CloroxPro Blog – Professional Cleaning and Disinfection Insights

It’s a well-known fact that microbial threats lurk on all surfaces in healthcare facilities – from light switches to medical devices and equipment. Particularly daunting is the knowledge that common pathogens can survive or persist on inanimate surfaces for much longer than you would think. If undisturbed by cleaning and disinfection, survival times on dry surfaces for bacterial, viral and fungal pathogens can range from less than one minute to as long as 600 days!

The goals of cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment and devices include: 

• preventing transmission of microorganisms to patients, staff and visitors 
• minimizing damage to equipment and devices from inappropriate handling. 

Key considerations in product choice to help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs):

• the disinfectant’s properties and formula must be compatible with the medical equipment/device
• disinfectant products must have a Drug Identification Number (DIN) from Health Canada
• staff education and training are available if required (from the manufacturer). 

Here is a quick checklist for disinfectant choices to keep surfaces and equipment clean and to protect the patient environment:

1. Identify the risk – what are the typical pathogens? 
2. Assess the surfaces – what materials are equipment and devices made of?
3. Apply appropriate control measures to help prevent HAIs – what are the essential characteristics of the appropriate disinfectant that match #1 and #2?
4. Combine effective + efficient – does the product deliver 1-step cleaning and disinfection?  

The usual suspects: Know your microbial targets

Despite proactive infection control measures, many pathogens can still survive on surfaces long enough to be transmitted to patients and healthcare workers. Knowing which active ingredient(s) will effectively target the infectious pathogens is a vital component of infection prevention.

Compatibility is critical

The fight against HAIs is a balancing act: on the one hand, ensuring that the chosen disinfectant deals effectively with typical pathogens, but on the other hand, confirming its compatibility with medical equipment and device materials. 

Surfaces and medical equipment/devices are made up of many different types of metals, plastics and polymers. Identifying the compatibility of these materials with the active agents in cleaner/disinfectant products is critical to ensure that accurate and reliable functioning of equipment and devices isn’t compromised.

Contact time

Contact time plays a critical role in the cleaning and disinfection process. As noted above, many pathogens can survive on surfaces for considerable lengths of time.

Simply put, the product needs to stay on the surface long enough to do its job: killing pathogens without damaging the surface. Required contact time is determined by a) the pathogen and b) the active ingredient(s) in the disinfectant.

Residue management and damage prevention

Residue is anything left behind by a disinfectant on surfaces and equipment. Residue can not only affect the appearance of equipment and devices: if residue is not managed correctly during routine cleaning and disinfection, it can cause damage and degradation to medical equipment and devices over time. This damage can compromise the functioning and lifespan of these important tools of patient care, and open up the opportunity for microbial occupation and transmission. Damage to medical equipment that compromises the equipment’s use is both hazardous to patients and expensive to replace.

Look to the label

For electronic equipment and devices, first consult the manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning and disinfection. Then, for optimal protection of medical equipment and devices – and in turn, safe and effective use of equipment as intended to support optimal patient care – look to the disinfectant product’s label for key criteria on efficacy data for pathogens, surface compatibility, and instructions for use including contact time.

The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends choosing double-duty products: those that clean and disinfect at the same time. A one-step product makes good sense, in efficiency of staff time as well as in cost-effectiveness of purchasing and stocking a single product.  

Also: protection=savings

For any healthcare facility, medical equipment is a significant investment, with planned use for a certain span of time, and strict protocols for use and maintenance. Imagine what happens when medical equipment is damaged due to improper use of disinfectants. An endoscope, for example, contains complex optical components for internal examinations. Damage will result in loss of use, costly repairs, or replacement – at a cost that can range from $20,000 to $50,000. By effectively and safely protecting medical equipment and devices, not only are you also protecting patients – it’s also a cost-effective measure that prolongs the useful life of these valuable healthcare tools. 

VersaSure=Versatility

Clorox Healthcare™ VersaSure Alcohol-Free Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes are formulated for optimal surface compatibility on a wide range of common hospital surfaces. VersaSure ready-to-use wipes do not leave corrosive residue, and can be used daily throughout your facility: on stainless steel, hard plastics, painted surfaces, laminated surfaces, fiberglass (sealed) surfaces, glazed porcelain and glass.

Clorox Healthcare™ VersaSure Alcohol-Free Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes (DIN 02473151)

• Low odour, low residue and high efficacy in a 2-minute, alcohol-free quat wipe.
• Patented alcohol-free quat formula.
• 50 pathogens killed in 2 minutes or less – bacteria, viruses and fungi.*
• Very low residue on surfaces.
• No harsh chemical odour.
• Stays wet for contact time.

* When used as directed.

Learn more about protecting the medical equipment in your Cleandom with our surface compatibility resource guide. 

Interested in speaking to a representative about customized solutions and a free demo and training? Contact us today.