Facility managers across the United States and around the world are on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. At the top of their to-do lists are keeping their facilities healthy, preventing the virus from spreading and protecting their staff. One of the best ways to do that is to prevent cross contamination.
Cross contamination can happen in many ways when performing cleaning tasks, but the most common culprits are contaminated towels and mop heads.
Preventing Cross Contamination on Floors
We’ve known for decades that mops start collecting pathogens from the moment they hit the floors. Eventually, these these pathogens can saturate mop heads, causing the spread of pathogens while cleaning instead of their removal. We see this in hospital patient rooms in particular: according to a study published in 2017 in the American Journal of Infection Control, the floors in these rooms are often contaminated with pathogens that cause disease.
These pathogens can make their way from floors to patients if, after strolling over a floor that is contaminated, patients then touch their slippers or shoes and later touch their nose, eyes or mouth.
In response to this issue, many cleaning experts now recommend “mop free” alternatives for floor cleaning. Floor scrubbers and spray-and-vac cleaning systems can reduce cross-contamination on floors.
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Preventing Cross Contamination with a Color Coding System
Developing a color-coded system can help reduce the risk of cross contamination by ensuring that cleaning tools used in high-risk areas are used exclusively in those areas. The system should apply to any tools, like mop heads, rags, buckets and microfiber mops. The industry standard for color coding designates red for high-risk areas like urinals and toilets, yellow for lower-risk areas in the restroom like mirrors and sinks, blue for all-purpose cleaning (wiping desks, window cleaning and dusting), and green is used for food-service areas.
Implementing a color coding system can require training, reinforcement and time, but any step you can take to reduce cross contamination in your facility is worth it, especially now.
To learn more about how the right janitorial supplies in Boston can help you reduce cross contamination and keep your facility and team safe, contact Banner Systems today or browse our online catalog.
