UAE | Health
Laundries do not spread skin diseases, says municipality
Laundry services will come under a new set of municipality rules to protect public health and safety.
- By Aftab Kazmi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:05 February 27, 2008
Al Ain: Laundry services will come under a new set of municipality rules to protect public health and safety.
The proposal has been sent to Abu Dhabi Executive Council, and will be enforced after its approval, said Mubarak Saif Al Shamsi, Director of the Public Health Department at Al Ain Municipality.
"We are waiting for its approval," he said, adding that the new set of regulations would offer complete guidelines on laundry operations.
Not contaminated
Speaking to Gulf News, Al Shamsi denied that laundries are responsible for the spread of skin problems and other communicable diseases among their clients.
"Some people are under the impression that laundries are operating in an unhygienic environment. It is also believed that [laundries] mix up the laundry, which may possibly pass germs from the contaminated clothes to others."
He said people in Europe and America have been using public Laundromats, a self-service coin-operated commercial laundry, to wash their clothes for many years.
These machines are not sterilised after every wash as the detergents normally kill the germs, he said.
"Laundries here also use strong cleaning chemicals that are capable of killing the germs," he said, adding that the only area of concern is the transportation of clothes.
Al Shamsi said using a trough for washing clothes inside zareebahs (agricultural farms) and hanging clothes in open areas are not allowed.
People should refrain from these practices since they are violations and punishable under the law, he said.
Abdul Naseer Khan, a resident of Al Ain, said he had some doubts about the cleanliness, but is now satisfied since they use washing soda and other strong chemicals.
"In my view, laundries are not instrumental in spreading skin problems or other diseases among the people using laundry services," he said.
Khurshid Ahmad, another resident, said washed clothes that are kept and transported in a safe environment pose no threat to the public safety. "I would rather suggest authorities to do something for the safety of people handling unwashed laundry at their shops," he said.
Share this article
More from UAE Health
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- How I got into grad school in New York
- Committee plans for National Day
- Gallery gives helping hand to children's charity
- Failed heist: Gang ditches electrocuted member
- Rule of law 'necessary' for investment
- Students opt for vocational training
- Red Line Metro stations to open in February
- Vaccination drive for Haj pilgrims launched
- British athlete becomes first to swim around Palm
- 287 street vendors, beggars held in Dubai
- Call for entries to the third AUS Model United Nations
- Talk your way to the top
- Notes in Brief
- Man jumps to death after car tyre burst
- Burst pipe on SZR causes Metro station closures
Community Reports
-
Public transport is the way to go
Residents must stop complaining about feeder buses taking up parking space
-
Be kind to animals
Mistreated Labrador and puppy need new home filled with love
-
Help me find my precious cat
Raif, my cute eight-month-old ‘fur ball', went missing in Abu Dhabi's Al Bateen area last month
-
Pavement parking irks pedestrians
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to step in and stop car owners from invading pathways meant for safe walking
