• Reduction of all viruses in laundry and on crockery loads by up to 99.99%

• Endorsement from Albstadt-Sigmaringen technical university

Miele commercial technology is at its most effective when combatting viruses of all types: This is the conclusion arrived at by Prof. Benjamin Eilts from the applied cleaning and hygiene laboratory at the Albstadt-Sigmaringen technical university. His team investigated laundry technology and commercial dishwashers from Miele and awarded numerous models the acclaimed Seal of Approval of the Institute for Integrative Hygiene and Virology.

Wherever people meet and congregate, there is a health risk posed by viruses – and it isn't only Covid-19 but also other pathogens such as Norovirus, children's diseases, influenza and infections of the upper respiratory tract. This makes independent validation of the methods which reliably ensure hygienically clean crockery and clean laundry all the more important. In contrast to the healthcare sector and residential care, there are still no unified regulations governing child-care centres, hotels, restaurants and close-contact services such as hairdressers. This is where the virus seal of approval, which is valid for a period of two years in the EU, Switzerland, the USA and many other countries, is able to contribute towards greater transparency.

The Golden Seal was awarded to all Miele washing machines put through their paces on the university's own test rack: One machine each from the current 'Benchmark' generation, the SmartBiz series and the Little Giant range. In conjunction with detergents from the ProCare Tex series, tailored to commercial Miele washing machines, more than 99.9% of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses were removed on all models. Depending on the machine in question, specific programmes must be selected to guarantee the deactivation of viruses.

The Professional Ironing Board PIB 100 from Miele – an ironing system for commercial use – received the Silver Seal. 99.99% of all test viruses were removed in the laboratory. In the process, the hand iron or steamer was operated at the highest power setting and items of clothing subjected to steam for a period of five minutes.

Miele commercial dishwashers produced similarly convincing results. Passthrough dishwashers from the new PTD 901 series were awarded the Silver Seal at the end of the standard programmes. Here, too, 99.9% of enveloped viruses, which include the Corona virus, Norovirus and Adenovirus, were banished. The detergents used were from the Miele ProCare Shine range and are effective against soils such as starch and protein stains.

The model tested was the PG 8057 TD from the current series of Miele fresh water dishwashers. This model was awarded the Golden Seal as it offers thermal disinfection in the form of the varioTD programme, a feature otherwise reserved for the medical sector. The varioTD programme holds a final rinse temperature of 93°C for a period of 60 seconds. If required, this holding time can even be extended. Using the appropriate ProCare Shine detergents, this process was even able to remove up to 99.99% of all enveloped and non-enveloped viruses – even from load items which are difficult to clean, such as pots and pans and milk jugs.

Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. Their product portfolio also includes dishwashers, air purifiers, washing machines and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). Founded in 1899, the company has eight production plants in Germany, one each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China, Romania and Poland as well as two production plants belonging to its Italian medical technology subsidiary Steelco. Sales in the 2020 business year amounted to around € 4.5 bn (thereof 29.5% in Germany). Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries/regions. Throughout the world, the family-run enterprise, now in its fourth generation, employs a workforce of around 20,900, of which approx. 11,050 employees work in Germany. The company has its headquarters in Gütersloh in Westphalia.