) a bleaching agent charging means for charging a bleaching agent into the washing tub, c) a heating means for heating water stored in the washing tub, and d) a detergent in the washing tub by the detergent charging means. Throw in
After performing <br/> predetermined time washed while heating above the melting temperature of the water-soluble polymer film material, with continued washing by introducing a bleaching agent by the bleaching agent dosing means, the cleaning of the middle A washing machine comprising: an operation control means for controlling the heating means at an appropriate time to raise the temperature of the water in the washing tub to 93 ° C. or higher, which is effective for killing most bacteria. . 7. The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein the operation control means performs washing for a predetermined time with detergent water heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the melting temperature and within a range of 60 to 70 ° C. after the detergent is added. A washing machine characterized by that. 8. The washing machine according to claim 6 or 7 , wherein the water level is set to be higher during cleaning after the bleaching agent is added than during normal cleaning. 9. The washing machine according to claim 6 , wherein after washing with a bleaching agent is completed, additional water is supplied into the washing tub without draining the bleaching agent. A washing machine characterized in that draining is started after the temperature of the water has dropped below a predetermined temperature. 10. The washing machine according to claim 6 , further comprising a neutralizing agent feeding means for feeding a neutralizing agent into the washing tub at the time of rinsing after the washing is completed. Characteristic washing machine.