Stop The Spread – Clean and Contain

Nursing Homes: Failure to sterilize linens can become an incubator for the spread of Bacteria and may cause infections in residents, personnel who work at the facility and family and friends who come to visit.

Nursing homes, other health care and extended living operations can produce 2,500 lbs. of dirty laundry a day.  Sheets with blood, urine, feces and other bodily fluids are routinely washed with other, less contaminated items.

To ensure laundry is clean and sanitized key steps are necessary in the processing of Linens.  Housekeeping and laundry personnel need to wear gloves, goggles and any other types of protective equipment and clothing.  Coveralls made of TYVEK will give you the flexibility and durability you require to perform all your functions while being protected.  This step is vital when handling, transporting, sorting and washing soiled linens.  When collecting and transporting soiled linen, handle it as little as possible and with minimum contact to avoid accidental injury and the spread of microorganisms.  Carry linens in covered containers or plastic bags to prevent spills and splashes and confine the soiled linen to a designated area.

Do not do any sorting or washing of soiled linens in areas where patients live or come in contact with.  Establish an area that has adequate ventilation and physical barriers (walls) between the clean and soiled linen areas.  Safe sorting is extremely important.  Bedding from patient’s rooms may contain blood –stained or wet with other body fluids.  Washing and drying all linen items used in the direct care of a resident must be thoroughly washed before reuse.  Decontamination prior to washing is not necessary, unless linen is heavily soiled.  Using Amerisource ONYX, our break detergent will help you handle the most difficult soiled linens.  You can also add bleach about 2 to 3 table spoons will do it, using our OPAL De-Strainer and Sanitizer.

Remember throughout this process make sure if at any time you take your gloves off make sure you wash your hands.

When the linens are clean they are ready to be stored in a clean storage area, keep shelves clean and handle the stored linen as little as possible.  During transportation back to the resident the linens should be wrapped or covered to avoid any contamination.  Do not leave extra linen in a room, avoid shaking linen as it may release dust and lint into the room also clean soiled mattresses before putting linen on them.

It is important that care be taken when you are handling the needs and heath of the elderly.  All of us some day will depend on someone else to maintain a clean environment for us.

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Janitorial Supplies Michigan Tennessee Wisconsin – Amerisource Industrial Supply

It happens around this time every year. The sore throats, runny noses and coughs that herald the start of the flu season.

Up to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the seasonal flu annually. More than 200,000 are hospitalized with flu-related complications, and 36,000 people in the country die from flu-related causes.

The uncertain severity and timing of seasonal flu activity means that schools, businesses and workplaces need to prepare for higher absenteeism rates, along with cases of presenteeism – when someone goes to work or school while sick, leading to productivity declines and the possibility of spreading illness to others.

Fortunately, there are several things facility managers and building services contractors can do to help prepare building occupants for the upcoming flu season. Education is the first step.

Stopping the Spread of Germs

Flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing. Sometimes, people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. In fact, some germs can live for two hours or ore on surfaces like doorknobs, desks, and tables.

Consider instituting a Healthy Workplace campaign, with letters to building occupants and posters in prominent locations detailing recommendations from health experts like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which advocates the following tips to help stop the spread of germs:

• Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. It’s best to cough or sneeze into a tissue, which should be thrown away after it is used, or into one’s sleeve. If you sneeze or cough into your hands, be sure to clean your hands afterward – every time you cough or sneeze.
• Clean your hands often. When possible, use soap and warm water and rub hands vigorously together for 15 to 20 seconds, scrubbing all surfaces of the hands to dislodge and remove germs. When soap and water aren’t available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. If using a gel, rub the gel into your hands until they are dry.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick (and for at least 24 hours after fever is gone) and check with a health care provider when needed. Keeping your distance from others may protect them from getting sick.

Facility Issues
Educating building occupants about how to prevent the spread of flu is only one step. You’ll also need to make sure you have the right infection control tools for the job. That means stocking workstations and public areas with plenty of facial tissue. Anti-viral facial tissue is now available for this purpose. In addition, you should install wall-mounted or free-standing dispensers for alcohol gel hand sanitizers throughout your facility. It’s also important to make sure restrooms don’t run out of hand soap and paper towels, and that sufficient numbers of no-touch disposal receptacles are provided for used hand towels and used facial tissue.

When stockpiling items like hand soaps and cleaning supplies, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration recommends being aware of each product’s shelf life and storage conditions (e.g., avoid areas that are damp or have temperature extremes) and incorporating product rotation (e.g., consume oldest supplies first) into your stockpile management program.

According to the CDC, business and employers, in general, can play a key role in protecting employees’ health and safety, as well as limiting the negative impact of influenza outbreaks on the individual, the community, and the nation’s economy. Facility professionals should be on the front lines in the war against the flu and other germs in their facility. A combination of education and effective flu-prevention tools and practices will put facilities and their occupants in a good position to avoid the brunt of the flu this season.

*CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE SITE EVALUATION*
313-924-0696

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Flu Season Tips

1. Wash Hands Frequently and thoroughly with high quality hand soap
   1. Sanitize after contact
2. Try not to touch your face

1. Sneeze into your sleeve or tissue
2. Stay home 24 hours after fever ends
3. If at high risk get vaccinated

1. Disinfect hi touch  hard surfaces daily with high quality Disinfectant
   1. Phone
   2. Door Handles
   3. Desk top
   4. Car Steering wheel

Visit our catalog for many other quality products
Use the category section to find other important information on FLU, disinfecting and hand washing

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***It is recommended to use proportioners to make sure there is the correct amount of soap and sanitizer in the sink.  You still must test sanitizer to make sure it is within the proper PPM range to be effective.

Sink 1 – Wash

• Start with 4 oz.of Pink Lotion Dish Soap and fill sink with hot water.
• Scrape gross food soil from pots, pans, utensils and equipment.
• Place items in sink and let stand for a few minutes to loosen soil.
• Wash using a stiff nylon brush or scrub pad.
• Remove and let excess detergent solution drain back into sink.
• Drain and refill as often as necessary to keep the water clean.

Sink 2 – Rinse

• Immerse pots, pans, utensils and equipment in warm CLEAN water.
• Remove and let excess water run back into sink.
• Change rinse water frequently.

Sink 3 – Sanitize

• Fill sink with 8 gallons of warm water.
• Add 2 oz. of Arrow Sanitizer ARR150.
• Test with QT-10 paper. Must register 200 ppm.
• Submerge all items for at least 60 seconds. Change solution regularly.
• Remove and let air dry.

All Food Contact Surfaces

• Prepare sanitizing solution. Submerge empty 1 Qt. spray bottle and fill or use ready to use Sani Spray. Test solution with QT-10 test papers. Must register 200 ppm.
• Spray surfaces to be sanitized. DO NOT contaminate food with spray. Air dry.

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Cleaning Products:                                                          
Heavy Duty Degreaser – AIS234 or AIS248                      
Sanitizer – ARR150 or ARR151                                            
Glass Cleaner – AIS42004                                                    
Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish – #170                               
Neutral Cleaner – #242                                                         

Tools & Materials
Bucket with wringer
Clean buckets (2)
Wet mop
Clean cloths – Microfiber
Trigger Sprayer
Hand held brush 
Broom
Dust pan
Trash Liners
“Wet Floor” signs
Rubber gloves & safety glasses
Paper towels
Hand Soap

Procedures:

1. Put on gloves and glasses. Put all food away prior to any cleaning operation.
2. Check levels in all hand towel and hand soap dispensers and refill as necessary.
3. Using a trigger sprayer filled with diluted cleaner/degreaser and a clean cloth, clean all kitchen surfaces
   1. Outside of oven, hood, refrigerator and counter tops.
   2. All doors into and out of the kitchen.
   3. Walls behind prep areas and where necessary.
   4. Towel and soap dispensers
   5. Faucets and cupboard handles.
4. Wash windows/mirrors using glass cleaner and a clean, dry, lint-free cloth.
5. Wipe Stainless Steel surfaces with Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish. Wipe or spray on and wipe off with a clean, dry cloth.
6. Push all litter toward the door using a push broom.
   1. Avoid using a sweeping motion. Use only as a collecting tool.
   2. Pick up with dust pan and dispose in trash.
7. Waste receptacle treatment:
   1. Twist and tie top of the liner closed. Lift out liner.
   2. Spray receptacle inside and out with sanitizer solution.
   3. Allow to air dry or wipe dry with a clean cloth.
   4. Reline with a new liner and place in original position.
8. Place “Wet Floor” signs. Mop floors following the Floor Care Cleaning procedures for either finished or
   1. unfinished floors. Note: Polished floors should only be cleaner with a neutral cleaner. Unfinished tile floors or
   2. quarry tile should be cleaned with a dilute solution of Cleaner/Degreaser.

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A complete line of automatic dispensing equipment supports our laundry chemical program to ensure proper dosing.

COMMERICAL LAUNDRY PRODUCTS

 ONYX LAUNDRY BREAK DETERGENT

Heavy duty liquid cleaning agent designed for tough laundry problems.  It is based on alkalinity builders and soil suspending agents.  It emulsifies greasy soils and keeps them suspended to prevent soil redeposition.  Designed for use with automatic dispensing equipment.  Requires the use of a neutralizing agent.

 TOPAZ NEUTRA-SOFT

Balanced blend of softening and neutralizing agents. Neutralizes the alkaline detergent residues and water hardness minerals. Softens linens and clothing and reduces wrinkling.  Eliminates static cling and leaves laundry smelling fresh and clean.    Designed for use with automatic dispensing equipment.   

 OPAL LAUNDRY DESTAINER

Super concentrated formula designed specifically for institutional laundries.  Very effective at removing the toughest laundry stains and odors.  Can be used on most natural and synthetic bleach safe fabrics.    Designed for use with automatic dispensing equipment.

 ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE

1.  LEMON FRESH POWDERED DETERGENT
2. NON-CHLORINATED LIQUID SANITIZER
3. NON-CHLORINATED POWDERED BRIGHTNER AND STAIN REMOVER

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Modified from Rochester Midland Corp publication

THE ROLE OF CLEANING AND CLEANERS

 Why does the chemical cleaning product industry exist?  In other words, why is it necessary to clean?  There are many important reasons such as preventing the spread of disease and making our environment a safe and healthy place to live.   Perhaps the best historical example is the Black Death, the terrible plague that swept through Europe during the Middle Ages.  During a short period of time, over 60 million people died, almost one quarter of the world’s population.

 Today, chemicals like disinfectant cleaners and other products that are available, could have prevented a significant number of those deaths.  Due to the fact that sanitation and personal hygiene are such an integral part of our daily lives, we take them for granted.  Yet it is the prime reason why we live in a world in which life expectancy in now double what it was just 200 years ago.  Although there are perhaps hundreds of specific reasons to clean and disinfect, there are eight primary reasons.   They are:

1.  Health (pathogenic bacteria live in soil)
2.  Functionality (some tasks, such as repair, are impossible without cleaning first)
3.  Safety (dirty, slippery equipment and/or facilities are dangerous)
4.  Economics (dirty facilities wear out faster and perform less efficiently)
5.  Product Quality (in some industries, product quality is difficult or even impossible to maintain without cleaning and sanitation – for example, cleaning electronic circuit boards) 
6. Government Agency Requirements (in some industries, for example food processing, the USDA requires cleaning at regular intervals) 
7. Pride and Aesthetic Values (keeping floors and work areas clean, improves worker productivity) 
8. Comfort

 Chemicals provide the major means for most cleaning operations.  One or more of the eight reasons listed above come into play in our every day life.

 A simple definition of the term soil is physical matter out of place.   What distinguishes soil from other physical matter is that it occurs or exists in a location where it is not wanted.  Soils can generally be described as heavy or light, organic or inorganic (or mixtures of both), solid or liquid, viscous (syrupy) or fluid, soluble or insoluble.  Soils also are strongly influenced by heat and other environmental factors.

 Organic soils are derived from living matter – people, plants, animals, foodstuffs, or petroleum.  They are typically residues derived from living things or petroleum – greasy soils (oil), residue from plants or animals (food stuffs), and human matter (blood, urine, bacteria).

 Inorganic soils are primarily composed of dirt and sand.  Mineral deposits, planting soil, hard water deposits, cement, fiberglass residue, and dust are all examples of inorganic soil.  Many soils are mixtures of both inorganic and organic soils.

 A simple definition for a cleaner is a chemical solution that helps to remove soil.  The type of soil encountered and the surface upon which the soil is deposited will be major factors in determining the type of chemical cleaner and the cleaning conditions required for soil removal.  There are a variety of cleaners formulated to remove a variety of soils. 

 TYPES OF CLEANING SOLUTIONS

 When considering cleaning, it is useful to think in terms of what is actually being accomplished.  Consider a hard surface upon which soil is deposited.  In order to remove or clean this soil from the surface via the use of conventional chemical cleaning techniques, three successive actions must occur:

1. The soil must be physically separated from the surface being cleaned.
2. The soil must be broken up and suspended in the chemical cleaning solution.
3. The soil must be physically removed, usually via rinsing or wiping from the surface.T

The primary types of cleaners used for removing soils are listed below:

1.  Detergents
2.  Alkaline Cleaners
3.  Acid Cleaners
4.  Disinfectants
5.  Bacteria and Enzymes
6.  Solvent Cleaners
7.  Emulsion Cleaners
8.  Abrasive Cleaners

 DETERGENTS: Detergents (or surfactants – surface active agents) perform several important functions.  First, they reduce the surface tension for aqueous (water based) solutions that allows for faster penetration of cleaners into soils.  Next, they provide emulsifying action, they chemically attach themselves to the surface of soil particles, solvents, greases, and waxes and keep them suspended (usually in water), so that they can be easily rinsed away.  A detergent cleaner performs four basic functions in order to penetrate and remove soil:  penetration, wetting, dispersion, and emulsifying.  The strength of each of these properties determines the efficacy of a detergent.

 The penetration function of a detergent allows the cleaning solution to flow into the pores of a surface and reach under and around embedded soils.  While surfaces appear smooth, they are actually composed of pores, pits, and crevices, in which soils become entrenched.  Lack of penetration power makes soil removal from surface crevices and pits extremely difficult.

 The surface tension of water and other aqueous solutions acts as a thin, fairly strong, barrier that prevents it from penetrating porous materials like cloth and surfaces.  Detergents increase the wetting ability of water by reducing the surface tension and in turn improving its ability to penetrate surface pours.  Without improved wetting, aqueous solutions would be repelled by surfaces that they are trying to clean.

 Dispersion is the process of breaking up and suspending solid masses of soil above the surface in the cleaning solution so that can be easily removed.  Soil suspension is important because it prevents soil from being redeposited on to the surface, ensuring that it is rinsed away with the cleaning solution.

 Due to the fact oil repels water, the emulsification property of detergents works to break up oily, greasy materials into tiny particles so that they are more easily dissolved in water.  Emulsifying agents actually make water and oil compatible so that greasy soils can be suspended in the aqueous cleaning solution, instead of being redeposited on the surface.

 pH is a term that describes the degree of alkalinity or acidity of a product.  The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, in which 7 is assigned to representing neutrality.  The range below 7 (approximately 0.5-6.5) represents the acidic scale, with 0.5 rating highly acidic and corrosive, and 6.5 rating slightly acidic.  The lower the number, the stronger the acid.  The range above 7 (approximately 7.5-14.0) represents the alkaline scale, with 14.0 rating highly alkaline and corrosive, and 7.5 slightly alkaline.  The higher the number, the more alkaline.

 pH numbers are also logarithmic.  For example, a pH of 9 is ten times more alkaline than a pH of 8.  A pH of 10 is 100 times more alkaline than a pH of 8.  On the acidic scale, a pH of 2 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 3 and one thousand times more acidic than a pH of 5.

 The advantage of neutral pH cleaners (or cleaners closer to a neutral pH) are that they tend to be safer for the end user and the environment.  For example, neutral pH floor cleaners have the least negative impact on floor finishes.  A high pH can actually yellow or remove floor finish.  Hand soaps are also neutral pH cleaners. 

 ALKALINE CLEANERS:  Alkaline cleaners enhance and speed up the cleaning process.  They often contain either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide which have a strong affinity for surfaces and in turn will work to modify the soil (make it more soluble).  Alkaline cleaners modify insoluble soils to render them easier to suspend and in turn rinse away.  The also make proteins and other alkaline susceptible organic soils dissolvable in water based solutions.  Please note that the majority of, but not all, soils are alkaline susceptible.  Therefore, the majority of cleaners are alkaline.  The alkaline pH range is approximately 7.5 (the least alkaline) to 14.0 (highly alkaline and corrosive).

 ACID CLEANERS:  Although the majority of soils are susceptible to alkaline agents, some are more susceptible to acids.  Acid cleaners are effective against tough inorganic stains like mineral deposits (lime and milk stone), soap film, certain molds, and rust because of their descaling ability.  Descaling involves the removal of soil in layers, the acid eats away at the layers of inorganic matter.  Acid cleaners usually contain either hydrochloric acid, which is good for heavy duty cleaning, or phosphoric acid which is considered to be safer and milder on surfaces than hydrochloric acid.

 DISINFECTANTS: Disinfectants kill or reduce bacteria, fungi, and viruses which cause disease on surfaces, leaving a residue that continues to kill microorganisms.  The chemistry is complex and many varieties are available.  We frequently use quaternary ammonium halides which attack bacteria cell walls.  It should be noted that many other sanitizers with different types of chemistry and chemicals structure are also available. 

 Disinfectant detergents work to destroy harmful bacteria while assisting with the soil removal.  The detergent component has certain ingredients that lift the soil away from the surface so it can be wiped away more easily, while the disinfecting component kills or reduces the bacteria population to acceptable levels.

 Disinfectant detergents (or any other type of cleaning chemical) should not be used simultaneously with the use of another chemical.  For example, a disinfectant cleaner used with an enzyme digester renders both products ineffective.  Mixing products that contain bleach and ammonia can release a toxic gas that could be harmful to the end user.  Products should only be mixed with water.  If two products are necessary to remove the soil one should be used and rinsed away and then the other, they should never be applied or mixed together.  Furthermore, because of the potential to render disinfectants ineffective, federal law prohibits the mixing or use of disinfectants in a manner that is inconsistent with label directions.

 The term hospital grade disinfectant refers to a disinfectant that is effective against a select number of bacteria, in particular Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonellla choleraesius, and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as a variety of other pathogenic organisms.

 Quaternary disinfectants or Quats are good all-purposed disinfectants.  They combat a broad spectrum of disease and odor causing organisms, are low in toxic or irritation properties, and provide odor control.  Additionally. Quats allow for a broader range of fragrances than most other disinfecting agents.  The quaternaries also possess some penetrating and wetting properties that increase the effectiveness of detergents and allow them to better dissolve into solutions.  Quats also tend to be less expensive than other types of disinfectants.

 Phenolic disinfectants or Phenols are also effective against a variety of gram positive and gram negative organisms. As well as the bacillus (type of bacteria) that causes tuberculosis, but are higher it toxicity and irritation properties and have a distinct odor.  Phenols also lack detergency properties and thus do not contribute to the wetting and penetrating functions of a product.

 Phenols are, however, preferred in many health care settings where blood spills and other infectious bodily fluids are more commonly encountered.  Due to the fact that Phenols are tuberculocidal, they are recommended to help people meet the OSHA Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens Standard.  OSHA’s Blood Borne Pathogen Standard states that spills of regulated body fluids must be decontaminated with an appropriate disinfectant (which is defined as a tuberculocidal disinfectant) to prevent infection by blood borne pathogens, primarily Hepatitis B and AIDS.

 Although Tuberculosis in not spread through contact with hard surfaces (it is spread by inhalation of airborne particles), OSHA bases the standard on the presumption that killing Tuberculosis indicates that a disinfectant or chemical may have a greater capability for killing Hepatitis B.

 ENYYME AND BACTERIA CLEANERS:  Enzyme and Bacteria cleaners are composed of nonpathogenic (will not cause disease), living bacteria or enzymes that will break down and liquefy organic soils like fats, proteins, carbohydrates and grease, while simultaneously eliminating malodor.  Enzyme and Bacteria cleaners present an alternative to harsher chemical solutions like solvents and strong acids or alkalis, because they are more environmentally sensible, and more user friendly that products with extreme pH.

 The process by which enzyme and bacteria cleaners work is important to understand.  When a bacteria product is applied, the microorganisms are dormant.  They begin to grow and digest the waste that is present (their food source) and in turn multiply.

 Since bacteria don’t have mouths, they break down and metabolize waste by producing enzymes.  The waste that has been broken down is now small enough to be transported or absorbed through the bacteria cell wall.  Once the waste particles are inside the cell, they can be broken down and used as a fuel and energy source. Allowing the cell to reproduce again and again, thus repeating the process.  As long as the organic soils are available as a food source, the process will continue.

 Straight enzyme cleaners are products that contain only enzymes that have been separated from the bacteria that produce them.   These products also break sown soils like grease, starches, and proteins.  Once enzymes have done their work, they are used up and cannot reproduce themselves; in turn they will not be able to degrade any more waste.

 Bacteria products can be advantageous because they last longer and tent to be more effective – if food is available, bacteria are always producing enzymes and multiplying to degrade waste. 

 Enzyme and Bacteria cleaners are currently used primarily for drain line cleaning and odor control.  They can be applied once for a specific odor problem or organic waste clog, or they can be incorporated into an ongoing maintenance program, to minimize waste buildup and reduce the need for costly pumping.  A regular application of an enzyme and bacteria digester can be especially effective in controlling odor problem caused by organic soil build-up in cracks of tile, around the base of toilets, and long the sides of urinals and drains.

 SOVLVENT CLEANERS: Solvent cleaners are particularly effective for the removal of organic soils, and greases, etc.  The solvent removes the soil from the surfaces.  There are a number of different solvents.  The well-known “butyl” solvent is actually glycol ether, which allows aqueous solution to remove oily soils more effectively.  Glycol ether solvents are unique because they can be dissolved in oil or water.

 In some cases, hydrocarbon solvents are used because of their ability to attack greases.  Chlorinated solvents offer even more vigorous attack on oily soils.  However, due to the negative impact on the environment and the user health, many solvent products have been restricted, banned, or planned for future phase out.

 Solvent cleaners are good for removing oil based stains like greasy fingerprints on mirrors and windows.

 EMULSION CLEANERS: Emulsion cleaners are typically solvents that are mixed with detergents or other ingredients to form a stable cleaning product in water.  They emulsify oils (break the oil particles down so that they can be dissolved in water) making the particles compatible with water. For example, furniture polish as well liquid cleansers are often emulsion cleaners that are effective against both water and oil based stains.

 ABRASIVES:  Abrasives clean by mechanically sanding or grinding down a minute layer of the surface.  Abrasives can be useful for removing tough stains, but care should be take not to wear the surface down to the point that it becomes more porous and in turn susceptible to staining.  Heavy-duty cleaners like acid detergents and emulsion cleansers that are miler on surfaces, can often take the place of abrasive powders.  Products like acid bowl cleaners and abrasive stain removers should not be used on a daily basis.

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The Basics — What Is It And Where It Is Found?   

First discovered in 1961, these MRSA infections are fiercely resistant to usually reliable beta antibiotics such as methicillin, oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. In rare cases, mild skin infections featuring boils or pimples can transform lactams into necrotizing fasciitis (“flesh eating”) bacterial infections that can spread with horrifying speed and result in amputations or death.     

Currently, the majority of MRSA cases are in Healthcare settings. According to an October 2007 study published in “The Journal of the American Medical Association” (JAMA), approximately 85% of invasive MRSA infections occur in these environments, while 14% are categorized as community-associated (CA-MRSA) infections, or in those individuals lacking the risk factors associated with healthcare environments. As outlined in a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, more individuals died from MRSA in 2005 than from AIDS.    

Transmission and Vulnerability     

SOURCES

:CDC Web site. The American Academy of Family Physicians Web site. WebMD Web site.Capriotti, T. Dermatology Nursing, Jan. 26, 2004; vol 15: pp 535-538. Johnson, L.
Infections in Medicine, 2005; vol 22: pp 16-20.
Klevens, R.M. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Oct. 17, 2007; vol 298: pp 1763-1771. R. Monica Klevens, DDS, MPH, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, CDC, Atlanta.
Elizabeth Bancroft, MD, Acute Communicable Disease Control, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
CDC Basic Statistics, HIV/AIDS Status Report, 2005. WebMD Medical News: “MRSA Rates Much Higher Than Thought.”
CDC Press Release, “CDC estimates 94,000 invasive drug-resistant staph infections occurred in the U.S. in 2005.” October 16, 2007.
Linezolid for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in children. Kaplan SL - Pediatr Infect Dis J - 01-SEP-2003; 22(9 Suppl): S178-85
Prospective comparison of risk factors and demographic and clinical characteristics of community-acquired, methicillin-resistant versus methicillin-susceptible
Staphylococcus aureus infection in children.
Sattler CA - Pediatr Infect Dis J - 01-OCT-2002; 21(10): 910-7 Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the community. Bratcher D - Pediatr
Infect Dis J - 01-DEC-2001; 20(12): 1167-8

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USING A CARPET SPOTTER TO IMPROVE CARPET CLEANING 

The following is an overview of training that explains the ways that you can use a carpet spotter to improve your overall carpet cleaning success. Carpet cleaning is harder than it looks because we have all experienced two of the most common problems and wonder what is going on.  It is easier than you think because the reason for the problems is straightforward. 

The three problems we encounter time after time are:

1. You had a spot and thought you cleaned it up yesterday.  Today, that same spot is now two or three times larger and even more noticeable.
2. You cleaned your carpet with an extractor last night and it looked pretty good.  This morning there are spots here, there, and everywhere.
3. I cleaned the carpet last night and it does not look as good as I think it should

 If you have experienced either of these problems, you know how frustrating they can be.  But, more importantly, we can deal with them to minimize your frustration.

 The Spot That Grows

There are a number of different carpet spotters – we use different cleaning chemicals to clean different types of soil.  For instance, there are spotters that are most effective against beverages (usually referred to as Tannin Spotters) and there are spotters more effective against food-based soil (usually referred to as Enzyme Spotters).  Spotting kits are available that include all the necessary chemicals to remove any type of spot with use instructions. In addition, there are extracting compounds, pre-sprays, and rinses. 

For our purposes here, we are presuming that you are using the right spotting product – we just want you to understand why the spot returns bigger than ever.

Imagine spilling some coffee.  It is now seeping into the carpet until it hits the impervious carpet backing or the hard floor that the carpet was laid on.   The carpet fibers are soaked wet and there is a pool of coffee at the bottom of the spot. You do the right thing.  You blot the spot and absorb as much of the coffee as possible.  Now you some of your carpet spotter designed for coffee spills and the spot looks ok.  Maybe, you even use a carpet spotter and quickly rinsed the spot.

If you are typical, when you come back the next day, the spot is still there and it is bigger than when you started.  This happens because the coffee lying under the spill on top of the carpet has spread out when it hit the carpet backing.  Maybe it is two-inch spot on top but it is more likely a five-inch pool underneath.

As the carpet fibers dry from the top down, the coffee wicks up the carpet fibers and they cover the entire five-inch pool – not just the two-inch spill.  Doing a quick rinse with a carpet spotter usually aggravates the problem by turning the five-inch pool into an eight-inch pool.

The solution is straightforward and it involves the carpet spotter.  The entire pool of coffee lying under the carpet needs to be extracted.  To do this, all you need to do is keep saturating the spot and sucking it up until the rinse water is coming back clear.  Once the water is coming back clear, the pool of coffee is gone and when the carpet dries, there is nothing to wick back up to make the spot return.

Extracted Last Night and Spotty This Morning

This problem is closely related to the growing spot problem – just on a larger scale.  When you extract a carpet, you get it wet.  It all goes back to those pools of coffee and such that are lying under the carpet.   This time, they are dry and you are going to rewet them with the extractor.  The same thing that happened when you did the quick pass with the carpet spotter will happen when you extract the carpet. 

The spots on the carpet tell us that there is something in or under the carpet.  When we wet it without pulling all of it out of the carpet, the carpet will dry and the dirty water will wick to the surface making another spot.  There are a few ways to handle this – the right way and the cosmetic way.

The right way is to pre-treat the spots and attempt to completely remove any of the spill that has pooled and dried under the carpet.  This can be done with your carpet spotter or with your extraction machine wand.  The cosmetic way is to come back after you extract and run a bonnet over the areas that have spotted.  This will remove the surface dirt and make it appear that the carpet is clean.

Of course, there is another problem that occurs.  Often, spots will show up where there was no indication of a spill in the first place.  This happens because the original spill or spot was surface cleaned but not thoroughly cleaned.  If a spill is completely dry and we successfully clean the carpet surface with a little chemical, we are setting ourselves up for a bigger problem when we do a full extraction.  That spot will come back bigger than ever.  This happens all the time.  At this point, there are two choices – remove the source of the spot with the carpet spotter or bonnet it to clean the surface knowing it will eventually come back again.

Cleaned The Carpet But It Doesn’t Look As Good As It Should

Sometimes dirty carpet it is not what it seems.  Maybe it is:

1. Dirty and needs to be cleaned
2. Full of detergent and needs to be rinsed out
3. Alkaline as a result of too much cleaning and needs to be neutralized
4. Worn out and in need of replacement

Using a carpet spotter, a few cleaning products, and 10 minutes can tell us a lot.  To determine what you are really facing and needs to be done – just put some warm water in the carpet spotter and do some testing.  Then you will know what you need to be doing.

The first test I run is to use the carpet spotter and no chemicals at all.  If you can rinse an area repeatedly and generate soapsuds, your carpet probably has detergent in it – this is residue left from prior cleanings.  Detergent in the carpet increases the speed of resoiling so the carpet gets dirty more quickly.  It this is the case, you do not need to add more detergent to the carpet – you can extract with hot water or use a rinse agent – in either case, the idea is to get the detergent out of the carpet.

The second test I run is to use one of my general purpose spotters and work some into the carpet – then I rinse the carpet with the warm water in the carpet spotter.  This tells me if the carpet is in fact dirty and if cleaning it will produce any results.  If the first test came up empty and the second test generates results, we know the carpet needs to be cleaned.

The third test I run is to use a carpet rinse or neutralizer to determine if the carpet has a condition know as “browning.”  If neither of the other tests generated the result I was looking for, it is possible that the carpet has become alkaline from prior cleanings and has lost its luster.  Using a rinse agent which is acidic in nature will neutralize the alkalinity and restore the carpet.  To perform this test, spray a diluted mixture of carpet rinse onto the carpet, work it in, and remove it with the warm water in the carpet spotter.  If the carpet brightens noticeably, the carpet needs to be extracted using a neutralizer.

Finally, it none of the tests have generated any results – it is probably time to replace the carpet.

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