HEALTHCARE HYGIENE
surfaces. These rags have no place in professional cleaning yet you are very likely to still see them used in many commercial facilities. They should be tossed away along with dirty mops and dirty mop bucket water.
The best option is microfibre. According to Ellen Bryon, writing in the June 24, 2014, issue of The Wall Street Journal, microfibre cloths are ‘typically made of nylon or polyester fibres that are frayed into myriad microscopic strands. [It is the] tiny strands and the spaces between them [that] are intended to lift and trap dirt and germs and absorb liquids.’ It is these strands, some as small as 1/200th the diameter of a human hair, that make microfibre such an effective tool when cleaning surfaces in a medical location.
However, we cannot depend just on using microfibre and an effective cleaner, sanitiser, and disinfectant. While some microfibre manufacturers may claim that using their products means no cleaning solutions are necessary, cleaning professionals should not take any risks, especially when cleaning healthcare facilities. Always use appropriate cleaning solutions, sanitisers, and disinfectants.
European hospitals have led the way in using colour-coded microfibre, designating that certain colours be used specifically to clean certain areas, such as food service areas, but not to be used when cleaning restrooms. But we need to take this a step further.
Some microfibre cloths are referred to as ‘smart towels’. They are designed to be folded into quadrants, 1-4 on one side; 5-8 on the other. “This allows the user to know what section of the towel has been used and select a fresh quadrant for each new surface, helping to prevent cross-contamination,” said Tom Morrison of Kaivac, manufacturer of floor, washroom, and surface cleaning systems.
He also notes that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “studies have shown that, in situations where the cleaning procedure failed to eliminate contamination from a surface it is often because the surface was cleaned using a soiled cloth used to
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clean another surface. In effect, the contamination is being transferred from one surface to another.”
AUTOMATING SURFACE
CLEANING “Automated cleaning surface systems can be extremely effective at removing germs and bacteria from a surface,” said Morrison. “However, many cleaning professionals are unaware of these automated systems or exactly how they work.”
If we describe how one such system works, more cleaning professionals will possibly have a better understanding.
“Automated cleaning surface systems can
be extremely effective at removing germs and bacteria from a
surface.” However, many cleaning professionals are unaware of these
automated systems or exactly how they work.”
• The cleaning worker applies cleaning solutions to the surface to be cleaned,
• A microfibre pad is then used to clean the soiled surface; use a ‘figure eight’ cleaning method to ensure all areas of the surface are cleaned,
• From here, a squeegee is used to wipe the surface clean, removing moisture and contaminants.
As to the effectiveness of automated or mechanical surface cleaning systems, according to Morrison, at least one system has been tested in an independent, accredited laboratory setting. The test found that it removes nearly 100% of targeted bacteria on a surface using just plain tap water. He added: “Plus the automated process maintains the same amount of cleaning effectiveness without transferring germs and bacteria from one surface to another. This makes it a very effective surface cleaning tool for use in a healthcare setting.”
THE TAKEAWAY Here is the most important thing we would like readers to learn from this article: we know germs and bacteria on surfaces can cause disease. This becomes an even more critical issue in healthcare settings, where people may be older or have weakened immune systems. It is cleaning professionals that are at the forefront of dealing with this problem. Make sure you are using the right tools in the right way and always look for new innovation in cleaning technologies. They literally can be life savers in a healthcare environment.
Tomorrow’s Cleaning April 2016 | 65
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