TSA’s new training course puts microorganisms in the spotlight

Delegates will get detailed understanding of the science and best practice for hygienic laundry

The Textile Services Association (TSA) has launched an innovative new training course focused on providing managers working in healthcare, food care and pharmaceutical laundry sectors with a deeper understanding of microorganisms and harmful pathogens.

The first course will take place at the Crowne Plaza at the NEC in Birmingham on the 9th-10th April 2025. Unlike some training courses which can be boiled down to a list of dos and don’ts, the new initiative aims to give delegates a grounding in the science behind microbiology and how this knowledge can be applied within laundries to ensure best practice is maintained.

The course will deliver knowledge of basic concepts of microbiology such as the morphology, physiology, growth and transmission of microorganisms, as well as decontamination on textiles and within laundries.  This includes understanding the differences between bacteria, viruses and fungal spores, and how their growth can be influenced by different textiles and common laundry processes. It will also provide information on bioindicator testing methods and infection control and decontamination practices.

David Stevens, CEO of the TSA says, “This course gives context to the reasons why decontamination and microorganism controls have been established, and how to use this information to maintain standards in laundries serving industries where hygiene is critical. It breaks down a lot of complex science into understandable and actionable information, and we know it’s going to be useful throughout the laundry sector.”

The course will be led by Dr Katie Laird a Professor of Microbiology, Chartered Biologist and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.  Prof Laird has over 10 years’ experience of conducting research within the industrial laundry sector and her research is extensively published and recognised internationally.

The course costs £320 for TSA members and £640 for non-members. Lunch on days 1 and 2 is provided, but accommodation is not included. Interest in the course has already been strong so early booking is recommended. To secure your place, please book here!

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

E tsa@tsa-uk.org

T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600

Challenge With Change! Looking back at the TSA’s 2024 Autumn Conference

TSA’s David Stevens reflects on lessons learnt covering sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion

Trade associations protect, connect with, value and educate their members. Education in particular is a tool to both guide and challenge. The Textile Service Association’s (TSA) 2024 Autumn Conference put the challenges the laundry sector faces front and centre, with a particular focus on two areas: sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion.

Climate change consultant Benita Matofska, a keynote speaker at the conference, defined sustainability as, “The ability to continue into the future.” While other areas in the conference applied sustainability more specifically to the commercial laundry sector, defining it in this broad and brilliant way drew clear connections to much of the varied programme and the industry challenges it conveyed. She said, “I do believe having an outsider perspective allows me to take an ariel view.”

Several of the conference speakers were, like Benita, outsiders to the laundry industry looking in, sharing that ariel view she described by communicating the broader challenges we face. While the challenges themselves are formidable, how they were communicated was rarely gloomy. There is always room for growth, and it’s clear the laundry industry will continue to improve the sustainability and inclusivity of the sector, with these topics becoming the bedrock of future conferences and events.

Recycling is an increasingly hot topic for the industry.  Following her engaging Industry Workshop, Rosella De Angelis of Klopman International said, “The volume of textiles waste our industry is producing is far too high to be acceptable.”  Recycling textiles is a relatively new area, with considerable challenges, but the fact that both her presentation and the conference at large highlighted the issue embodied the spirit of the event, and the way the industry is embracing the changes required.

For Rosella, the conference is a face-to-face environment where the sector can get together not just to promote but also instigate change. “Conferences like this are super important because these are complex messages. They help us see the overall picture to make it understandable.”

“The future is not a lone game. It’s shared, it has to be,” adds Benita. “The challenges we face in the future require us to work together.” Conferences bring competitors together in a space where, rather than compete, they sit side-by-side. If action requires working together, being together is sure to help.

In one of the conference’s live surveys, sustainability was ranked a top priority.  In contrast, diversity, equity and inclusion received far fewer votes. Following the talk Dr Zaheer Ahmad MBE gave on Unifying Culture, they no longer felt like separate topics at all, more like siblings. He said, “If you look at the UN sustainability goals, equality is part of those. We will not be able to create a sustainable world without addressing the inequalities in ours.”

Nic Hamilton, British Touring Car Championship driver, author, public speaker and brother of Lewis, delivered a moving sendoff in the form of an improvised keynote speech. He talked about how his cerebral palsy affected his experience in school and later in professional motor racing. He also discussed his more recent venture as a successful public speaker. He said that 90 percent of life is mental, and only ten percent physical – quite a statement for someone who has experienced the challenges he has. It’s a great reminder too that, while we often measure the industry in kilos and pieces, the success of 2025 will come from nurturing and developing the wellbeing of the 24,000 workers within our industry.

The TSA will keep these conversations and many more going at this year’s events, including its upcoming National Congress, various seminar days, and the next Autumn conference. For more information contact the TSA.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us either via email or phone: 

E tsa@tsa-uk.org

T +44 (0) 20 3151 5600

Laundry Cost Index: 2024/2025 FYQ3

Laundry Cost Index

Please see our latest published Laundry Cost Index for 2024/2025 FYQ2 below:

Latest Laundry Cost Index
Please see the previous annual increases below for comparison to the latest cost index with an annual increase of 3.60%:
The Full Report
Annual Increase
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ2
4.27%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ1
3.84%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ4
6.19%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ3
5.84%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ2
7.09%
Laundry Cost Index 2023/2024 FYQ1
8.16%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ4
9.34%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ3
17.33%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ2
20.28%
Laundry Cost Index 2022/2023 FYQ1
23.01%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ4
20.13%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ3
9.70%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ2
5.92%
Laundry Cost Index 2021/2022 FYQ1
3.26%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ4
1.43%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ3
2.00%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ2
1.64%
Laundry Cost Index 2020/2021 FYQ1
2.02%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ4
2.73%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ3
1.75%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ2
2.95%
Laundry Cost Index 2019/2020 FYQ1
4.00%
Previous Laundry Cost Indices

If you have any queries or would like any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

T: +44 (0)20 3151 5600
E: tsa@tsa-uk.org