How often are Railways blankets cleaned? Ashwini Vaishnaw says ‘at least once in…’

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that blankets provided to train passengers are washed at least once a month. Additionally, passengers receive a bedsheet in the bedroll kit, which can be used as a quilt cover.

Vaishnaw's statement was in response to a question raised by Congress MP Kuldeep Indora, who inquired whether woollen blankets are washed only once a month while passengers are paying for bedding that meets basic hygiene standards.

"The blankets used in Indian Railways, as per current specifications, are lighter, easy to wash and provide good insulation to passengers for an overall comfortable journey experience," Ashwini Vaishnaw wrote in his reply, reported PTI.

New linens, BIS specifications

In addition, Vaishnaw outlined several measures implemented to enhance passenger comfort and safety, including the procurement of new linen sets with improved BIS specifications to ensure better quality. Mechanised laundries have been introduced to provide hygienic linen, and standard machines along with specified chemicals are now used for washing.

The quality of washed linen is checked using white-meters, and the codal life of linen items has been reduced to allow for the quicker introduction of fresh stock, Vaishnaw stated.

Additionally, "war rooms" have been established at zonal headquarters and divisional levels to monitor and take prompt action on complaints submitted through the RailMadad portal, including those related to linen and bedrolls.

The minister also mentioned the use of eco-friendly packaging for bedrolls, along with improved logistics for storing, transporting, loading, and unloading linen and bedrolls at stations and on trains.

Blankets are washed only when…

While Vaishnaw stated that blankets are washed monthly—and sometimes twice a month depending on capacity and logistics—reality shows otherwise.

Reportedly, a housekeeping staff member said that blankets are typically sent for washing only once a month unless there is a specific issue, such as a foul smell, wetness, or other complaints.