Use Of Disinfentants

 

Proper Use of Disinfectants

By Michael Wilson

Due to the recent spread of a gastrointestinal virus in an industrial facility, the day porter maintaining

the facility during the course of the business day was asked to disinfect all of the building's cafeteria

tables after the mid-day lunch break. It was suspected the cafeteria was one place the virus was

spreading. To do this, he brushed off any dry soils on the table, sprayed the table with a disinfectant,

and then wiped the area clean with a microfiber cloth. This was repeated five days per week and, for

extra measure, sometimes the evening cleaning crew repeated the same procedure at the end of the

business day.

For many people--cleaning professionals and facility administrators alike--the cleaning

workers performed this procedure correctly. However, a closer examination reveals several

errors. For instance:

 While brushing off the dry soils was correct, the cleaning worker should not have stopped there.

In most cases, disinfecting is a two-step process. The first step is to properly clean the area; the

second step is disinfecting. After brushing the dry soils from the tables, the worker should have

wiped each cafeteria table with an all-purpose cleaner or similar product. Then, on to step two.

 Spraying the disinfectant on the tables simply applies it to them. In order for the disinfectant to

actually work and begin "killing" pathogens on the table, it must dwell on the table for about 10

minutes without drying. This means the worker should have sprayed a few tables with the

disinfectant and then returned to the first one to wipe it clean. If the disinfectant dries, it needs to

be reapplied.

 How do we know this is the type of disinfectant that should be used to kill influenza-type viruses?

It is possible the disinfectant used to clean these tables was not, and if so might prove to be

ineffective. Every EPA-registered disinfectant in the United States has a "kill claim" on the

product's label or packaging materials identifying exactly what pathogens it is designed to

eliminate.

 Microfiber tends to be more effective at cleaning and disinfecting than conventional terry cloths,

and using a clean microfiber cloth is correct--but it must stay clean. The cleaning worker should

have used a fresh quadrant of the cloth for each table and, after cleaning two to four tables,

replaced the cloth.

 Having the evening cleaning staff clean and disinfect the tables once again is not necessary and

may prove costly in terms of labor, time, and chemicals and can have a negative impact on the

environment. If the procedure was performed correctly after the lunch break, an evening

cleaning/disinfecting is not necessary.

From this example, we have learned some very important things about the use of

disinfectants. One item at the top of the list is that unless the disinfectant's label says it both

cleans and disinfects, then cleaning and disinfecting are, as above, a two-step process.

Another item is that selecting the proper disinfectant is imperative. A disinfectant known to

eliminate the type of pathogens and microorganisms suspected to be on a surface must be

used to protect human health. (There are broad-spectrum disinfectants, which can be

viewed as all-purpose disinfectants and can be used when there is no specific pathogen or

it is unknown. However, for a known pathogen, it is best to select a disinfectant designed to

kill those microorganisms.)

Label Reading

We should delve a bit further into understanding disinfectants, and this starts with knowing

how to read a product's label. Of course, reading labels on any type of cleaning chemicals

is always recommended, but it is even more important when it comes to disinfectants.

As mentioned earlier, disinfectants have kill claims posted on their labels indicating they can

be used to kill, for example, the TB (tuberculosis) bacterium, HIV, MRSA (methicillinresistant

Staphylococcus aureus), or some other pathogen. However, the disinfectant that kills

HIV may not work against the TB bacterium.

While these three examples may not apply to disinfection procedures in an industrial facility,

this helps show the importance of selecting the disinfectant that is effective against a

particular pathogen. Other items typically listed on disinfectant's label that cleaning

professionals and administrators should be aware of include the following:

 An EPA registration number. Every "approved" disinfectant used in the United States is assigned

a number by EPA. This number indicates the product has been reviewed and proven effective

with minimal risk to users when used per instructions.

 Active ingredients. This is a list of all of the ingredients in the product responsible for killing

pathogens.

 Inert ingredients. While these ingredients do not play an active role in killing pathogens, they

serve other purposes, such as ensuring that active ingredients perform effectively.

 Precautionary statements. Precautionary statements provide information on a product's potential

hazards, as well as how to prevent these hazards from occurring. This information can include

proper dilution, disposal, first aid, and storage instructions.

 Efficacy. This refers to the how effective the disinfectant is. "Limited efficacy" disinfectants are

typically used for household cleaning, whereas the most powerful disinfectants, "hospital-grade"

disinfectants, are used wherever health risks are most serious. (Limited efficacy disinfectants are

typically used against a specific group of pathogens.)

Selecting Sanitizers and Disinfectants

So far we have not discussed sanitizers at all. But in many situations, a sanitizer will suffice

in keeping an industrial facility healthy. While a disinfectant is designed to eliminate or

inactivate all disease-causing germs on a surface (when used properly), a sanitizer is

designed to reduce them, eliminating 99.9 percent of pathogens when compared to an

untreated surface.

In the example above about the industrial facility influenza outbreak, a sanitizer likely would

suffice as long as it was used properly. (Just as disinfectants must be used properly, so

must sanitizers. In most cases, the surface should be cleaned first using an all-purpose

cleaner and then the sanitizer can be applied. After recommended dwell time, the surface

should be wiped with a clean cloth.) However, if the outbreak continued or worsened,

cleaning workers/administrators would need to select a disinfectant designed specifically to

eliminate gastrointestinal-type pathogens.

This leads us to our next issue: how to select disinfectants and sanitizers. There are dozens

of professional-grade disinfectants and sanitizers on the market made by scores of different

manufacturers. Selecting the right product for the right situation can prove daunting. In such

cases, working with an astute janitorial supplies distributor is crucial. However, even the

distributor may need guidance.

For help in selecting disinfectants, sanitizers, and most other types of chemicals, plus paper

goods and cleaning equipment for their clients, some distributors now turn to web-based

analytical tools. Some of these systems resemble a computer dashboard. Products

currently used in a facility are entered into the system, and the tool suggests other products

that may be more effective, less costly, or higher-performing. When it comes to selecting

disinfectants and sanitizers specifically, these tools can prove invaluable because they

provide "fact based" suggestions. They have ready access to the products' efficacy, kill

claims, and other information that helps purchasers make the proper selection right from the

start.