Christeyns launches new, cost-saving ozone concept for on-premise laundries
Christeyns proudly announces the launch of Rapid-O, a total concept consisting of an ozone generator and dedicated chemicals, combined in a wash process. The synergy between the ozone and the products results in efficiency improvements, and an ultimate sensation of softness for elderly home residents or hotel guests. Washing with cold water, less sorting, lower utility costs and increased washing capacity is no longer a dream.
What is Rapid-O?
The use of specialised laundry products in combination with ozone is unique in the market. Christeyns specifically developed the Rapid-O products to enhance the benefits of ozone in the wash process. Together with a compact and very efficient ozone generator, the concept enables to wash at low temperatures and with shorter cycles. This increases the washing capacity, extends the textile lifetime and results in excellent softness and whiteness.
What is Ozone?
The inorganic molecule O3, trioxygen or ozone is a gas that consists of 3 oxygen atoms. The extra oxygen atom in the ozone molecule makes it a less stable gas than the diatomic O2 (dioxygen, generally known as oxygen), but also proves its benefits during the wash process. In contact with water, washing products and soiled textile, the extra atom will separate from its original molecule. It is then free to combine with other chemical compounds such as bleach or soil. The additional oxygen atom pairing with other molecules makes the washing process faster, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. The ozone gas is therefore a real booster in the wash process:
- It replaces the use of heat
- It speeds up the destruction of soil
- It accelerates the work of water and chemicals
Equipment and specifications
The Rapid-O ozone generator is a compact, wall mounted system that generates ozonated air. Through 2 regulated outlets the ozonated air can be transported to 2 independent wash extractors with a combined capacity of maximum 80kg.
The system doses a very low quantity of ozone (only 0.2-0.4ppm) that is injected continuously in the operating washer extractor. There is no batch system or separate tank as is often the case on the market. This low and continuous flow of ozone ensures optimal safety and a guaranteed stable quality.
It is to be said that ozone-generating systems come with the necessary safety precautions to prevent employees being harmed from exposure to ozone. Therefore the ozone generator needs to be a reliable and secure system that is installed and used in the correct way. Christeyns can give you more information about the built-in safeguards and will always assist with the installation of the Rapid-O equipment.
Products
The Rapid-O products are part of a multicomponent system. The chemicals need to be used together with the ozone generator in order to maximise the benefits of the ozone in the wash process. It combines a detergent and alkali booster with a bleach disinfectant. These 3 products are essential for the effectiveness of the system. They open up the textile fibres to create softness, boost the bleaching effect and improve the stain removal capacity.
- Rapid-O Wash: detergent for stain removal at low temperatures (20°C) on both coloured and white fabrics.
- Rapid-O Boost: blend of alkalis, sequestering and anti-greying agents to boost the action of the detergent in the wash process.
- Peracid Forte: bleaching agent based on peracetic acid with anti-bacterial, -fungal and –viral hygiene properties.
For medium to heavily soiled linen, it is recommended to use an additional degreaser to guarantee optimal stain removal. The Rapid-O degreaser is a gentle, but highly effective detergent booster. It ensures excellent stain removal, longer-lasting whiteness and brighter colours. With Rapid-O Degrease, a higher machine load is possible. The product is specifically developed to apply at low temperatures.
Last but not least, the use of a softener is not required in an ozonated wash process as the ozone is already ensuring a great softening effect by opening up the textile fibres. The ozone also neutralises all bad odours and leaves a fresh sensation. A softener is sometimes requested for its perfume.
Characteristics and synergy
The combination of ozone and Rapid-O products in a dedicated wash process creates synergies at different levels. This effect cannot be reached with traditional wash programmes without compromising too much on water, energy and laundry products. 
- One of the key benefits of the concept is washing at low temperatures (20°C-30°C). As the heating time is reduced, this saves on energy costs and shortens the duration of the washing cycle. Shorter wash cycles imply an increased capacity of the wash extractors, thus boosting the productivity of the laundry.
- The added ozone improves the stain removal and bleaching capacity in the Rapid-O wash processes. The combination of ozone and peracetic acid (Peracid Forte) works wonders. It opens up the textile fibres, releasing and breaking down embedded mineral particles and chemical deposits. It also boosts the bleaching power for white linen. In combination with Rapid-O degrease, even heavily soiled textile is freed from it stubborn stains.
- Cold washing means a more gentle wash cycle for your garments and so a longer textile lifetime. Next to excellent whiteness the ozone also causes superior softness because textile fibres are opened to the maximum.
- Last but not least, operations and handlings can be significantly improved. The Rapid-O concept only requires sorting between white and coloured textile. This saves your staff quite some preparation time. Next, rewash is reduced to a minimum due to the excellent stain removal. These two aspects considerably simplify the workflow and save on operation costs.
Rapid-O in practice
When comparing an average standard wash process to the Rapid-O wash process we can see that the latter creates almost 50% more wash capacity. Water and energy costs are reduced due to washing at lower temperatures, shorter wash cycles and less rinse cycles.
More specifically, during a test case with an Italian client specialised in mop cleaning the wash tests showed that the life time of mops increases significantly when washing with the Rapid-O process and products. The life span of the mops was almost tripled. Even after 1080 wash cycles the textile fibres were not affected and stains could effectively be removed. The user could still experience real softness and no bad odours could be detected.
* The process was validated according to the ISO 14698-1: 2003 standard by an independent laboratory.
For whom?
The Rapid-O system is perfectly suited for on-premise laundries who wish to improve their efficiency and save costs. With a dedicated wash process for white textiles, coloured textiles, mops, hotel linen or bath towels, Rapid-O offers a solution for different types of textiles in different sectors: from small hotel laundries and wellnesses to retirement homes, care homes and sports centres.
Want to know more? Download our flyer or contact your local Christeyns representative for more information!
