outbreak control case study Advanced Vapor Technologies LLC Disinfecting Schools With Water The Steam Vapor System way. R Ruben Rives, owner of Miami-based PSS/H2OnlyDisinfection, maintains and disinfects schools in the Somerset Charter Schools system almost exclusively using just water and the Thermo Accelerated Nano Crystal Sanitation (TANCS ® ) MondoVap Steam Vapor System from Advanced Vapor Technologies. Why? According to Rives, the water-only process — which disinfects in six seconds — has been validated by an EPA-certified lab and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) test-ing for organic soil removal and avoids the common pitfalls of chemical cleaner and disinfectant usage. “The common cleaning regimen of apply-ing a chemical or abrasive cleaner then wiping or scrubbing the surface until the contaminant appears to be removed is superficial at best,” says Rives. “In addition to degrading the surface, it exposes skin and lungs to harsh or toxic fumes and leaves behind chemical residuals that dull and attract dirt to the finished surface.” Also, to disinfect, “you canʼt just ʻspray and go,ʼ as commonly practiced,” Rives notes. “If you donʼt clean the surface before you spray on disinfectant then allow sever-al minutes dwell time for the spray to work, you are not disinfecting.” The high-temperature and low-moisture TANCS Steam Vapor System Advantages: Uses only tap water Leaves no potentially toxic residue behind No fragrances introduced into the environment No rinsing required Use where chemical disinfectants are undesirable — water fountains, foodservice areas, desktops, etc. Use freely without health impacts to students and staff Fast acting and quick drying on all hard surfaces, reducing area downtime No storage of hazardous chemicals needed Reduces waste Rapid, complete disinfection eliminates the possibility of cross contamination. steam vapor of the chemical-free TANCS system not only disinfects rapidly — TANCS-equipped units are recognized as disinfection devices by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — but results in deeper cleaning because it penetrates into surface pores and crevices better than topically-applied cleaners. The heat melts the dirt-to-surface bond and the moisture suspends the dirt until it is wiped away, reducing labor by 10 percent and minimizing drying and downtime. “The MondoVap takes less time, cleans more thoroughly and uses no chemicals,” Rives adds. “Itʼs a no-brainer.” CM Circle Product Information no. 153 This content was provided by Advanced Vapor Technologies LLC as part of a paid advertisement. For more information, please contact Advanced Vapor directly at 1-800-997-6584 or www.advap.com. 28 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • February 2010
CMM – Archives Feb 2010: 28
