Cleaning or Smearing?!

Can you spread the dirt instead of cleaning?! The cleaning tests of the PandemicClean project revealed that 35% of the time the surfaces were dirtier after cleaning than before. In the video, we explain how it is possible to detect that dirt has been smeared instead of being cleaned.

The importance of cleaning contact surfaces

Which is more important – disinfection or cleaning? It is not possible to say this clearly, because they are two activities with different goals. As part of the Erasmus+ PandemicClean project, we conducted cleaning tests with the aim of finding out the most effective cleaning methods. However, during the experiments, it became clear that there are no unique cleaning rules that would be effective everywhere and in every situation.

It became clear that the first step is to notice and become aware of which surfaces around us might be dirty. In case of spread of disease , it is crucial that contact surfaces are consciously cleaned.

It is very effective to clean the contact surfaces with a moist microfiber cloth.

Scientifically about cleaning

During the 3-year project, we will make short videos based on scientific research and real cleaning efficiency tests to share information on how to clean effectively and what things to pay attention to when cleaning.

Microbes spreading

Cleaning aerosols

How to remove surface dirt?

If it is possible to draw on the floor with your foot, then there is surface dirt on the floor. In other words, instead of cleaning, the dirt is spread evenly over the surface. In the experiments of the Erasmus+ Pandemic project, we have found that surface dirt is a problem long before it is visible to the eye. In the tests of the project, it turned out that in order to remove surface dirt, a more thorough cleaning with greater mechanics is necessary.

How can surface dirt be cleaned? This time we tested the iMop floor cleaning machine and the Floorzilla disc. Footprints do not remain on a clean floor and it is not possible to draw on it.

At the end of the video there is a very surprising shot – when cleaning 1m2, such dirty water came out of the machine. If the floor had been left to dry by itself, all this dirt would have remained evenly on the floor.

How moist should a microfiber cloth be to remove dirt most effectively?

How moist should the cloth be to remove dirt most effectively? During the Erasmus+ Pandemic project, we did various tests to find out how much dirt was removed by microfiber cloths with different moisture levels. We measured the amount of dirt both before and after cleaning using ATP measurements and observed the surfaces under UV light. As a result of the experiment, we found that both a cloth with too little moisture and one with too much moisture spread the dirt.

The most effective way to remove dirt was a microfiber cloth with a moisture content of 15-20 ml of water per cloth.

Spread of viruses through contact surfaces

 Did you know that the virus can spread to 14 people through one infected contact surface?

As part of the PandemicClean project, we studied many different scientific articles to gather information on how to clean effectively, especially during the period of disease transmission.

A scientific study conducted in Germany found that the virus can be transmitted to 14 people by touching a contaminated door handle. In addition, it was discovered that the virus spread from person to person up to a 6th person. The study was conducted in ordinary life in an apartment where students lived.

In an office environment in the USA, it was found that from one contaminated hand and door push plate viruses were spread to 63 % of tested contact surfaces during a working day. Therefore, in addition to washing hands, it is especially important to clean touch surfaces regularly.

Study in Germany https://bit.ly/48UcUWS Study in the USA https://bit.ly/4abltgV

Smartphones and cleaning them

😬Can we stain the surface with more frequent cleaning?

👉A study was conducted among nurses in Germany to examine the cleanliness of their smartphones. 295 medical professionals with an average age of 34 years participated in the study.

👉A comparison of the before and after samples showed that between 2012 and 2021, the use of smartphones at work increased significantly. As a result of the study, it was revealed that smartphones were regularly cleaned in 23.3% of cases in 2012 and in 45.9% of cases in 2021, or almost twice as many.

😬At the same time, significantly more clinically relevant pathogens (eg enterococci, Enterobacterales, and non-fermenting bacteria) were detected on smartphones – 21.2% in 2012 and 39.8% in 2021, i.e. the contamination of smartphones had almost doubled.

💡Bacterial contamination of smartphones within the hospital is of concern and can serve as a source of cross-contamination. Therefore, in addition to hand hygiene, smartphones must also be cleaned carefully.

Referenced scientific studie can be found here: https://bit.ly/3TNrnzD

The size of the cleaning cloth

 How big should the cleaning cloth be to remove the maximum amount of dirt? In the PandemicClean project, we used soot to test how folding a cleaning cloth affects cleaning.  We learned that it´s good to fold the cloth to the size of your hand. By adjusting the wiping pressure, it is possible to influence how much dirt is removed from the surface.

 With a larger cleaning cloth surface you are only partially using the wiping surface and the wiping pressure may be uneven.

How to measure dirt?

How can dirt be measured? Very often it is believed that cleanliness is evaluated with a white glove, but this evaluation is subjective and does not give a numerical result.

Dirt can also be measured objectively, and here are, for example, three possible options:

It is possible to do ATP testing based on bioluminescence. ATP, adenosine triphosphate, is a compound contained in all cells, the amount of which can be used to assess the content of cells in a sample. This type of measurement is quick and gives a numerical result.

It is possible to perform a microbiological surface hygiene test to detect the total number of bacteria. The sample is taken by pressing the plate against the surface, after which the plate is incubated at room temperature for 3 days. The result can be read based on the growth density of the bacteria.

It is possible to detect dirt using a UV lamp, i.e. a dark room is illuminated with a UV lamp and then the dirt invisible in normal light starts to “glow”.

All three methods were used in the Erasmus+ PandemicClean cleaning testings to detect organic dirt, and the results were surprising. We hoped to find the most effective cleaning methods, but it turned out that there is no one way to clean effectively everywhere.

We found that for effective cleaning it is important to:

1. clean with a clean accessory,

2. take into account the specific characteristics of the users of the room,

3. identificate and clean of contact surfaces,

4. use sufficiently strong mechanics when cleaning,

5. sufficient moistening of the cleaning cloth and

6. receive feedback on the cleaning result.