A recent study reveals that despite strict adherence to recommended disinfection protocols in hospitals, microbial contamination persists on high-touch surfaces.

Conducted by researchers at the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System, the study involved sampling 400 high-touch surfaces, such as workstations, breakroom tables, bed rails, resuscitation training dummies, and computer keyboards at nurse’s stations.

The analysis uncovered a total of 60 different types of bacteria across all samples, including Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella aerogenes.

Remarkably, all 400 surfaces examined harbored bacteria, with the highest diversity found on the resuscitation dummies and bed rails. Additionally, approximately half of the identified bacteria were also detected in clinical samples obtained from patients.

Piyali Chatterjee, a research scientist at the Central Texas Veterans Healthcare System and the senior author of the study, expressed frustration over the persistence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) despite rigorous disinfection efforts.

Piyali stated “Our study clearly shows the bioburden associated with high-touch hospital surfaces and indicates that we must do better in protecting the health of our patients and hospital employees.”

Published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the study underscores the necessity for innovative disinfection strategies to combat microbial contamination effectively.

Tania Bubb, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, highlighted the importance of addressing the shortcomings in current disinfection practices. She stressed the significance of developing more effective protocols and educational initiatives to mitigate the spread of harmful organisms and safeguard individuals from HAIs.

Flooring that Shines

Maintaining clean floors is a crucial aspect of any cleaning routine, with floors facing significant wear and tear from foot traffic, wheeled equipment, and spills. The challenges of floor cleaning and ways to lighten the workload for cleaners are explored in discussions with various companies.

Unlike other surfaces primarily soiled by dust and fingerprints, floors in public spaces endure constant contact with dirty shoes, leaving behind marks, grooves, and potential hazards. This makes floor maintenance a substantial part of cleaning routines, but the time it consumes varies depending on the environment. Christian Mrowka, Kärcher’s floorcare product manager, notes that floor cleaning in spaces like logistics warehouses may take a whole day, while offices might allocate around 50% of a cleaner’s time due to additional tasks like cleaning desks and glass surfaces.

Effective floor cleaning is pivotal for enhancing air quality in dusty environments, thereby ensuring a safer workplace for employees. Studies indicate that bacteria present on the floor can become airborne, posing a risk of contaminating hands, surfaces, or being inhaled or swallowed. Consistent cleaning practices significantly contribute to maintaining a low level of contamination.

A well-maintained floor not only fosters cleanliness but also positively impacts employee morale and productivity, as emphasised by Mrowka. In settings like warehouses, where forklifts navigate around spills and debris, productivity may suffer. The presence of obstacles, such as rubbish, increases the risk of accidents when machines need to manoeuvre. Therefore, a clean floor plays a vital role in promoting a safe and efficient working environment.

The time needed for floor cleaning varies based on several factors, including the facility’s type and size, the flooring type, the level of traffic, and the cleaning frequency. In areas with high traffic, such as hallways, entrances, reception areas, and washrooms, the task becomes notably time-consuming to ensure both cleanliness and safety.

The advent of user-friendly scrubber dryers has proven beneficial, and the increased prevalence of autonomous floor cleaning robots adds even more flexibility to the cleaning process.

These innovations serve to reduce the time dedicated to floor cleaning, allowing employees to focus on more intricate tasks, notes Mrowka. Furthermore, these automated systems offer the advantage of night-time cleaning without requiring staff presence. Additionally, digital systems contribute by recording and monitoring the quality of cleaning performance.

The Challenge of Washrooms at Christmas

With the holiday season approaching, individuals worldwide are gearing up for Christmas celebrations, social gatherings, and reunions with friends and family. Unfortunately, this festive period also coincides with the heightened risk of colds, the flu, and the emergence of new COVID variants. Lee Radzki from Essity, the manufacturer of Tork products, emphasises the importance of minimising cross-contamination in public restrooms during the winter holidays.

This Christmas season holds significant stakes as everyone aims to maintain good health to fully enjoy the holiday break with loved ones. The vivid memories of the challenges faced in 2020 serve as a reminder of how disheartening it can be when Christmas plans are abruptly cancelled, whether due to widespread restrictions or a family member falling ill.

With the ongoing emergence of new COVID-19 variants and the onset of the flu season, concerns about falling ill are entirely justified. However, completely eliminating these risks is a tall order, short of isolating oneself at home throughout the Christmas period.

Nonetheless, there are specific measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of contracting infections or viruses. Handwashing has been recognised as a highly effective means of reducing the risk of various illnesses. At home, most of us have easy access to running water, soap, and towels, making handwashing a straightforward practice.

The scenario differs in public places like restaurants, pubs, and hotels. Festive celebrations often involve increased alcohol consumption, resulting in more frequent restroom visits and overcrowded facilities. It’s challenging to maintain physical distance in busy restrooms, making infection risk higher. Additionally, people are less likely to practice thorough hand hygiene when they must endure long restroom queues.

When restrooms in venues become crowded, cleaning teams face added pressure. They are tasked with thorough cleaning to minimise cross-contamination, but achieving this in a bustling restroom where space is at a premium can be challenging. The constant need to replenish soap and paper supplies exacerbates congestion and poses difficulties for staff to stay on top of refilling tasks.

Similarly, in retail centres, stores experience high foot traffic during the Christmas season, further straining restroom facilities. Staff must efficiently maintain the restrooms to prevent disruptions and bottlenecks.

Ensuring a steady supply of soap and paper during the busy Christmas period is essential to prevent run-outs. For example, the Tork SmartOne toilet paper system dispenses a single sheet at a time, reducing consumption by up to 40%, which in turn reduces the need for frequent maintenance checks. In bustling restrooms, soap systems should be user-friendly, quick to refill, and resistant to running out.

Addressing restroom congestion is one way to reduce the risk of illness during the festive season, but other measures can enhance restroom safety. Proper ventilation with fans, open windows where possible, and partitioned outer doors can help maintain good airflow. Strategically placed signs and posters can remind people of the importance of hand hygiene and the risks of touching contaminated surfaces. Hand sanitiser dispensers should be easily accessible and consistently replenished to complement handwashing facilities.

While the risk of falling ill over Christmas is a concern, public restrooms can mitigate cross-contamination risks by promoting good hand hygiene, managing crowds effectively, and ensuring a consistent supply of soap and paper products.

COVID is on the Rise, Again!

The research, spearheaded by Imperial College London, marks the inaugural connection between the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on individuals’ hands and frequently touched surfaces, and the subsequent risk of infection among close contacts. These findings underscore the importance of implementing effective measures when someone is infected. Specifically, they advocate for practices such as frequent hand-washing, regular disinfection of commonly touched surfaces, maintaining physical distance, and the use of masks as essential strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Professor Ajit Lalvani, author of the study, said “Our real-life study in London households provides the first empirical evidence to show that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on people’s hands and surfaces contributes significantly to spread of COVID-19. Since we didn’t systematically sample household air, we cannot rule out airborne transmission occurring in parallel.”

Source: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/244251/covid-19-spread-households-linked-virus-hands/

The Costly Consequences of Unpleasant and Unhygienic Washrooms

Recent research indicates that British businesses face significant consequences when their washrooms are smelly and unclean, as negative reviews can cause a considerable drop in Tripadvisor ratings for hospitality establishments, averaging one full star.

Analyzing over 80,000 Tripadvisor reviews of 200 hospitality venues across the UK, the survey discovered that 92% of respondents have encountered unpleasant odors in public washrooms, with 78% expressing that this would discourage them from revisiting the same place. On the other hand, 76% revealed that a positive washroom experience would increase their likelihood of spending money at a business.

The primary factors leading people to avoid public washrooms were perceived uncleanliness and dirty toilets (68%), unpleasant smells (62%), the presence of human waste on the floor (52%), wet floors (47%), and a lack of soap (41%).

When asked to identify the types of businesses that generally offer the highest-quality public washroom facilities, hotel accommodations ranked the highest (47%), followed by banks and estate agents (9%). High street restaurants (30%), local pubs (23%), and bars (20%) were found to be lagging behind in this aspect.