In any type of hospital, extended care or health care facility keeping linens and room essentials clean and orderly is very important. Both covered and open linen carts are able to organize materials on shelves, in bins or in compartments for easy storage. The major benefit to a covered linen cart is that the cover also acts to eliminate accidental spills, debris and dust from coming in contact with the clean linens on the cart. Covered carts also are ideal for transporting linens through non-patient areas to and from the laundry facilities. In multi-building facilities covered linen carts also protect the clean supplies from rain or dust while being moved between buildings. In addition covered linen carts may help in decreasing losses from the carts since linens and other objects will not be view and will not be able to drop from the cart while the cart is in transport. What color options are available with a linen cart? Different manufacturers provide different options for linen cart covers. Generally most covers will be made of a fine mesh material or a more solid material and will come in a wide range of colors. Vinyl linen cart covers are both durable and sturdy, plus they are easy to clean in the event of spills or dirt on the cover. Common colors for most companies include various shades of blues, greens, mauves and reds as well as traditional hospital colors such as beige and neutral tones. The linen cart covers should be easy to remove for washing and cleaning, plus they should also be available from the company as replacements in the event they become damaged. What size are most linen cart models? There are many different sizes of linen carts and which one is the best match for each facility depends on several factors. The number of patient rooms in a particular facility as well as the types of linens transported will all be an important factor. Other issues with regards to size may include the space available to store the carts and the size of elevators and doorways through which the linen cart may have to move. Smaller carts are often made of lightweight but very durable PCV pipe. These styles typically have between two and four shelves and may be two to four shelves in height. Each shelf in these lightweight linen carts will hold approximately 50 pounds, plus each shelf can also be adjusted to provide just the height required. These carts can be used for both storage and transportation of linens and are a great addition to any facility. Heavier duty carts that are made of aluminum or chrome may be able to carry up to 2000 pounds without any difficulty. These carts are typically covered and come with several shelves that can also be adjusted. Different widths from 24 inches to wider 30 or more inches are available in both the aluminum, chrome and plastic models.