Restroom cleaning is of the highest importance in any commercial establishment, but it's especially crucial in hospitals because of the people who use them. Typical hospital restroom users are either sick and contagious, vulnerable to infections, or regularly in contact with vulnerable people. Allergies and sensitivities are also a concern—people with compromised immune systems may have adverse reactions to cleaning product residues left in the restroom. It's extremely important to remove soil and kill bacteria in your hospital restroom cleaning, and it's just as important to use techniques that won't aggravate any sensitivities.
The Importance of Good Hospital Restroom Cleaning
A recent study shows that up to a third of hospital toilets are not cleaned adequately, and the bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) can remain on toilets even after they have been thoroughly wiped down. This is a huge concern because C. difficile can cause diarrhea right up to life threatening infections of the colon. Illnesses from this bacteria are most commonly found in older hospital patients and the elderly in long-term care. That means it is vital that hospitals clean their restrooms thoroughly to ensure no bacteria can survive to threaten patient lives.
Mops Just Don't Cut It
Facilities that use mops alone to clean their bathroom floors have nearly as much urine present after they've been cleaned as non-cleaned floors. When you use a mop on a small area of flooring, then rinse it in a mop bucket, all the soil and germs the mop has picked up get mixed in with the cleaning solution. After that, every time you dip the mop into the bucket, you'll pick up a load of bacteria to spread all over the floor in a thin layer. Rather than making the floors cleaner, you're actually ensuring that the germs are spread over the widest possible area.
A Better Method
The best method for hospital restroom cleaning employs only water, with no chemicals to set off sensitivities, and removes nearly all the germs deposited in the room. Kaivac's No-Touch Cleaning System does all that, plus it saves time and money. According to an NELAP-accredited laboratory, the No-Touch cleaning system used with plain tap water removes 99.9 percent of all targeted bacteria. The system is simple enough that you can train employees to use it in a matter of minutes. A high-powered sprayer washes down the walls, equipment, and floor in the restroom, flushing soil and bacteria from the grout between tiles. A commercial-grade vacuum then removes all the water, leaving the floor surface dry and completely safe to walk on.
For more information on safe hospital restroom cleaning, click here.