Did you know? Every year over 4 million people in Europe contract a Healthcare-Associated Infection, with 37,000 dying as a result.

The most commonplace for microorganisms is on a human particularly their hands, these microorganisms are then transferred to everything we touch. Studies have shown that many organisms responsible for healthcare-associated infections (MRSA, C. difficile, norovirus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci) survive at concentrations sufficient enough to transfer onto hands. For instance, C. difficile can live on some surfaces for up to 5 months. Which is why it’s important to not only clean our hands regularly but also ensure we disinfect high traffic surfaces such as door handles, light switches, phones, keyboards, remote control etc.

Putting in place a good hygiene routine and practising regular disinfecting will put fewer strains on hospitals and save lives. In this blog post, we will be discussing the importance of cleaning and the best methods to use.

Good cleaning practices reduce microorganisms in the environment, which can lead to a reduction in the incidence of HCAI’s, protecting patients, staff and reducing hospital spending.


The Most Effective Ways Of Cleaning

Hand Washing
Hand washing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections. It is recommended that hand washing should be done at these key times:

-Before, during, and after preparing food
-Before eating food
-Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhoea
-Before and after treating a cut or wound
-After using the toilet
-After changing nappies or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
-After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
-After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
-After handling pet food or pet treats
-After touching garbage
-After you have been in a public place and touched an item that is frequently touched by others
-Before touching your eyes, nose or mouth

It is recommended by the World Health Organisation that you should wash your hands for no less than 20 seconds, using soap and running water. (if you need help with a timer – hum happy birthday twice)

When out and about it is not always possible to have access to soap and running water. Having a hand sanitiser gel to hand that contains at least 60% alcohol. Hand sanitisers can quickly reduce the number of germs but be mindful that it doesn’t necessarily get rid of all germs especially if your hands are visibly dirty or greasy. So, it’s important to wash them also when you have access to soap and water.

Cleaning Surfaces
Like washing hands, it is just as important to clean surfaces regularly to stop the spread of infection. It is recommended that you should clean surfaces before and after food is prepped and when the surface has been in contact with an infected person.

How to clean
1 ) Wash and dry hands
2 ) Perform a risk assessment and choose appropriate PPE
3 ) Select the correct wipe for the task (take only one wipe)
4 ) Remove any heavy soiling as this can reduce the effectiveness of disinfectant wipes
5 ) Wipe all surfaces including the underneath paying special attention to ‘high-touch’ points
6 ) Wipe from top to bottom going from clean to dirty in an ‘S’ shaped motion
7 ) Dispose of wipe between each separate surface or if it becomes dry or soiled
8 ) Remove any PPE then wash and dry hands.

Reducing Transference
It is important when cleaning surfaces to be mindful of cross contamination. Reducing the risk of transference can be done by following these rules. Always wipe in an ‘S’ shaped pattern from clean to dirty to avoid wiping over already cleaned areas. One surface, One wipe! Never wipe two surfaces with one wipe as you can transfer microorganisms this way. Always dispose of a wipe after it has been used or has become soiled or in-between the cleaning of two surfaces.

Did you know?
93% of all reusable cloths, tested after laundry, were found to still have viable microorganisms.

Issues with re-usable cloths
When using the same cloth to clean throughout the day it can become damp, and doesn’t dry out in time before the next use causing bacteria to spread. Microorganisms and mould thrive on damp surfaces and therefore the spread of infection is apparent. It is recommended to use disposable wipes where possible or change the cloth after each use to help eliminate the spread of infection.

We understand the importance of safe and effective cleaning for both professional and personal use which is why we sell a wide range of infection control disinfectants and wipes online from leading and trusted brands. View the entire range of infection control products online here.

Sources:
https://gamahealthcare.com/ | https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/hand/handwashing.html | https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html