Textiles can be heavily contaminated with microorganisms. Adequate reprocessing is therefore necessary, especially in hygienically sensitive areas. For example, laundries and textile service providers that reprocess textiles from the hospital sector must meet the requirements of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and have established a hygiene management system in accordance with DIN EN 14065 (RABC). Laundries and textile service providers that process textiles from the food sector should also be able to demonstrate a hygiene management system in accordance with DIN EN 14065 (RABC), which also meets the requirements of the International Featured Standard (IFS) and the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety (BRCGS) and DIN 10524. The wfk seal for textile hygiene proves that textiles are processed in companies according to the respective state of the art and can be used in hygienically sensitive areas such as the hospital and healthcare sector as well as the food industry. It makes it possible to prove the appropriate hygienic quality of textile processing to customers of laundries and textile service providers and thus strengthen trust.

Textile processing is assessed on the basis of certain criteria, which include an assessment of the structural conditions, the organizational framework and the established management system. In addition, the hygiene status is checked in annual company inspections on the basis of microbiological sampling and the implementation of regular self-inspections is required for quality assurance.

The wfk-seal for gentleness to textiles is useful for companies which reprocess customer-owned textiles and can be awarded in addition to the wfk-seal for textile hygiene. With this seal you can demonstrate that the gentleness of your washing procedures is according to the state of the art.

In the area of hygiene and microbiology tests on cleaning, disinfection and sterilization are carried out. Among other things, various types of bacteria as well as bacterial spores, fungi or yeasts and allergens are used as test material. The range of tests includes laboratory testing of products and devices with regard to the reduction of microorganisms, allergens (e.g. NSF P 351) and live mites (e.g. NSF P 351), on-site inspections of production facilities and the provision of microbiological sample material for internal testing of processes and products. Customers are supported in the validation of their processes and can be supplied by the wfk Institute for Applied Research with sample materials such as contact plates (RODAC) for determining the aerobic germ content of textiles, surfaces and the palms of employees' hands, water sample containers for process water analyses or bioindicators for disinfection tests, which comply with the official specifications of the Association for Applied Hygiene (VAH) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

For performance tests of washing processes and detergents reproducible standardized monitors as well as training in the use of monitor systems and the interpretation of test results are offered. Typical products are wash cycle control strips for determining secondary washing effects (e.g. greying, incrustations, tensile strength) and monitors for determining the primary washing effect (cleaning performance).