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Everyone has heard of the dreaded hidden cameras that captured the worst-case scenario: housekeepers using bathroom rags to clean a drinking glass in the kitchen! Knowledge and training about cross contamination will help your staff provide a clean, worry-free stay for your guests. This helps keep your numbers in good standing and drives greater profit for your hotel.

What is cross-contamination? According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, cross contamination happens when soil and bacteria get transferred from one surface to another surface or from one space to another space. There are steps you can take to ensure your staff knows how to effectively clean and sterilize without cross contaminating from room to room.

Training

Outlined below are important training subjects for employees:

• Handling Linen
• Understanding of your chosen Color Coding System
• Knowledge of Specific Cleaning Materials
• Cleaning Method
• Proper Storage of Cleaning Supplies

Important:

• Supervise hotel staff daily to ensure that cleaning procedures are being followed.
• There is no substitute for a well-trained staff.

Linen

• Keep soiled linens in a separate cart from clean linens
• Don’t let clean linens touch soiled linens
• Keep shelves clean by disinfecting them regularly
• Use gloves while touching soiled linens
• Change gloves between dirty and clean laundry
• Wash hands frequently

Implement a Color Coding System

• Train staff to use rags that are color coded. This keeps things much more simple knowing one color rag is designated to clean just one thing.
• Blue= windows only
• Pink= toilets only
• Beige, brown, or white= surfaces only
• Purple= floors only

Feel free to adjust the color coding system to the needs of your facility.

Consider using microfiber mop heads and cleaning cloths

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a study in 2002 showing microfiber cloths collect dust and bacteria particles with 99% efficiency vs. only 30% efficiency of cotton cloths.
• The use of microfiber cloths can also replace cumbersome, bacteria-collecting mop buckets in your hotel.
• The dense microfiber material holds water without weighing down the mop. This also means healthier and happier employees.

Cleaning Method

• Train staff on how to methodically clean each area from top to bottom.
• This ensures all the dust and bacteria is collected and removed from each area of the room properly.
• These steps should be followed in order:

1. Clean all surfaces
2. Disinfect
3. Clean floors last

Store Cleaning Materials Separately

• Janitorial closets should be an organized space.
• Ensure mops and other cleaning materials are stored separately to avoid cross-contamination.

Sources:

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities (2003).” Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/environmental/background/laundry.html on August 20, 2018.

Desa, J., Bello, A., Galligan, C., Fuller, T., & Quinn, M. “Case Study: Are Microfiber Mops Beneficial for Hospitals?” Safe Home Care and Hospitals Program. Retrieved from: www.uml.edu/SafeHC on August 21, 2018.

Frye, W. D. “Good Housekeeping.” Lodging Magazine, August 2013. Retrieved from: http://bluetoad.com/display_article.php?id=1475131&id_issue=170526# on August 20, 2018.

Pines, C. “5 Tips to Prevent Cross Contamination During Cleaning.” Sparkle Team blog, February 2013. Retrieved from: https://www.sparkleteam.com/5-tips-to-prevent-cross-contamination- during-cleaning/ on August 21, 2018.

“Using Microfiber Mops in Hospitals.” Environmental Best Practices for Health Care Facilities. November, 2002. Retrieved from: https://archive.epa.gov/region9/waste/archive/web/pdf/mop.pdf on August 23, 2018.

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