Many cleaning professionals still believe that top-notch results come from using manual floor mopping as part of their facility hygiene program. However, recent research by Diversey shows that commercial facilities wanting the best hygiene outcomes should revise their tools.
Floors are potential danger zones
Floors are the largest surface routinely cleaned in commercial facilities and are typically contaminated with higher levels of bacteria than surfaces that receive routine hand contact. Studies in healthcare have shown the potential for bacteria on the floor to migrate to surfaces where hand contact frequently occurs, suggesting floor hygiene may play a role in infection risk.
Diversey’s recent study demonstrates the importance of floor disinfection in reducing risks associated with floor hygiene. The researchers found that cleaners should consider the use of biocidal floor products with either launderable or disposable flat mops while cotton string mops and neutral cleaners should also be avoided.
The choice of mopping materials
The study was built on Diversey’s prior research into floor hygiene to examine the differences in hygiene outcomes associated with the choice of mopping materials when manually cleaning, sanitizing or disinfecting a floor. Prior to this research, little was known about the difference in hygiene outcomes associated with the range of choices available for floor hygiene.
The research published in the InfectionControl.tips journal investigated the removal of Staphylococcus aureus from a floor. The researchers examined how the selection of floor cleaners or disinfectants and the choice of floor mop impacted the hygiene outcome.
The result showed statistically significant differences
The study found that mopping with a neutral cleaner was inferior to using a biocidal product and using a traditional string mop was inferior to using launderable or disposable flat mops.
The researchers also found that the use of launderable and disposable flat mops significantly reduced the level of bacteria that were cross-contaminated when compared to the cotton string mop, regardless of the product used. This demonstrates that mopping substrate may also play some role in the level of cross-contamination that can occur through manual floor mopping
