Long Term CareSeptember 1, 2015

Cleaning Wipes Give Germs a Free Ride Around Rooms

Halo Disinfection System knocks out deadly pathogens

The first study ever of clinical detergent wipes validates that manual cleaning falls short in the serious job of killing pathogens. Further, the wipes often spread germs around, creating a more dangerous environment for hospital patients and staff.

A team of researchers from Cardiff University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences tested seven commercially sold detergent wipes on three superbugs that are highly contagious and life-threatening: Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); Clostridioides difficile (C diff.); and Acinetobacter baumannii.

Their findings were published online in the American Journal of Infection Control.

In testing, the Welsh team found that the wipes were extremely inconsistent in killing pathogens on surfaces, even after 10 seconds of wiping. Perhaps even more disconcerting is that all seven of the detergent wipes repeatedly spread significant amounts of bacteria over an average of three consecutive surfaces, essentially making the potential infection problem worse.

“The rise of healthcare related infections has placed huge emphasis in recent years on cleansing and disinfection practices,”

Professor Jean-Yves Maillard from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science said in a statement.

“Hospitals need to be sure that the cleaning products they’re using are actually safe.”

We concur—and we note that wipes also can’t be relied on in any setting where germs are an issue, including nursing homes and locker rooms. In places where commercial wipes or other cleaning sponges and rags are used, the final step should be eliminating the results of cross-contamination by using a true, whole-room disinfection system.

Further, we believe that disinfectant fogging is vastly superior to manual cleaning and disinfecting. First, there’s little control over how thorough manual cleaning is because the technique is highly dependent on people of various ages, levels of fitness and energy to do the job. The study confirms that manual cleaning also moves germs around, making all areas – not just high-touch areas – even more dangerous.

The Halo Disinfection System™ eliminates human error.

The no-touch, whole-room disinfection system employs HaloMist™ disinfectant dispensed from the HaloFoggerTM to produce a 6-log kill rate of C. diff spores and MRSA on every surface. Plus, it’s effective against other pathogens.

Unlike manual cleaning, Halo’s aerosolized hydrogen peroxide fog reaches all the nooks and crannies in the room to kill germs—instead of just giving them a free ride.