Top Tools and Training Improving Infection Prevention

Key Takeaways:
• Infection prevention in commercial cleaning requires more than visible cleanliness.
• Standardized, color-coded cleaning tools and supplies improve cleaning consistency, safety, compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Ongoing, hands-on custodial training helps cleaning teams deliver measurable, repeatable infection-control results.

---

Facility cleaning managers know that the observation “if it looks clean, it must be clean” is a myth. Bacteria, germs, viruses, and other infectious microorganisms, invisible to the human eye, can remain on surfaces for long periods of time. Although the surfaces may appear perfectly clean, these organisms are lying in wait for the next person to touch, acquire, and transmit them, leading to the spread of potentially dangerous infections.

This illustrates how janitorial and environmental services (EVS) staff play a critical role in infection prevention; they help keep environments from becoming sources of contamination and disease transmission. Their work goes well beyond making the facility look clean. Frontline teams make buildings safe for occupants.

Due to their direct contact with contaminated environments, cleaning crews also face a heightened risk of infection exposure. Custodial staff should receive infection prevention and control (IPC) education during training as an in-depth understanding of cleaning for safety and health—as well as appearance—results in healthier environments for all concerned, including the cleaning staff themselves.

The Proper Tools

Janitorial tools play an important role in infection control by helping custodial staff remove germs, prevent cross-contamination, and disinfect high-touch surfaces effectively. Using a consistent set of equipment, supplies, and procedures across all cleaning tasks and locations is important for enhanced safety, quality, efficiency, and compliance. When tools are standardized, frontline staff can follow the same process, use the same equipment, and apply the same cleaning methods. This consistency helps eliminate variability in results.

“Standardized tools for standardized cleaning functions are the name of the game,” says Ben Walker, President, Walker Foundry.

For example, color-coded cleaning tools should be implemented in IPC cleaning systems as they help designate equipment for specific areas, reducing the transfer of microorganisms between high- and low-risk areas. Color-coded microfiber cloths, which effectively capture and remove soil and microorganisms, can circumvent frontline staff using the same cloth in different areas, such as restrooms, kitchens, classrooms, patient areas in healthcare settings, etc.

“I’m a big fan of color-coding tools, especially those used to manage and remove pathogenic microorganisms,” Walker shares. “Red is widely associated with biohazardous or infectious material and is commonly used in professional cleaning systems to identify restrooms and high-risk sanitary tools. A few forward-thinking manufacturers understand this and color-code their equipment to align with it.” He adds that it's even better, for example, when a germicidal cleaner itself is red, and the labels on its containers are red.

Additional janitorial tools that support infection control include:

• Flat microfiber mops provide good surface contact and can reduce the amount of cleaning solution needed.
• Disposable wipes and mop heads should be used in situations where laundering reusable materials could create contamination concerns. Mop heads can also be color-coded to designate them for specific areas or cleaning agents.
• Bucket and wringer systems control the amount of solution applied to floors. These also deter the practice of repeatedly putting a contaminated mop in a clean solution.
• HEPA-filtered vacuums capture small particles and help reduce airborne dust and particulate contamination.
• High-dusting tools allow staff to clean elevated surfaces without spreading dust to already-cleaned surfaces.
• Electrostatic/disinfectant applicators apply disinfectant uniformly to surfaces (used in accordance with the disinfectant manufacturer's directions).
• Chemical-resistant gloves and other PPE protect workers from exposure to both cleaning chemicals and potentially infectious contaminants. Used in tandem with waste-handling tools and containers allow for safe collection of materials while also minimizing contact and spills. Personal protective equipment (PPE) should be selected based on cleaning tasks and hazards involved.

“The tools should make it easier to do the right thing. Color coding, clear chemical labels, appropriate PPE, and simple checklists can take some of the guesswork out of the process,” says Bobby Warren, Lab Director for the Disinfection, Resistance and Transmission Epidemiology (DiRTE) Lab at Duke University Medical Center. “I’m a big believer that we should design systems where the right choice is also the easy choice.”

These tools are only part of the process. The correct techniques and cleaning procedures are equally important. Onboarding and recurring training of janitorial staff are vital for consistent results.

next page of this article:
Training For Infection Prevention