Behind the seams
Date published: 18 Jun 2026 Author: Elizabeth Williams
The people and science behind hospital grade laundry. Wagga Linen Services is the latest HealthShare NSW (HSNSW) laundry facility to showcase how they turnaround more than 40 tonnes of linen per week.
Sorting, washing, drying, folding and pressing is an art form at the site in Wagga’s south. As the cold winter months begin, the heat from the driers and linen press is something team members look forward to – and also something their new industrial washing machine will use for a power boost.
The service welcomed more than a dozen visitors for a guided tour and information session. Topics including; working together and how sustainability initiatives such as water recycling equipment, upgrading batch washer technology and the upcoming instalment of solar panels, will deliver a more efficient and reliable service for hospitals in the region.
‘We love opening our doors so we can hear feedback from our partners and show them the skilled work our dedicated teams do every day,’ said Liz Curtis, Manager at Wagga Linen Services in NSW’s south-west.
‘Visitors see everything, from start to finish. The sorting of soiled towels, sheets, baby blankets, and scrubs, loading the huge washer filled with carefully curated chemicals for a hospital grade clean – right down to meticulous sorting and folding.’
‘Patients should feel warm and safe in their hospital bed and we take pride in providing clean and comfortable linen to our communities,’ Ms Curis added.
Each week at Wagga Linen Services:
- 47 NSW health facilities (within the Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW and South West Sydney local health districts)
- 40+ tonnes of linen
- 1722 hospital beds
Visitors from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District and HealthShare NSW included operational staff from hospitals in Leeton, Young, Coolamon, Boorowa, and Wagga Wagga, as well as members of the statewide HSNSW Linen Services team.
‘We expect Wagga Wagga’s new continuous batch washer (CBW) to be operating in October,’ said Nathan MacDonald, Statewide Maintenance Manager at HSNSW.
‘Investing in the new CBW will increase the capacity of each wash by 66 per cent, save operators loading time and completely utilise the full capacity of our batch dryers.
’Solar panels will also be installed in the near future, with the service set to use every watt of electricity made.
With Wagga Wagga, Lismore and Orange laundry facilities already hosting an open day, Tamworth Linen Service will be the next to open their doors.
Does working with linen sound like you? Join the more than 700 strong HealthShare NSW employees bringing fresh laundry items to NSW hospitals every day. For more information visit the HSNSW Careers page.
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