How to Sign Laundry Rooms
Practical guidance on laundry room signage that helps residents identify utility spaces, reduces confusion, and supports the smooth operation of care home facilities.
Laundry rooms are among the most frequently accessed utility spaces in a care home, used constantly by staff throughout the day and night. While primarily operational spaces, they interact with resident areas and must be signed in a way that integrates with the building's overall wayfinding strategy. The Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) includes utility spaces in its comprehensive approach to care home signage, recognising that any unsigned door contributes to environmental ambiguity and resident disorientation.
The Role of Laundry Signage in Wayfinding#
For residents living with dementia, a laundry room door that looks identical to a bedroom or bathroom door can cause significant confusion. A resident may attempt to enter the laundry room believing it is a toilet, become startled by the noise of industrial washing machines, or feel distressed in an unfamiliar environment. A clear 'Laundry' sign with iconic washing machine imagery immediately communicates the room's purpose and redirects the resident without the need for staff intervention. This simple environmental adaptation reduces confusion episodes and supports staff efficiency.
Laundry room signage considerations:
- Sign the main laundry with clear 'Laundry' text and washing machine imagery
- Include signs for sluice rooms, linen stores, and any associated utility spaces
- Use the same design style and mounting height as all other signs in the building
- Consider whether residents use any laundry facilities independently and sign accordingly
- Mark clean and soiled linen storage areas clearly for infection control purposes
- Ensure signage is visible even when trolleys, carts, or hampers are positioned near the door
Pro Tip
In care homes that encourage residents to participate in laundry tasks as part of meaningful activity programmes, create dedicated resident laundry areas signed separately from the main staff laundry. Signs reading 'Laundry Room - You are welcome to use this room' with clear instructions and imagery encourage independent participation while keeping residents away from industrial equipment in the main laundry.
Practical Signage for Operational Efficiency#
Beyond wayfinding, laundry room signage serves important operational functions. Internal signs should clearly identify different zones within the laundry, such as sorting, washing, drying, and folding areas. Labels for temperature settings, detergent usage, and infection control procedures support consistent practice, particularly for agency staff who may be unfamiliar with the care home's specific laundry protocols. These operational signs should maintain the same high-contrast, clear typography principles used throughout the building.
Recommended Products
Our laundry room signs feature iconic washing machine imagery in high-contrast finishes. Manufactured from 5mm solid white acrylic with textured 3D print, they resist moisture and cleaning chemicals, making them ideal for laundry environments. DSDC-accredited with a 1A rating, each sign maintains consistency with your care home's broader signage scheme.
Infection control
Laundry areas must comply with Health and Safety Executive guidance on the handling of soiled linen. Signage plays a role in infection control by clearly marking clean and contaminated zones, indicating hand-washing stations, and displaying PPE requirements. Your dementia-friendly door sign complements these essential operational signs.
Include laundry signage in your regular environmental audits. Check that signs remain securely fixed despite vibration from washing machines and dryers, that they are not obscured by linen trolleys or equipment, and that any operational information displayed inside the laundry remains current and accurate. Laundry areas often change configuration as equipment is replaced or processes are updated, and signage must keep pace with these changes.
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