Cleaning - a fresh look

Think about this. When you flush a toilet, the water in the bowl mixes with particles of the waste. An invisible cloud of this then shoots up to 10 inches into the air. The contaminated water can linger on surfaces for 90 minutes¹.

How does that make you feel? Probably slightly nauseous, with a resolution to close the toilet lid each time you flush. It’s a reminder that we can’t always see hazards, that we often put our health and safety in the hands of others, and that others put their health and safety in your hands.

When planning and managing public spaces, we understand that effective, or poor, cleaning has a major impact in three areas; first, how safe people are from slips, second, how hygienic an environment is, particularly for vulnerable people. The third area is the perception people have of the space, whether that’s a decision to avoid a restaurant where you’ve been unwell after visiting, to feel unsafe in a healthcare space, or to feel uncomfortable in a work place.

Cleaning is an area we are constantly researching in terms of product development, day to day customer support and resources, such as our downloadable guides. We know it can be a challenging area and it’s not something we’re complacent about.

One area we have looked at is the role of biocides in wall cladding. We know that no current testing proves biocides are effective in reducing Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs). Cleaning and effective hand washing are more reliable in preventing bacteria spread.

The good news is that effective cleaning is simple to achieve. We know that how your teams clean depends on what time is available, what equipment and detergents they are able to use, and the size of the spaces they clean. To help make cleaning as effective as possible, we have guidance on tackling various contaminants, the benefits of different detergents and different cleaning methods, but if you need help to establish a cleaning regime that will work for your space, please get in touch.

¹Best et al. Potential for aerosolizaton of Clostridium difficile after flushing toilets: the role of toilet lids in reducing environmental contamination risk. Journal of Hospital Infection. 2012;80:1-5.