Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2009 - (Page 4)

ICM™ (continued from previous page) virtually removed, any culturable bacteria, and this without the use of a biocide. The difference in cleaning effectiveness was particularly striking on old laminated countertops, where organisms hide in microfissures. (What breathtaking irony, in my opinion, that traditional cleaning methods using harsh chemicals degrade these laminated surfaces, giving organisms places to hide, and then continue to feed the organisms with each new round of cleaning!) Using the ICM approach, the next step, for example, would be to document a measurable reduction in the HAI rate, and correlate that with a measurable reduction in soiling after UMF cloth cleaning, as measured by ATP bioluminescence, using a simple hand-held device. Studies like this, no doubt, are in the works. It appears very likely that hospitals will be the first to demand that housekeeping services adopt the ICM model. Part of the driving force for this is the recent announcement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that, in many cases, it will no longer reimburse hospitals for the costs to treat preventable complications such as HAI’s. Now that the financial incentive is growing for hospitals to reduce the incidence of HAI’s, ICM is poised to become the new paradigm in cleaning healthcare facilities. Entities such as schools and office buildings will no doubt follow the hospitals’ lead when ICM is recognized as a most effective strategy for reducing the transmission of disease. Vendors in the cleaning industry need to get on the ICM bandwagon now, or be left behind. u Paul S. Darby, MD, PhD, MPH, FACOEM, maintains an active consulting practice in medicinal chemistry and biotechnology through his company MD_PhD Services, PLLC, in University Place, WA. He may be reached at MDPhD@wamail.net. Microfiber Cloth Effectiveness— Proper Cloth Folding Changes Outcomes by Allen Rathey A series of tests was conducted in a high school classroom comparing a number-coded microfiber cloth that encourages a sequenced folding and flipping technique to enable the use of all eight surfaces of the folded cloth versus the typical wadding, or nonfolded, method. Twentyfour desks were cleaned, using a hospital-grade quaternary ammonium disinfectant. Results were measured after each desktop was cleaned using an ATP meter, a handheld tool which quickly quantifies the amount of bio-pollution on a target surface. Prior to the cleaning comparison, the ATP levels on the unclean desktops averaged 328. To begin, desks were cleaned using the traditional nonfolded, or wadding, method. After the first desk was cleaned, the ATP count was reduced to an average of 30. However, this number continued to climb as the cleaning progressed until it reached 130 on the last desk, illustrating how quickly the towels lose their ability to remove contaminants. (Some tests indicate that towels will eventually accumulate and deposit enough contaminants to actually exceed the initial surface soil levels. This is consistent with recent research conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba and others, concluding that it’s actually better not to clean than to clean ineffectively.) Next, the desks were cleaned with the number-coded towel, moving to a fresh cloth panel after every third desk. Like the unfolded towel, the ATP count on the first desk after it was cleaned also averaged 30. However, the ATP results after cleaning the 24th desk were significantly lower. In fact, they were less than half, at 61, illustrating how the folding and flipping technique effectively extends the useful cleaning range of a microfiber towel while raising hygienic cleaning levels. u 4 Executive Housekeeping Today/March 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2009

Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2009 Contents Executive Corner Why Integrated Cleaning and Measurement is Good for the Cleaning Industry Hygienic Green Cleaning - The Next Wave Frugal Housekeeper Integrated Cleaning and Measurement: A New Approach to Housekeeping and Sanitation Feature Article What's in YOUR Janitor Closet? The Green Scene 2009 Convention Information Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside IEHA What IEHA Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2009

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.