WASHROOM HYGIENE
And just to prove this is certainly not ‘new material’, one of the first studies on how cleaning tools can spread contaminants from one surface to another dates back to 1971. This study investigated microbial contamination of cleaning cloths and their potential to spread contamination. Once again, the researchers reported that wiping surfaces with contaminated cloths can infect hands, equipment, and other surfaces.
As to the spread of contaminants using mops specifically, part of this 1971 study reads as follows:
“Following the demonstration of massive spread of bacterial contamination throughout the hospital by the wet-mopping techniques in use, quantitative studies were undertaken to determine the source of contamination and to institute measures of control. It was found that mops, stored wet, supported bacterial growth to very high levels and could not be adequately decontaminated by chemical disinfection.
“Laundering and adequate drying provided effective decontamination, but build-up of bacterial counts occurred if mops were not changed daily or if disinfectant was omitted from the wash-water.”
STEPS YOU CAN TAKE These studies, and numerous others, are significant because they have been published and reported in
prominent medical and health-related journals around the globe. It is clear that a problem does exist when cleaning cloths and mops are used and then reused.
Convincing your customers this problem exists is the easy part. The studies speak for themselves, and most cleaning professionals realise their primary job is to clean for the health of building users. However, the harder part is offering alternatives.
One alternative is provided by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which suggests contaminated, reusable cleaning cloths (and it is assumed mops) can often be effectively cleaned washing with detergents in hot water and drying for two hours at 80°C. The CDC
also mentions that some cleaning cloths may not hold up under this high heat setting.
Another option the CDC offers is to decontaminate cloths and mops during cleaning.
We all know that cleaning professionals are unlikely to decontaminate cleaning cloths and mops while cleaning. They are obliged to clean a given square footage per hour, which essentially eliminates extra time for decontaminating during cleaning. Further, in many cases an industrial-type dryer would be necessary to dry these cleaning tools at a sufficiently high temperature, making both of these recommendations impractical.
What likely is the best suggestion is for distributors to urge their clients to stop using mops and transfer to systems and equipment that do not spread contaminants from one surface to another. The ISSA refers to dispense-and-vac systems that dispense cleaning solution directly to the floor and not with a mop, flat- surface cleaning systems, and even cleaning cloths that can be folded into quadrants as solutions that can either eliminate this problem altogether or reduce it significantly.
Reusing mops and cleaning cloths is an old way to clean and one that has been only marginally effective. Distributors must help their customers, today’s cleaning professionals, become aware of this and suggest other modern ways to perform cleaning tasks and protect health.
40 | Tomorrow’s Cleaning December 2015
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