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In the late 1990’s, a new trend in appliances hit the US. Front loading high efficiency washers entered the market, and their glossy, candy-like colors coupled with reduced water and energy consumption turned the humble washing machine into “

.” However, the formerly delighted owners began reporting foul odors coming from their beautiful new washers. Complaints started hitting the customer service lines, technician visits went through the roof, and engineers scrambled to fix the issue. In the meantime, some washer owners even reported finding 

 it had been washed. Obviously, there was a cleanliness problem with these sparkly new cleaning machines.

The root cause of the odor issues turned out to be a buildup of excess moisture in the rubber seals and gaskets in the door area of the washer. That extra moisture when paired with heat created an ideal environment for biofilm and mold to grow. Traditional top loading washing machines avoid this problem by their design, since the lid is usually distanced from prolonged water exposure.

These new, high efficiency front loading washers also introduced a new concept to many consumers: washing their washing machines. Most people assumed that a washing machine would be somewhat self-cleaning. It’s housing soap and water after all, two of the most commonly used tools for cleaning. The high efficiency front loader design, however, added a new element where biofilm could live, and therefore, added a new need for cleaning.

This concept of cleaning the tools used for cleaning, although new to washing machines, wasn’t that new. Many of the items we use regularly for cleaning purposes are laundered or replaced once they’re used. Think about your washcloths, toothbrushes, q-tips, etc. Most of us wouldn’t wipe our faces with a napkin that someone else had just used – we’d want a fresh one.Most people rinse their toothbrushes after using because we don’t want to use one with visible debris the next time we brush. There’s a connection between the cleanliness of our tools and the outcome of the cleaning process.

Mops are a cleaning tool that many users may assume stay clean because they’re in constant contact with cleaning chemicals. Modern flat mops that use microfiber pads instead of traditional cotton strings revolutionized floor cleaning by increasing the amount of debris that a mop could hold. The construction of microfiber helps mop pads pick up and hold onto smaller bits of refuse that would usually get pushed around by old-fashion string mops.

Microfiber’s ability to hold onto debris makes it an excellent textile for mops, especially for 

. Throwing away a used mop pad instead of attempting to wash it back to its original pristine condition is more efficient and results in more consistent outcomes. That same great hold-and-keep feature of microfiber works against it when it’s washed. Microfiber doesn’t automatically release all the trapped dirt, hair, and bacteria it has collected when it is in the washing machine; the efficacy and cleanliness of a laundered mop pad is reduced each time it’s reused and rewashed.

When it comes to keeping the mop hardware clean, there are several different ways cleaning professionals handle this. String mop users often keep their mops standing in buckets of bleach or disinfectant until it’s time to use them. That’s definitely a quick and simple way to ensure the mop hardware has been in contact with a disinfecting chemical, although we know that the strings may still contain detritus and could contaminate the hardware. Most flat mops use a hook and loop system for attaching the microfiber mop pad to the frame or backer plate. Because the dirty mop pad is removed from the frame after use, the hardware stays cleaner longer. Most of the debris stays with the mop pad which either gets washed or thrown away.

After a certain amount of time and use, however, flat mop backer plates will collect a certain amount of fiber, trash, etc. in their hooks and will need to be either cleaned or replaced. Most metal frames come with instructions on how to purchase and install replacement hook and loop strips. Although this might seem tedious or unnecessary to some users, it’s an important part of maintenance and can affect overall cleaning performance. Another more convenient option is to use semi-disposable backer plates, like the 

 from Contec Professional. Once it gets too dirty for optimum results, the used ZeroGravity frame can be tossed in a recycling bin since it 100% recyclable and replaced with a new one. The convenience of this type of backer plate, when paired with the consistency of single-use microfiber pads, makes mopping outcomes more reliable and increases compliance.  

High efficiency washers continue to evolve as do mops and other cleaning technology. There are wipes and tablets on the market specifically for removing the biofilm from washing machine components. Mop manufacturers are continuously researching improved methods and tools for better floor cleaning. The next time you brush your teeth, do a load of laundry, or swab the deck, consider the cleanliness of your cleaning tools and whether it’s time to clean or replace them.

Articles

Cleaning Your Cleaning Tools: Oxymoron or Best Practice?

In April 2022, the World Health Organization released a health alert that cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children had been documented in eleven countries, including the United States

. Since then, the number of U.S. states documenting pediatric hepatitis of unknown origin has gone up to 25, with 90% of those patients requiring hospitalization and even five deaths.

What makes this outbreak even more concerning is that doctors and public health officials have yet to determine the cause. The CDC issued a bulletin indicating that adenovirus was detected in some of the infected children, although not all of them, and it might be responsible for this new critical health concern.

Adenovirus is a category of common viruses and usually result in colds or other flu-like symptoms. What can make them extremely difficult to combat is their resiliency in the environment. They can linger on surfaces for up to 30 days and can resist common household cleaning chemicals.

 This is especially troubling with the new rise in cases being reported.

Doctors and health officials recommend that parents make sure their children practice proper hand hygiene to prevent the transmission of disease. However, anyone who’s been around young children and toddlers know that hand hygiene is a developing skill and not one that’s been mastered at a young age. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that handwashing compliance in hospitals only averaged around 50% in 2021.

 It seems that relying on small children to perform a task better and more consistently than medical professionals is not the ideal way to combat viral infections.

What can be done then to help reduce the chances of adenovirus flourishing in a facility? A positive team approach between infection prevention professionals and environmental services or janitorial staff is key to success. Schools, daycares, or any facility working with children should revisit their cleaning protocols with their EVS or housekeeping teams. Because adenoviruses can live on surfaces for extended periods of time, possibly infecting anyone who touches these surfaces, consistent cleaning of high-touch surfaces is critical. This includes doorknobs, light switches, handles, etc.

Other helpful practices include:

. One reason why adenovirus can be transmitted easily from surface to person is that they’re often resistant to common household cleaners. Ensure your facility’s EVS teams are using disinfectants registered with the EPA and have documented claims. You can find EPA-registered chemicals on their website 

One of the biggest mistakes cleaning teams make in an effort to gain efficiency is wiping away the disinfectant before it’s had the time to do its job. The active ingredients in cleaning chemicals and disinfectants must maintain contact with a surface for a certain amount of time to actually kill pathogens from the surface. If a disinfectant isn’t allowed to stay on a surface for the required time, or if the chemical doesn’t remain wet on the surface long enough, the disinfecting properties of the chemical is reduced significantly, if not completely. 

High-touch surfaces are those that multiple people touch frequently throughout the day. Examples include doorknobs, refrigerator handles, faucets, etc. In facilities where hand hygiene compliance might be an issue, making sure that these constantly touched surfaces are cleaned and disinfected regularly often becomes critical in breaking the chain of infection.

When cross-contamination becomes a critical issue, using single-use tools can help significantly. Because the cause of the current outbreak of pediatric hepatitis is still unknown, everything can fall under suspicion as a possible source of transmission. Also, there is currently no vaccine for children to prevent adenovirus. When cleaning surfaces in a critical areas or facilities with children, using 

 or mops means that cleaning tools haven’t been used to clean germs or bacteria in other settings before. Because bioburden can remain in laundered textiles, switching to single-use tools can make sense during a health crisis.

The coronavirus pandemic changed the world as we knew it. As COVID-19 restrictions continue to be lifted, new variants keep emerging. And as the current cases of hepatitis of unknown origin have shown, other new dangerous viral infections are also on the rise. Creating a safe environment for the most vulnerable citizens, whether they be children in schools or patients in hospitals, by breaking the chain of infection remains a vital goal for all those committed to cleaning for health.

https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2022-DON376

https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2022-05-06-cdc-reports-five-deaths-related-hepatitis-children#:~:text=The%20Centers%20for%20Disease%20Control,last%20October%2C%20including%20five%20deaths

 https://www.cdc.gov/ncird/investigation/hepatitis-unknown-cause/overview-what-to-know.html

https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/adenovirus.pdf

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2779293

Breaking the Chain of Infection at Surface Level

“Why do you think I’m the best in the world? Because I never get bored with the basics. “– Kobe Bryant

After two years of pandemic vigilance, life seems to be easing towards normalcy. Offices are opening up, masks are coming down, and access to people and places is growing. The widespread availability of vaccines and other positive developments have made the public more confident about avoiding possible exposure to Covid. For example, the hand sanitizer stands that seemed to be everywhere when lockdowns started have been packed away or now stand empty. Airlines are no longer handing out packets of disinfectant wipes for passengers to clean their seats. The compulsion to keep germs at bay has lessened significantly.

Those working in healthcare related fields, however, know that Covid-19 isn’t the only deadly disease out there. Experts are keeping an eye on new, emerging viruses as well as better known ones, such as Ebola and hepatitis. Add to this the growing list of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and fungi that continue to present major health problems. The CDC reports that there are almost 3 million antibiotic-resistant infections annually with over 35,000 people dying because of them.

  Many of these infections originate in hospitals and other places where patients receive care. For instance, carbapenem-resistant 

one of these “superbugs”, is almost always found in people who’ve recently received treatment at a healthcare facility.

Besides having more challenging pathogens to clean, environmental services professionals also face a wide variety of new machines and technology to consider. Electrostatic sprayers, ultraviolet radiation, and antiviral coatings gained lots of attention during the pandemic. Evaluating what is the best methodology to meet a facility’s cleaning requirements takes time and resources that many department leaders just don’t have.

When the demands of critical cleaning become overwhelming, it’s always a safe bet to focus on the fundamentals of cleaning. The basic elements of any good cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing protocol should be repeatable and provide good results consistently. Here are some of the core ideas that all effective cleaning programs incorporate:

 – Interrupting the path a pathogen takes from one person to another is key to reducing the spread of disease. There are simple steps along the way, such as performing proper hand hygiene and covering coughs, that hinder the infection process. Learn more about the other links in the chain with 

 from the Association of Healthcare Environment.

 – When it comes to breaking the chain of infection, cleaning and 

 are key steps. Many people make the mistake of not reading the labels of the chemicals they use. If a disinfectant is wiped away too quickly, the active ingredients might not have had time to work. Dwell or contact time is the minimum time a disinfectant must remain on a surface to achieve optimum results. Read all labels of cleaning chemicals to ensure that they’re not being misused.

 – Cleaning protocols that achieve positive outcomes consistently rely on systematic approaches. This means cleaning from clean to dirty, top to bottom, left to right, etc. The value of this is better efficiency, but it also helps with replicating optimal results from area to area, technician to technician. Key areas aren’t overlooked, and cross-contamination is greatly reduced.

 – Tackling large surface areas is often the main focus for EVS teams, but don’t forget about the smaller surfaces that are touched by multiple people multiple times a day. These high touch areas, such as light switches, bed rails, chair arms, etc., are easy to skip. However, if someone hasn’t practiced proper hand hygiene, these are the places where pathogens can reside. Using a 

 to properly clean and disinfect these areas can help reduce the spread of disease greatly by eliminating transfer areas for germs and bacteria.

 – Just as cleaning systematically reduces the variability in results, reducing the opportunities for human error can help maintain the highest levels of cleaning performance. Using disposable wipes, for example, eliminates the question of whether a reused wipe was laundered at the right temperatures or with the proper amount of detergent. These washing issues can affect the performance of microfiber which is sensitive to high heat and bleaching agents. 

 provide EVS professionals with an unused mop each time, unlike mops that must be laundered after use. The reduction of variability in the tool at the onset of cleaning carries over into more consistent positive outcomes.

EVS teams and cleaning professionals will continue to face greater challenges when it comes to critical cleaning areas. However, understanding and excelling in the fundamentals are what makes a robust program succeed long-term. They might not seem exciting, but they are the foundation for superior results. Never getting bored with the basics of cleaning can help get EVS back on the track to success when the environment becomes overwhelming.

If your facility would like to revisit the fundamentals of critical cleaning with a trusted expert, Contec Professional can help. Please 

 https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/biggest-threats.html#carp

CDC reports there are almost 3 million antibiotic-resistant infections annually with over 35,000 people dying because of them.

Contec

Articles

Cleaning Your Cleaning Tools: Oxymoron or Best Practice?

Breaking the Chain of Infection at Surface Level

When in Doubt, Focus on the Fundamentals