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Cleaning professionals need to change their ways from 'cleaning for appearance' to 'cleaning for health.' Meanwhile, opportunity is knocking for distributors of jan/san supplies to position themselves as soldiers of change on the front lines.

In the wake of the widely reported MRSA outbreaks last fall, school districts spent enormous sums of money to disinfect an entire school system for a one-time cleaning. And according to Bob Robinson Sr., president of Kaivac Inc., that procedure was a band-aid to a larger problem.

"As an industry, we're at a tipping point because of MRSA, and we need to move away from the mind-set of 'cleaning for appearance' to 'cleaning for health.' MRSA is not going away. There has to be fundamental change in how cleaning crews clean our buildings," says Robinson.

Effective and proper cleaning can save lives. "We have missed the perception of who we are and the role we play," says Robinson. "I look at the janitorial and custodian staffs at schools as the first line of defense against disease. If they have the vital role to protect our children, why are we handing them a dirty mop or rag to clean?"

Robinson declares this is an opportunity for the industry to change the perception that janitorial and custodian staffs are NOT important to the operation of a school but rather health professionals who contribute to the well-being of each and every individual that walk the hallways of a school.

'Cleaning for health'

To begin cleaning for health, Robinson says janitorial and custodian staff need to begin cleaning touch points, such as desk tops, stairway handrails, elevator push buttons, restroom dispensers and door handles. In the process, it's also recommended to change the procedure of cleaning.

• Avoid use of soiled rags and transition to disposable wipes, especially during flu or disease outbreaks.
• Increase the frequency of cleaning common touch surfaces.
• Scientifically measure and monitor your cleaning effectiveness, adjust cleaning as needed.
• During the year when possible outbreaks are at their highest - flu season for example - increase staffing during these critical times to ensure the job is done.

"MRSA and the Nora-virus are all spread the same way; it all moves together," explains Robinson. "That's why you have to keep surfaces clean and recognize when people are getting sick. Schools need to move into outbreak mode; this is and will be a re-education process."

Choosing the right product and procedure is critical to successfully combating any outbreak. When MRSA outbreaks began to hit the news media, Procter & Gamble ProfessionalTM, the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble serving the building cleaning and maintenance industry, received dozens of calls related to the outbreak. According to Mike Weber, principal scientist, products research at P&G Professional, "it all comes down to using the right products, with the right, sound, fundamental cleaning and disinfecting procedures to control and minimize the spread of MRSA and other infectious diseases."

In addition to an effective cleaning and disinfecting program, Weber says distributors should deliver the right message in regard to personal hygiene. "The single, most important variable to minimize the spread of MRSA is utilizing and following a regular hand-washing procedure in schools and athletic facilities. Keeping equipment clean, not sharing towels and covering up open sores is also critical to preventing and controlling a MRSA outbreak."

Adhere to cleaning guidelines

"For your cleaning program, you don't need to do anything new or different if you are following a sound cleaning and disinfecting program. If you've already been using a disinfectant, following the usage approved by the EPA [the printed instructions on the label] will also help," says Weber.

Distributors need to stress the importance of following the directions for a product to their customers. If the label says there is a wet dwell time for 10 minutes, it means 10 minutes. When cleaning a floor or mats for a wrestling team, cleaning crews need to do the best they can with a disinfectant cleaner; let it air dry and follow the basic procedure. Using clean and disposable cleaning tools to prevent cross-contamination is also highly recommended.

"The other item that is not regularly followed and is a common error by cleaning crews is looking at disinfectant labels," he says. "Before any disinfectant is applied, always remove any gross soils before applying the disinfectant. If you don't, the active ingredient will be spent by the heavy load of soil. Make sure the area is cleaned up to the 'basic' state of cleanliness before disinfecting."

While cleaning crews typically have the best interest of the facility at heart - even when they get creative in mixing chemicals - using products as they are designed and following the mixing recommendations on the label is critical. "Remember, simplicity is the key to any successful cleaning program," Weber notes.

Know the efficacy and ability to clean

When recommending a product to your customers, distributors need to be aware of two things:

• Make sure the selected product has an efficacy against the germ you are trying to kill. "When you use a cleaner, make sure it has a broad range of germ kill, such as a hospital grade disinfectant," he says.
• Make sure the product cleans well.

"You can't disinfect without cleaning well. A surface that is soiled or needs cleaning harbors germs. For example, before you mop, sweep up the dirt; otherwise, you're just pushing the grime around," explains Weber. "It seems like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many shortcuts some crews may take to get the job done."