The effectiveness of existing and modified cleaning regimens in a Welsh hospital.

The effectiveness of an existing ward-cleaning regimen was assessed at selected sites over 14 days and shown to be highly variable. The cleaning regimen was subsequently modified in two stages, both changes involving a rinse stage and substituting cloths with disposable paper towels. One modification continued using the existing detergent; the other replaced detergent with a quaternary ammonium sanitiser. Both modifications yielded significantly lower and more consistent bacterial counts. Assessment of residual organic soil using ATP detection demonstrated that failure rates (measurements exceeding benchmark clean value of 500 relative light units fell from 86-100% after existing cleaning methods, to 0-14% after modified cleaning. Incorporating quaternary ammonium sanitiser into the cleaning regimen produced a further slight, but not significant, improvement in cleaning efficacy. Journal of Hospital Infection 2007;66:352-9.