Thermal Disinfection. In Part 2 of this series we referred to the importance of the sluice cycle. All foul and infected linen should be laundered using the sluice/hot wash cycle of the washing machine and should never be done by hand, as this could lead to contamination of hands, surfaces and uniforms. Sluice washing consists of one or two high level cold water pre-rinses with agitation. It is done to dislodge solids from the linen and to suspend the solids in the water so that they can be flushed away prior to the linen entering the thermal phase of the wash cycle.