Disposable caps

Manufacturing standards for disposable caps

Used in the hospital environment, in the world of catering or in the sector industrial, the disposable cap is an accessory that some employees must wear. It is indeed essential to guarantee the maintenance of irreproachable cleanliness in a given environment.

Why put a charlotte at work (kitchen, industry, etc.)?

The disposable protective cap in a nutshell

In certain spaces such as an operating room or kitchen, hygiene flawless is required. It’s gotten to the point where a single strand of hair falling in the wrong place can cause irreparable damage. The charlotte was created to prevent this type of accident - which at first seems negligible - but which can lead to major problems.

The purpose of this equipment is none other than to protect the hair and prevent it from falling, keeping it in a kind of plastic hat that covers the head entirely. The charlotte must be able to maintain all types of hair, whether bushy, short, long or otherwise. At the same time, it must also be snug so as not to leave a passage for flyaways. Since it is light and not bulky, carrying it will in no way hinder its user in carrying out their task.

As the name suggests, it is a disposable accessory, designed for one use only and should be discarded afterwards. The reason is very simple: the cap is not sterile and can infect certain sensitive areas if reused.

Why do we say a charlotte?

The term charlotte is used in reference to the caps worn by women around the 19th century. This product has now become an essential piece of workwear.

The different types of hair caps

If aesthetics is in no way part of the concerns of the manufacturers for this work garment, there are still a few different models of charlotte.

The round charlotte and the accordion charlotte are two models that differ in their opening. The first model has a rounded opening already ready, while to put on the second you will have to stretch it first, like a fan, before wearing it.

These are just technical details, but the one that differs the most in terms of design is undoubtedly the cap with visor. It is a cap particularly used in the medical field and in the food industry.

If the decision is not aesthetic, but rather results from a need, some structures prefer not to turn to classic white caps. Thus, in addition to white, there are also coloured charlottes (usually blue) on the market.

Charlottes and other disposable equipment

The disposable cap is just an accessory of personal protective equipment, whether it is the classic cap with elastic, the cap with visor or catering cap. For more safety, it is necessary to combine it with other work clothes.

For the kitchen area, it is best to wear aprons, overcoats, kitchen jackets, kitchen pants, work shoes… This is to avoid soiling (sauce, wine, oil…) and other risks of projection in the kitchen (flame, heat…)

Same for the medical sector, the cap is only used to finish the outfit but the most essential is the work outfit. Other accessories of protection are also to be taken into account such as gloves, disposable gowns, masks protection.

All these professional clothing and accessories are available on the Oxwork website and always comply with the standards in force.

Manufacturing standards for disposable yarn caps for hygiene

The protection and maintenance of the hair in the cap are the two obligations that designers must absolutely respect. In fact, the edge of the charlotte must be equipped with an elastic band to suit all head sizes and to contain the hair as it should. In the vast majority of cases, this accessory is designed with polypropylene. And as with all accessories and equipment used across Europe, it must necessarily comply with the CE standard. If required by the sector, the cap should also provide the HACCP guarantee (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).

Other “rules” will then be adopted depending on the field of use, the work environment encountered by the professional and the needs of the employees. For example, there is the hypoallergenic side which is optional to respect skins with atopic tendencies. In this case, to avoid the risk of allergy, the charlotte should never contain latex. If, on the other hand, it does not contain the hypoallergenic characteristic, it may contain latex without any problem.

Because in some cases, waterproofing is necessary, some caps are water resistant, and others are non-woven to provide better breathability to the wearer. In addition to being more breathable, the latter are also stronger than the woven versions and logically more used.

There is no charlotte designed specifically for men or women, it is always one size (and therefore unisex). Rarely used outside the professional field, the vast majority of brands do not offer children's caps.