Chicago, IL — May 1, 2024 — Mickey’s Linen Achieves Hygienically Clean Food Service Certification
Chicago-based Mickey’s Linen has achieved Hygienically Clean Food Service certification through TRSA, reflecting the company’s commitment to best management practices (BMPs) in laundering, as verified by on-site inspection and the company’s ongoing capability to produce hygienically lean textiles as quantified by regular microbial testing. This certification indicates exceptional dedication on the part of Mickey’s Linen in supplying restaurants and other food service establishments with hygienically clean linen, uniforms, and facility service supplies meant to keep their customers clean, healthy, and looking their best.
“For 90 years, we have been committed to process improvement, implementing the latest technology and laundry processing standards to better service our customers. Achieving Hygienically Clean is a testament to the hard work and efforts our team invests each and every day to produce the highest quality products and services, with the industry’s most recognized certification,” says Peter Brown, General Manager. “Our team is extremely proud of obtaining this accreditation and continuing to raise the bar as a best-in-class laundry provider for our customers, and a recognition milestone amongst our people.”
What does it mean to be certified Hygienically Clean?
Hygienically Clean certified laundries commit to cleanliness through third-party facility inspection and quantified microbial testing. This combination eliminates subjectivity by focusing on outcomes and results. Inspectors verify that the textiles cleaned in these facilities meet appropriate hygienically clean standards and BMPs needed to serve hygiene requirements in various industries. The Food Service designation applies to products and services for full- and limited-service restaurants, hotels, hospitals, educational institutions, and other locations where food is handled and served.
First, inspectors assess washing procedures (detergent formulas, temperature, disinfectant, pH, extraction), drying, garment inspection, and transportation. Each certified laundry’s operational flowchart is evaluated, ensuring these procedures (pick up, unloading, sorting of soiled items, and sorting of clean laundry) are mapped. Employees’ use of personal protective equipment must be documented.
During inspections for Hygienically Clean certification, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices are examined, including the laundry’s techniques for:
- Conducting hazard analysis
- Determining CCPs, monitoring their control, and correcting them if not under control
- Validating and verifying HACCP system effectiveness
- Documenting and record-keeping to show ongoing conformance
Finally, to attain any of the Hygienically Clean certifications, the laundry must submit to a facility inspection, and laundered products must pass three rounds of outcome-based microbial testing, indicating that their processes are producing Hygienically Clean Healthcare textiles and diminished presence of yeast, mold, and harmful bacteria. Mickey’s Linen must pass quarterly RODAC (total microbial content) and semi-annual USP 62 (absence of specified microorganisms) testing to maintain their certification. This ensures that laundered product quality is consistently maintained as laundry conditions change (such as water quality, textile fabric composition, and wash chemistry). Physical re-inspection occurs every two to three years.
About Mickey’s Linen
Founded in 1930, Mickey’s Linen is a fourth-generation, family-owned and -operated textile rental industry leader, providing table linen, napkins, aprons, and kitchen uniforms to over 5,500 customers across Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Michigan. Their specialty medical division, MedClean, provides hygienically clean linen, scrubs, patient gowns, and more to healthcare facilities across the Midwest.
About TRSA
Millions of people rely every day on the clean uniforms, garments, linens, towels, walk-off mats and other products that TRSA-member commercial laundries provide. TRSA serves its members by promoting and protecting its companies and educating owners/operators, executives and management through professional development independent certifications that conform to internationally recognized standards, advocacy and research. For more information about TRSA and its certifications, visit http://www.trsa.org.
