FAQs

To accredit laundries processing healthcare textiles based on the highest standards for patient safety and infection prevention. 

HLAC has no members. There is a voluntary Board of Directors and a small administrative staff responsible for the day-to-day operations. 

The 12-member Board of Directors comprises an independent and highly experienced group of professionals – commercial laundry operators, association executives, co-op and on-premise laundry operators, infection control professionals, and representatives of federal government organizations.   Meet our board!

HLAC accreditation, which is good for three years, means that a laundry meets HLAC Accreditation Standards. These standards have been documented, published, and professionally recognized. Accreditation affirms that a laundry organization that processes healthcare linens has successfully passed an inspection of the following: its facility, policies and procedures, training programs, and its relationships with its healthcare customers. 

HLAC Accreditation Standards have been developed based on federal regulations and guidelines, industry best practices, as well as feedback from industry professionals. These standards, Accreditation Standards for Processing Reusable Textiles for use in Healthcare Facilities, 2023 Edition, are published here.  

The HLAC Accreditation Standards are established as the minimum acceptable practice for the preparation of hygienically clean, reusable healthcare textiles for patient care, implemented and executed by accredited laundry facilities processing reusable healthcare textiles. The HLAC Accreditation Standards document covers the complete textile processing cycle: from handling and transporting to laundering and finishing to customer service. Special attention has been directed to laundry processes directly related to patient safety and OSHA-required practices, including Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Standards. A Part III, addressing the surgical pack assembly room and its activities. This section is based on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) reference regarding reusable surgical textiles processing.

The fee-based inspection process for HLAC accreditation is entirely voluntary. Leading healthcare laundries, both for-profit and non-profit, aspire to HLAC accreditation.

The current fee is $5,900 per laundry organization located in the United States and Canada per laundry organization. A special rate exists for laundry organizations with three or more facilities that are owned by the same organization. To qualify for this special rate, all applications and deposits must be submitted to HLAC Office at the same time. The inspector’s travel expenses are also the responsibility of the laundry organization and will be charged after the inspection at the actual cost 

Please refer to the HLAC Accreditation Inspection Agreement and the HLAC Accreditation Inspection Process Guide for complete details. 

For the independent laundry, the benefits realized from accreditation – in advancing patient safety, quality improvement, credibility, competitiveness and learning – all combine to outweigh the costs involved. There are money-saving ideas available for sharing and HLAC is available to discuss these ideas with accreditation candidates.

Inspections take one day. Immediately after the inspection, inspectors provide a brief verbal summary and a formal written report follows from the HLAC.

Accreditation is active for a three-year period.

Please refer to the HLAC Accreditation Inspection Process Guide for complete information and details.

HLAC inspectors are independent contractors who have a wide-range of experience and expertise in the healthcare laundry industry. Each inspector has the knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively process laundry according to established standard processes. HLAC provides the inspectors with in-depth training regarding HLAC Accreditation Standards.