Providing the best possible healthcare is always at the top of every healthcare providers list, and this includes ensuring that any potential health risks are effectively minimised and controlled.
Throughout the healthcare industry there are significant risks from infectious bacterial cross-contamination, especially in shared living spaces such as care homes and hospitals. The risks are magnified in facilities for older and frail people where cleaning regimes are not strictly controlled. This can lead to the spread of potentially deadly pathogenic bacteria, such as Campylobacter, MRSA, E.coli, Legionella, Listeria and Salmonella amongst others.
Implementing and adhering to good hygiene cleaning practices is an essential part of preventing the spread of harmful pathogens. The healthcare industry spends millions of pounds on cleaning 
chemicals and equipment but how effective is that cleaning equipment in preventing the spread of harmful bacteria? Does it have the ability and is it of the right design to provide the defence and protection that is required to support a hygienic environment for patients?
Cleaning equipment is often used over large, varying surface areas and can collect and spread contamination. In the food manufacturing industry alone, data has shown that 47% of the cleaning equipment used can be tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes which demonstrates that cleaning equipment can be a major collection point for pathogens. Parallels can also be drawn for the healthcare and care home industry where food preparation is a daily occurrence.
Incorrect storage, failure to replace old or faulty cleaning tools, and poor design of cleaning equipment are all key factors contributing to potential microbiological hazards. Cleaning should reduce the risk of bacteria not contribute to the loading on the equipment and the environment.
Using clean equipment that is fit for purpose and incorporating effective sanitising of equipment between uses is one line of defence to prevent bacterial contamination, but a second line of defence that is increasing in popularity and reduces the threat of cross-contamination is the use of anti-microbial cleaning tools. Anti-microbial cleaning tools can provide round the clock antimicrobial product protection.
‘An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth’
Anti-microbial products are used in many environments such as hospitals, care homes, schools, gyms and offices and with the increasing awareness of the need to improve hygiene levels, the demand for anti-microbial cleaning tools is growing.
Hillbrush Anti-Microbial hygienic tools effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria on the surface of the product with the help of Biomaster. The Biomaster silver-ion additive is infused into the cleaning tools and binds to the cell wall of the bacteria, interfering with the enzyme production, disputing growth and therefore stopping the bacteria producing energy. The cell DNA is interrupted stopping replication which prevents the growth and spread of harmful microbes.
The anti-microbial additive is not a replacement for good cleaning practices and effective manual cleaning is still key, but by cleaning with anti-microbial cleaning tools bacterial survival on the cleaning equipment is reduced because Biomaster is constantly working in-between cleans. Independent test data has shown up to a 99.99% reduction of harmful microbes within just 2 hours of cleaning on the tools.
The use of cleaning chemicals alone is recognised nowadays as not always the most effective method and only offers a limited level of defence, the combination of manual cleaning with effective chemicals using anti-microbial cleaning tools can provide a solid defence for reducing the risk of cross contamination and infections whilst providing a safe and hygienic environment for patients.
For more information visit our website www.hillbrush.com/amor email info@hillbrush.com.
