BY THE WAY •
touching the entire surface and respecting the prescribed contact time. • Unnecessary disinfection, excessive disinfection or improperly performed disinfection can lead to major problems in the short and long term. There are indica- tions that the long-term effect could be that certain mi- cro-organisms become resistant to certain disinfectants. Scientists all over the world are increasingly concerned with this emerging problem as well as govermental health organizations. The Dutch Health Council pub- lished an interesting study with recommendations on this in 2016 (4) called “Careful use of disinfectants”. Contact time is only one aspect that matters for proper dis- infection. But it is not just that. Disinfection is a serious job that requires expertise and care. For both cleaning and disin- fection, rushing through the job is not desirable, but we must realize that careless disinfection can have much greater con- sequences than careless cleaning. Cleaning and disinfect- ing is a profession, that’s what it ultimately comes down to.
The purpose of disinfecting is not the same as the pur- pose of cleaning. Cleaning aims to remove dirt so that the surface is optically clean. Disinfecting aims to kill or inactivate micro-organisms on the surface so that it is hygienically clean. When you clean with high quality microfiber cloth or mop and water only, you can remove up to 99,99% of the micro-organisms together with the dirt. Several cloths and mops of Vileda Professional are tested and certified by an independent institute on this characteristic. The micro-organisms did not die so disinfection can not be claimed, but nevertheless you can claim that the surface is not only optically but also hygienically very clean. • The standard procedure for surfaces to be disinfected rec- ommended by most infection control experts is a 3-step procedure: 1. Absorb the (body) fluid (if applicable) 2. Clean 3. Disinfect This takes time and therefore, among other reasons, there are also products on the market that allow cleaning and disinfection in one operation. Under strict conditions infection prevention experts might approve this proce- dure as an alternative to the standard procedure. Just a small note on the 3-step procedure. After cleaning and before disinfecting, the surface must be completely dry. If it is not, you dilute the disinfectant and the efficacy of the disinfectant may be less. • Disinfection only gives the desired result if it is per- formed correctly. Think for example of the exact dosage,
NOT E S (1) BPR = Biocidal Products Regulation (2) EPA = Environmental Protection Agency (3) Alyssa M. West et al (2021)
There is no additional bactericidal efficacy of Environmental Protection Agency–registered disinfectant towelettes after surface drying or beyond label contact time (ajicjournal.org) (4) Dutch healthcouncil, Careful use of disinfectants (2016) https://www.healthcouncil.nl/documents/advisory-re- ports/2016/12/21/careful-use-of-disinfectants
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