Have you ever wondered how pathogens get from Point A to Point B?
In a survey of five hospitals, researchers found that many pathogens start their journey on floors, which, according to the study, were frequently contaminated with particles.
From here, they managed to get on the hands of patients and staff in the hospitals. And then they travelled on to high-touch objects in hospital rooms such as side tables and call buttons.
But that’s not all.
The study found that pathogens, formerly found on the floors, had now travelled to canes, wheelchairs and wheeled equipment, clothing and shoes, cell phones, chargers, and cords, medical supplies, blood pressure cuffs, and linens and towels.
How can this happen?
“We touch floors directly or indirectly as often as 50 times each day,” says Mark Warner, formerly a trainer at ISSA. “Every time you tie a shoelace dragging on the floor or touch the bottom of your shoes, there’s a good chance you have touched pathogens on the floor.”
Further, the study found that many pathogens, including C. difficile, MRSA, and VRE, a life-threatening disease, were still present in rooms after the patient had been discharged and the floors had been cleaned.
So, how can cleaning professionals address this situation?
Conventional mops may not help us, as they tend to spread germs and bacteria as they get contaminated.
A 2002 study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that microfibre mop heads can remove pathogens from floors “as long as the mop head is changed after cleaning each room” and “as long as the used [microfibre] mop head is not put back in the cleaning solution.” Failure to take these key steps means microfibre mops may not help, either.
What continues to appear to be the most effective way to clean floors is via the use of automatic scrubbers. They apply a cleaning solution to floors, agitate the floor, and vacuum up the soil, moisture, and pathogens all in one pass, putting an end to the resilient travels of pathogens.
Knowing which tools to use, and how to employ them, is vital.
