Sweeping Results
Jigsaw Cleaning Systems explain why dust can contribute to cross-contamination in hospitals, and why using the wrong cleaning methods could cost you dearly.
When it comes to dust, most of us would be forgiven for thinking of it as fairly harmless. Irritating, yes, even unsightly, but on the whole many of us would probably assume that it poses no real threat to our health, let alone be a carrier of dangerous infections.
However, dust should never be underestimated, particularly within a healthcare environment; the infections it carries include the potentially fatal MRSA, and it is a cause of health problems such as bronchitis and asthma. Around 80% of soiling in a building consists of dust, in which nearly all micro-organisms live and find their nutrients.
The Challenge The Royal Preston Hospital in Preston, Lancashire, needed a way to reduce the dust on its floors before wet mopping. Bacteria need food, water, air and the right temperature to grow, and in dust, they have all the elements except one: water. Wet mopping onto dust gives bacteria the final element they need to grow, resulting in the spread of infection, but facilities staff at the hospital knew that sweeping the dust was not an effective enough option, as dust is dispersed through air-borne movements. What the hospital needed was a way of collecting as much of the dust as possible before applying water.
The Solution Debbie Shattock, Domestic Services Manager at The Royal Preston Hospital, discovered a way dust could be reduced significantly using the innovative Masslinn cloths supplied by Jigsaw Cleaning Systems – a national distributor of products offering advanced solutions to professional cleaning for the healthcare industry.
Masslinn cloths are viscous and impregnated with a mineral oil
46 | SPECIALIST CLEANING
which captures and binds the dust, dirt and bacteria. The microfibres in the cloth have a positive charge that attracts negatively-charged dust, holding it tightly rather than redistributing it around the room during cleaning.
Tests were carried out separately to compare the amount of dust particles in a room, first after sweeping and then after dust binding. The tests revealed that after sweeping there were 85,000cm³ of dust particles, whereas after dust binding only 7,500cm³ of dust remained.
The Results After introducing the cloths into the hospital, facilities staff found the job easier and cleaning times were reduced. The cloths also mitigate the need for using chemicals and reduce the amount of water used, benefitting the environment as well as lowering the risk of slips, trips and falls.
Brian Boll, Systems Director at Preston-based Jigsaw Cleaning Systems, said: “Effective dust binding is critical before wet mopping, as it reduces the amount of dust in the air and is a much more effective and efficient approach – binding the dust using the Masslinn cloths reduces the amount of dust in the air by ten times. The cloths are disposable, come in different sizes for different surface areas and can be attached to mop heads to leave floors clean and streak free.”
Debbie added: “The Masslinn cloths are great value for money and do a great job of collecting all the debris from our floors throughout the hospital. They make cleaning quicker, easier, and altogether more effective.”
The Conclusion Perception of hospital cleanliness can impact upon patient satisfaction, and research has shown that using
the up-to-date cleaning technology in hospitals can improve cleanliness standards, as well as bring about cost efficiencies.
Brian concluded: “Healthcare cleaning products and methodologies have advanced a great deal in recent years, and it’s encouraging to see more and more NHS Trusts introducing Masslinn cloths onto their wards. Issues of time, finance, quality and performance can all be vastly improved by embracing the latest in cleaning technology, as well as creating a safer environment for patients and staff.”
www.jigsawcleaningsystems.co.uk
www.tomorrowscleaning.com
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