Stuart Yates of Vileda Professional, looks at how integrating quality microfibre products can improve cleaning regimes and reduce costs.
Within the healthcare sector, there is an ongoing focus on reducing the impact the sector has on the environment. From lowering energy costs and minimising reliance on chemicals, there are lots of different ways changes can be made.
As far as hygiene is concerned, incorporating changes to cleaning regimes can help make a difference. From equipment to energy costs and the use of chemicals, changes are being made.
A big difference pioneered by Vileda Professional is the increased use of cutting-edge, quality microfibre based cleaning products. Used across cloths and mops it is one of the main reasons why energy usage and costs associated with the laundry process have been reduced.
Due to its highly effective composition, it cuts down on the amount of laundry that takes place which in turn cuts down on costs. Products such as single-use microfibre used in hygiene critical areas ensure reduced wash and dry cycles, and thus consumption of energy.
As the pandemic has shown, using quality microfibre products at the first cleaning step is key. They are used first and foremost to ‘mechanically’ clean surfaces. All surfaces have hairline scratches, cracks, nooks & crannies and these may be several microns deep below the surface line under a microscope.
In these surface defects skin fat (sebum), bacterial and virus harbouring biofilm, moisture and salts accumulates. These all build up over time without effective mechanical cleaning methods.
Using efficacious microfibre products to clean first should then be followed by surface disinfection. The amount of disinfectant used can also be reduced by ensuring mechanical cleaning is carried out successfully.
It is key to remember that applying disinfectant without mechanically cleaning the surface first would just reach the top layer of your surface. Microfibre products penetrate deep into surface blemishes. Biofilms harbouring bacteria, viruses, dirt and grease are removed.
The improved cleaning performance can reduce the dependency on chemicals. In fact they can reduce the need for chemical agents in some cases by 100 per cent - depending on the cleaning task - as well as removing 99.99 per cent bacteria and viruses.
Quality microfibre has the ability to gather large amounts of soil, hold it in the fibres and lift away from the affected area. A recent ‘cost in use’ study comparing both single-use and double-sided microfibre products with traditional mops carried out within a healthcare environment found a number of interesting savings.
Single-use and durable products work hand in hand in hygiene critical environments, both have important roles to play.
Double-sided, pre-prepared microfibre systems can make huge savings to your budget - the time taken to clean a 400 square-metre ward using a traditional cleaning system takes approximately 150 minutes, while a double sided pre-prepared system takes around 75 minutes.
That enables healthcare teams to ensure they can carry out their role to the highest standards and are able to then focus on other requirements within their job role.
In summary, the clean you achieve is only as good as the product you are using. Quality microfibre products are key to mechanically clean surfaces first before disinfection commences. They can help reduce energy usage, waste levels and the amount of chemicals used.
The use of microfibre in mops and cloths has seen a drop in the amounts of chemical used because microfibre mechanically cleans above and beyond what is delivered by using chemicals alone. It is now used with great success across healthcare facilities in the UK and around the world.
For information on the Vileda Professional range of products please visit https://www.vileda-professional.co.uk/ email vileda.professional.uk@fhp-ww.com or call 01706 759597.
