Since 1953 commercial laundries have been organised into the Gütegemeinschaft Verantwortungsvoller Textilservice e.V. (The Certification Association for Responsible Textile Service).
Highlights and milestones in the association's history can be found here.
The pathogen directory with integrated search function is available on the Certification Association’s website at www.waeschereien.de. Interested parties receive clear recommendations for action that increase security and make everyday work easier.
The goal is a future-proof Certification Association that optimally adapts to the requirements of its members and to the market environment. The measures include an update for the basic pillars of the Certification Association, revision of the mission statement, association statutes, membership rules, update of quality and testing regulations, member survey and improved internal & external communication.
The Certification Association is extending its quality and testing regulations to include the Hygiene Supplement (formerly Corona Supplement) for hotel and catering linen. For assured laundry hygiene, Hygiene-Plus for laundries covers requirements that go beyond the specifications of the quality mark RAL-GZ 992/1 “commercial laundry and household laundry". This is certified with a hygiene certificate as proof of the extremely hygienic processing of hotel and catering linen.
Another area for increased hygiene has developed from the demographic development of the population: more and more people are spending their twilight years in care facilities. It is necessary that their personal laundry and clothing are also cared for according to hygienic guidelines.
A milestone: On 1 January 2004 the go-ahead was given for the Certification Association’s new website containing lots of information about the RAL quality mark. Since then visitors have been able to search for member companies within a defined postcode area or town and make direct contact via a virtual business card with stored company data, internet links and e-mail addresses.
New hygienic standards have also emerged in the food industry, not least through the introduction of the HACCP concept (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). From this, specific hygienic requirements for textiles in food establishments have been developed.
Although the Quality Mark 992 for professional washing care was initially intended only for German laundry businesses, it has since become successfully established in other countries as well. Today, numerous commercial laundries around the world are allowed to use quality marks. The external controls by Hohenstein are carried out internationally according to the same criteria as in Germany.
Many hospitals have closed their own laundries and handed over their laundry to commercial laundries for washing and disinfection. The introduction of higher hygiene standards ensures laundry in a hygienic condition, but also protects the staff in the laundries from possible infection through the laundry.
The structural change in the laundry industry is in full swing: There is a focus on promising market segments such as the health sector. Hygiene and technical innovations are the order of the day.
The former Hohenstein institutes are the central testing centre and carry out testing for the whole of Germany. Additional tasks: Advising member companies on technical matters and also providing support on hygiene issues.
A time of changes: The new name of the association is “Gütegemeinschaft sachgemäße Wäschepflege e.V.”, which is also reflected in a new logo. The aims of the Certification Association have also been reformulated. With the triumph of household washing machines, large-scale business with wet laundry is on the decline. In turn, a new market is opening up for quality assurance companies: rented linen in the commercial sector such as hotels, restaurants, craft and industrial businesses.
Public relations work and advertising, including at consumer exhibitions and trade fairs, for the quality mark are common practice: the target group is housewives. The Certification Association argues that the “large wash” is easier and that the laundry is protected.
On 24 February 1953, the “Quality Mark for Professional Washing” was officially recognised by the “RAL Committee for Standardisation and Quality Assurance at the German Standards Committee”. This also marked the start of the "Gütegemeinschaft für sachgemäßes Waschen e. V.”. Thereafter: What is written in the RAL quality regulations is considered state of the art.
The first quality mark in 1938: The white swan was the symbol for the quality mark: three beautiful, white swan necks symbolise the professional excellence of commercial laundries.
The pioneer for the creation of the first quality mark for “professional washing” is the Cologne laundry operator Willy Löcher, whose initiative was the first to demand a quality mark for a service.
