CM/Spotlight: Infection control Continued from prior page rates in our commercial buildings today. Judging a facility’s level of cleanliness simply by aesthetic appearance alone is not an effective measure of clean; a true health-focused cleaning program provides a com-prehensive cleaning system that focuses on cleaning at the unseen microbial level. To accomplish this, companies are adopting more advanced cleaning technol-ogy such as microfiber cleaning cloths and flat mops, hospital-grade disinfectants, “no-touch” restroom cleaning and multi-filtration vacuums for improved indoor air quality. The importance of proper disinfectant chemistry The first step to any effective facility cleaning program must be the use of prop-er disinfectant chemistry — a hospital-grade disinfectant, for example — to kill bacteria and viruses that lurk in the unseen world. But, what happens to those germs once they have been killed? With traditional cleaning methods, very few of those dead cells are actually removed; the standard cleaning rags uti-lized by most janitorial services simply spread germs around, cross contaminating and leaving the dead cells to become a rich food source for the next crop of germs. Microfiber cleaning cloths, which are 99 percent more effective than traditional cleaning cloths, have tiny fibers which make the fabric super absorbent to trap those dead germs and remove them from the surface. Only then can the threat of spreading infection be significantly reduced, making your building and its occupants safer and healthier. Moreover, a few commercial cleaners have employed a color-coded system for microfiber cloths and flat mops to avoid cross contamination. Rather than using one cloth for both the bathroom and cafeteria, cleaning profes-sionals use several different color cloths — one for the bathroom, one for the kitchen, one for the waiting room and so on. This method of cleaning ensures that soil and matter from one area will be contained and will not be spread to other areas in the facility. In conclusion, all populated facilities, by their very nature, pose a significant risk of spreading infection, making it crucial that proper cleaning procedures are in place. Cleaning professionals must follow strict guidelines to ensure infection con-trol and the prevention of cross contami-nation to keep everyone in the facility safe and healthy. As a facility manager, you have a responsibility to your staff and the com-munity at large to ensure your facility employs the proper procedures to keep infection and cross contamina-tion at bay. CM Peter J. Sheldon, Sr., CBSE, brings over 17 years of experience in the building services contracting industry to his position as vice president of operations of Coverall Health-Based Cleaning System™. In recent years, Sheldon has been fundamental in developing Coverall Health-Based Cleaning Systems alliances with Procter & Gamble, Minuteman and Kaivac. In 2007, Sheldon earned the high honor of being named a Certified Building Services Executive by the BSCAI. Complete infection control starts with trained employees and innovative products. 20 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • February 2009
CMM – Archives Feb 2009: 20
