Asking targeted questions will assist building service contractors and maintenance staff evaluate and improve the performance of facility cleaning and sanitization protocols.
Improving Facility Cleanliness Standards by Asking the Right Questions
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, facility cleanliness was evaluated by appearance and smell.
If there were no visible signs of soil or dirt and a faint odor of bleach lingered in the air, the building was considered sanitary.
Of the little good that has come out of the pandemic, facility safety and hygiene have fallen under increased scrutiny, resulting in drastically improved measures designed to support and improve occupant health while protecting the natural environment.
To accomplish this task, facility managers must address four questions.
What Spaces Should We Clean?
Conventional cleaning methods treated all areas of a facility the same regardless of occupancy or use.
In reality, certain areas of your facility are used more often in ways that expose occupants to an increased chance of germ transmission.
- Identify each area of your facility by type.
- Determine and assign a level of importance to each section by occupancy.
- Assess the risk of pathogen and bacteria transmission based on use, then;
- Develop a cleaning and sanitization plan based on the assessed information.
For example, busy restrooms represent a high level of importance, high volume of use, and a high probability of germ transmission. Therefore, they should be assigned a high priority for regular cleaning and sanitization.
Conversely, an area used for general storage with little foot traffic represents less risk and can be assigned a lower priority and focus.
What Surfaces Should We Focus On?
High-contact surfaces where germs and bacteria thrive--fomites--became a focal point in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.
Each of these surfaces should be assessed in the same manner as spaces within the facility.
The idea is to identify surfaces that are contacted multiple times per day, particularly by more than one occupant, especially in or around high-risk spaces, such as restrooms or dining areas.
Notable surfaces include:
- Door handles.
- Faucet handles.
- Toilet flushers.
- Restroom stall handles and locks.
- Paper towel dispensers.
- Chair armrests.
- Common working surfaces.
- Keyboards, mice, phones, touchscreens, and other technological devices.
- Light switches and plates.
- Elevator and vending machine buttons, and;
- Handrails.
Proactively monitoring and wiping these surfaces down multiple times per day will significantly reduce the presence of germs and bacteria on the surfaces, resulting in reduced transmission and infection.
How Often Should We Clean?
Cleaning frequencies were a hot topic throughout the pandemic.
Unfortunately, like many efforts to combat the virus, initial steps were misguided and wasteful.
As we advance, a targeted approach that considers the first two questions combined with an assessment of community outbreaks is needed.
For example--an office occupied by a single individual throughout the workweek poses little risk to overall facility health and safety.
Conversely, as previously discussed, high-traffic restrooms pose an increased risk, have numerous germ hotspots, are critical to office productivity, and so should be cleaned more often than the minimally occupied office space.
A proven method for determining how often a space should be cleaned is to examine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of current sanitation methods.
Are We Cleaning Effectively?
Fortunately, we now possess easily accessible technologies that answer this question--most commonly in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) meters.
ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is present in all organic material and is the universal unit of energy found in animal, plant, bacterial, yeast and mould cells.
Residues, particularly food or organic residue contain large amounts.
Microbial contamination also contains ATP, but in smaller amounts.
It is produced and/or broken down in metabolic processes in all living systems.
Processes such as photosynthesis in plants, muscle contraction in humans, respiration in fungi and fermentation in yeast are all driven by adenosine triphosphate.
Therefore, most foods, water and microbial cells will contain some level of naturally occurring ATP.
Its presence on surfaces or in water indicates the presence of contamination and this can include bacteria, allergens or food residue.
This implies a potential for the support of unwanted bacterial growth.
ATP Meter for Rapid Hygiene Testing using Adenosine Triphosphate
Using this technology, we can quickly assess the efficacy of current cleaning methods and make necessary adjustments that may include:
- Increased cleaning and sanitization frequencies.
- Improved products.
- Better cleaning and sanitization methods, and;
- Newer tools and appliances that can increase outcomes and efficiencies.
Takeaway
Evaluating the efficacy of cleaning and sanitization programs for the purpose of improving outcomes, ensuring occupant safety, and reducing environmental risk requires us to identify:
- Critical facility spaces.
- High-contact surfaces, and;
- Ideal cleaning frequencies.
The methods should then be assessed through ongoing ATP testing and adjusted accordingly.
Achieving the highest outcomes will require:
- State of the art cleaning and sanitization equipment and methods.
- Highly trained service providers.
- Correct product selection, dilution, and application, and;
- Ongoing bi-directional communication between occupants and facility service providers.
Outsourcing is a proven method for onboarding highly in-demand cleaning and sanitization services and experience for a fraction of the price of maintaining a similar service in-house.
If you would like more information regarding the effectiveness of high-performance infection prevention and control measures, or if you would like to schedule a free, no-obligation on-site assessment of your facility's custodial needs, contact us today for a free quote!
In Bakersfield, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Fresno, CA, call (559) 206-1059
In Valencia, CA, or Santa Clarita, CA, call (661) 437-3253
In Palmdale, CA or Lancaster, CA, call (661) 371-4756
