Achieving consistently great results in professional textile washing is about more than the wash cycle alone. It begins with smart choices and well-established routines. From selecting the right products to finishing textiles with care, every step matters in maintaining hygiene, textile longevity, and a fresh result.
Clean results are the outcome of right practices
Effective textile care hygiene relies on:
- Using suitable detergents and performance boosters
- Correct dosing
- Following proper washing processes
- Ensuring clean surfaces and safe handling throughout the process
Prompt action is essential. Soiled textiles should be washed without delay to prevent contamination. It’s equally important to handle soiled textiles in ways that safeguard both people and the environment. This includes using protective equipment and maintaining good hygiene.
Practical tips for hygienic textile washing
- Choose the right detergent. Match the detergent to the textile type: coloured, white, delicate, or technical. Correct dosing ensures a good washing result and prevents residue formation.
- Temperature matters. Follow the textile care labels.
- Select the proper washing program. Use programs suited to the textile type. Similar textiles should be washed together, and microfibre textiles should always be washed separately from other textiles.
- Load wisely. Avoid overloading, as this reduces washing and rinsing efficiency.
- Pre-treat stains. Apply stain removers or make a paste of powder product on the stain and let it work for a while before washing. Soak if needed for tough stains.
- Consider water quality. Soft water enhances cleaning and reduces detergent use. Hard water may require higher detergent dosage or specialized products.
- Dry with care. Dry loosely or use a tumble dryer. Drying affects the end result. Tumble drying softens fabrics but may shrink some heat sensitive materials.
- Handle with hygiene in mind. Wear disposable gloves when handling dirty textiles and respiratory protection when required to reduce the risk of viral infection. Remove protective gloves in the correct manner, wash hands thoroughly, and moisturize to maintain skin health.
Read more about textile washing in different settings:
Surface hygiene – don’t overlook the environment
If clean and dirty textiles must be handled in the same space, clean surfaces regularly after handling both dirty and clean textiles. This prevents cross-contamination and keeps freshly washed textiles safe.
Maintenance of the washing machine
To ensure clean textiles, it is important to also take care of the daily maintenance of the washing machine. To clean the washing machine, use a universal cleaning agent, such as Kiilto Pro Vieno Non-perfumed.
- Wipe the machine’s exterior surfaces with a microfibre cloth.
- Clean the machine’s seals and door.
- Empty and clean the lint filter.
- Ensure the wash drum is clean.
- Clean the detergent drawer.
- Use the machine’s hygiene wash program, if it is available and necessary.
Kiilto’s textile care solutions – designed for professional hygiene
Kiilto offers a complete range of textile care products tailored to demanding environments. Our solutions include:
- High-performance powders and liquids
- Fabric softeners for increasing textile softness and to minimize static charge (not for cleaning textiles)
- Specialized detergents for stubborn odours, and to ensure high-level of hygiene
Driven by enzymes, backed by science, and designed for the future
Kiilto Pro textile care products* contain a wide variety of enzymes. Depending on the enzyme, they break down different types of soil, for example proteins, starches, and fruits. The broad range of enzymes enhances the detergent’s ability to remove stains effectively.
The latest enzyme technology makes Kiilto Pro detergents, such as Kiilto Pro Workwear Wash, an optimal choice for washing kitchen workwear.
*Excluding Kiilto Pro Sensitive Wash, Kiilto Pro Oxy Wash and Kiilto Pro softeners. More detailed product information can be found on the product pages of each product.
Lignin — from forests to factories
Textile washing detergents need polymers to bind and suspend soil that has already been released from textiles during the wash. These polymers are called dispersants, and they have a crucial role in maintaining the brightness and cleanliness of textiles. Lignin is a natural biopolymer which can be modified to perform this function. Kiilto Pro powder detergents include this new biopolymer technology in their composition.
Lignin is found throughout wood, and often a by-product of the pulping process. Kiilto’s RDI team has developed innovative ways to reuse this valuable, renewable resource in textile washing detergents.
Sustainability as a driver in textile care
In developing the Kiilto Pro textile wash product portfolio, Kiilto’s RDI team placed strong emphasis on packaging choices. The packaging of the detergents needed to be safe, user-friendly, ergonomic to handle, and resistant to moisture — while also minimising the environmental impact as much as possible.
Kiilto Pro powder detergents, in 4 kg, 6,5 kg, and 8 kg unit sizes, are packaged in convenient plastic pails. The pails are made from post-consumer recycled plastic (100 % PCR) and are also 100 % recyclable after use. Before recycling, the pails can be refilled with detergent or washed and used as a storage container.
“It may come as a surprise to many that this is the option better in terms of environmental impact. The plastic packaging has a carbon footprint approximately 5 % lower than its predecessor, a cardboard container” says Tomi Peltonen, RDI Manager at Kiilto.
Liquid detergents are packaged in convenient, easy-to-pour-from canisters. Both sizes, 5 litres and 20 litres, are made from 35 % recycled HDPE. This percentage ensures safety, while using less virgin material.
Certified for responsibility, user-safety, and performance
Several of the Kiilto Pro textile washing detergents have been granted the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, signifying compliance with strict life-cycle-based environmental requirements, covering raw-material sourcing, energy use, waste generation, and biodegradability.
In addition to the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, majority of textile washing agents also have been granted an allergy label by the Finnish Allergy, Skin, and Asthma Federation. The allergy label indicates that the products do not contain fragrances or commonly sensitizing or irritating substances.
These labels demonstrate that the textile care products deliver effective performance while prioritizing environmental responsibility, user safety, and the well-being of those who wear the textiles after washing.