ATP monitors, broadly speaking, are a rapid testing method used to quickly assess the cleanliness of surfaces or liquid samples. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is present in all organic material, living or not living, and is the universal unit of energy used in all living cells, whether found in plants, animals, bacteria, mould, or microorganisms.

The Safety-First Credit from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Rating System recommends using ATP meters to measure cleaning performance.

RELATED: 8 things to know about ATP monitors

“What is most important for us to know is that the detection of ATP on a surface indicates the presence of biological matter,” says Steve Ashkin, a leading professional cleaning industry advocate for green cleaning and sustainability. “In the cleaning world, this is a ‘red light’ that potentially health-risking pathogens are on a surface.”

While ATP monitors are one of the most reliable indicators we have to measure cleaning performance, “to take advantage of this technology, we need to ensure our [surface] sampling skills are up to par.”

To do this, Ashkin provides the following five tips:

1. Soil distribution on a surface can vary. If there are concerns about the health of a surface, conduct several tests in the same general location.
2. Assessing a surface area of a minimum of about four inches by four inches is recommended.
3. After swabbing a surface, place the swab in the luminometer that comes with the system, gently shake it from side to side for a few seconds, and close the lid within one minute.
4. The ATP monitor will report the amount of contamination on a surface. A high reading, indicating a large amount of ATP, means the surface must be cleaned or recleaned; a low rating indicates the surface has been adequately cleaned or does not need further cleaning.
5. Proper training is mandatory and often works best when several cleaning workers are taught simultaneously. In a group, they may raise questions that others are also wondering about.

“Additionally, an effective ATP monitoring program requires first identifying areas in a facility that need to be regularly evaluated,” adds Ashkin. “Bring in a [jansan] distributor to help with this. Their ‘fresh eyes’ will uncover test areas that everyday facility users may overlook.”