Skip to Content

Floors Prove a Source of Infection

Wed 17th Apr, 2019 General

Infection Control Today recently published an article on management of floors in healthcare facilities. Although your facility may not be a hospital, many of the principles certainly apply.

Floors were often overlooked in the past as a major factor in environmental contamination. Floors that are not adequately maintained harbor pathogens associated with healthcare acquired infections (HAI’s), a very expensive and life-impacting problem.

Inadequately laundered mops can be reintroduced to the hospital with remnant HAI pathogens. This study evaluated laundered microfiber mops from 11 hospitals and found that 27.3% of the newly laundered mops contained microbial contamination, including HAI pathogens. To reduce HAI risk exposure, hospitals and facilities should convert to single-use microfiber mops. This study evaluated several brands of single-use microfiber mops and determined that differences vividly exist between brands on several critical criteria such as disinfectant neutralization, absorbency and dispersion/release efficacy, floor coverage, and wasted chemical solution.

Many hospitals are moving to single-use microfiber mops and wipes to help reduce the risk of HAIs from floor surfaces. Single-use mops remove the potential of cross-contamination with virgin microfiber in every use. Single-use mops eliminate the risk of efficacy degradation resulting from microfiber structural breakdown or pathogen retention following inadequate laundering.

Recent Blog Posts

Floors Prove a Source of Infection

Infection Control Today recently published an article on management of floors in healthcare facilities. Although your facility may not be a hospital, many of the principles certainly apply. Floors were... Read More

Why Neutralize High Level Disinfectants

It is illegal in some parts of the country to dump used OPA or glutaraldehyde down the drain without neutralizing it first. It is a popular misconception that used OPA... Read More

617 Candida Auris Cases in the US

A trip to the hospital might suddenly be even less desirable. A superbug considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as “a serious global health threat’’ has been... Read More

Hand Hygiene and Pathogens in Public Restrooms

Many people use handwashing and hand-drying facilities in public washrooms under the impression that these amenities are hygienic. However, such facilities may be potential sites for the transmission of pathogenic... Read More

10.4% of healthcare workers tested were contaminated with patient bacteria following PPE removal

During a recent study of inpatient healthcare workers, more than a third of healthcare staff were found to be contaminated with multi-drug resistant organisms after caring for patients colonized or... Read More