Illness-causing pathogens linger throughout your facility, especially on high-touch surfaces.
Disinfecting is the number one way to kill and remove germs from high-touch surfaces in order to reduce the spread of germs and protect the people in your building from illness.
While there are many ways to disinfect, pre-moistened disinfecting wipes have been gaining popularity because they offer several benefits.
Pre-moistened wipes can help your cleaning staff work faster and with more efficiency. Wipes simplify the application of cleaning and disinfecting products, lowering the amount of time spent prepping to clean.
Incorporating disinfecting wipes into your cleaning program can offer you and your cleaning staff a convenient way to safely disinfect the surfaces in your facility.
In this article, we’ll outline 4 benefits of adding pre-moistened wipes into your routine when compared to traditional cleaning and disinfecting methods such as with a trigger sprayer or charging bucket and cloth.
What Are Pre-Moistened Disinfecting Wipes?
Pre-moistened disinfecting wipes are disposable wipes that are ready-to-use and saturated with cleaner/disinfectant or disinfectant. They can be used as an alternative to other cleaning and disinfecting methods that traditionally require multiple tools or steps.
For example, premoistened disinfecting wipes eliminate both steps your staff normally has to take to properly dilute a chemical and the additional supplies needed like trigger sprayers and wiping cloths or rags.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Pre-moistened Disinfecting Wipes?
- Increased Janitorial Staff Productivity
- Reduced Chemical Exposure
- No Risk of Improper Chemical Dilution
- Improved Safety for People in Your Building
1. Increased Janitorial Staff Productivity
During a cleaning shift, your janitorial team is likely performing a wide range of cleaning and disinfecting tasks throughout your building.
Disinfecting wipes can help speed up the process of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces because they don’t need any preparation before using them.
Pre-moistened wipes come ready to use, which means that the wipe comes saturated with a properly diluted cleaning and/or disinfecting solution.
In some cases, premoistened disinfecting wipes can be used for both cleaning and disinfecting. If there is no visible soil load on the surface, then disinfecting wipes can be applied in a one-step process. In cases where soil load is present, then wipe the surface with a disinfecting wipe or other cleaning solution to remove soil, and then apply a second wipe to the surface to achieve the required wet dwell time.
It’s important to keep in mind that like with any other disinfecting procedure, surfaces must always first be cleaned. Disinfectants cannot be used to clean dirt or soils from a surface. All soils need to be properly removed because disinfectants are unable to kill germs that are under soils and leftover residues. Similarly, cleaning cannot kill germs.
Find out how to properly clean and disinfect here: What Is The Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting?
Check the wipe container or with the manufacturer to determine if the wipe can be used for both cleaning and disinfecting or just disinfecting.
With premoistened wipes, not only is the cleaning and disinfecting process combined, but your staff saves time by not having to prepare the solution(s).
Your cleaning staff won’t need to mix or spray additional products onto the surface being disinfected. They can simply take a wipe, disinfect a surface, and dispose of the soiled wipe. This speeds up the cleaning process by minimizing the amount of time needed to prepare cleaning products.
By reducing the need to mix or otherwise prepare cleaning solutions, staff can avoid returning to cleaning carts or closets, helping them disinfect surfaces faster so that they can move on to other cleaning and maintenance tasks.
Additionally, the resealable packaging that pre-moistened wipes are packaged in preserves their efficacy and allows them to remain properly saturated with diluted disinfectant. This eliminates the need for your staff to worry about cleaners/disinfectants or disinfectants that have been premixed and may have lost efficacy.
2. Reduced Chemical Exposure
Cleaners/disinfectants or disinfectants can be harmful if not properly handled, especially if your staff is required to mix or prepare them.
When your janitorial team is required to dilute chemicals for cleaning and disinfecting, they may accidentally spill them. Chemical spills can negatively affect your cleaning staff and damage the surfaces in your facility.
Pre-moistened wipes reduce the exposure your staff has to cleaners/disinfectants or disinfectants in your facility. Since wipes come ready to use (RTU), the chemical is already diluted, lowering the risk of exposure to your staff.
Mixing commercial cleaning products also increases the risk of splashing the skin, eyes, nose, or mouth with chemicals which could result in burns, irritation, and other negative health effects.
Pre-moistened wipes replace the need for chemical mixing and minimize the chance of chemical spills or splashes.
Additionally, with the use of disinfecting wipes, the amount of cleaning chemicals released into the air and onto surfaces is reduced.
Pre-moistened wipes can only absorb so much solution from their prepared bucket. When the wipe is removed from the container it is immediately applied directly to the surface. Chemicals are not spread into the air or across excess parts of a surface.
When compared to the spray and wipe or bucket method, fewer chemicals are released, reducing exposure to your staff and the other people in your building.
3. No Risk of Improper Chemical Dilution
Disinfecting solutions must always be used at the proper dilution for maximum efficacy.
Cleaning and disinfection solutions that are over or under diluted are not safe or effective at killing germs.
Over-diluted products, or solutions that have too much water and not enough chemical, can lead to inefficient cleaning and wasted product.
When a disinfecting product does not have the right water to chemical ratio, the disinfectant is not actually killing all of the germs on a surface. As a result, any germs that are left behind can lead to illness in your building.
Not only is improper dilution dangerous to occupant health, it can also increase your company’s labor costs because surfaces will have to be disinfected again at the proper dilution for maximum efficacy.
Similarly, if a disinfectant is under-diluted, or if there is too much chemical and not enough water, surfaces in your facility can be damaged by the solution, and the health of your staff is put at risk given the increase in chemicals.
4. Improved Safety for the People in Your Building
The safety of your guests is important.
Making sure the surfaces in your facility are properly cleaned and disinfected can lead to a healthier and safer experience for the people in your building.
Pre-moistened wipes help ensure the safety of the people in your building in two ways, first by reducing the risk of cross-contamination and also by lowering the amount of chemicals that are released into the air.
Reduced Cross-Contamination
Disinfectant wipes are single-use, meaning they are only meant to be used in one area.
Since they are only meant to be used one time and in one area, disinfectant wipes greatly reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Cross-contamination is the spread of germs and bacteria from one surface to another.
Many times, cross-contamination is accidental because your staff doesn’t realize a cloth has already been used in an area that could spread bacteria.
For example, germs can be spread between areas if you are using the spray and wipe method and forget to change out the cloth or rag between a restroom and an entryway or meeting room.
You and your staff can help prevent cross-contamination with single-use premoistened disinfecting wipes.
In fact, according to a study, using pre-moistened wipes to complete disinfection is the most efficient and least likely to cause cross-contamination.
Less Chemical Release into the Air
As briefly mentioned earlier, pre-moistened disinfecting wipes lower the amount of chemical solution dispersed or released into the air when compared to other cleaning and disinfecting methods, like trigger sprayers and aerosols.
When disinfectant is sprayed, not all of it is guaranteed to make it onto the surface. As a result, some chemical mist is released into the air, which can irritate the eyes, nose, or mouth of your staff and even your building’s occupants.
Since wipes don’t release chemicals into the air, they’re able to be used around people without having to worry about chemical overspray.
This is especially useful in healthcare facilities where spraying chemicals is prohibited because of the risk of inhalation to patients and other occupants.
Final Thoughts
Pre-moistened wipes can help you and your cleaning team enjoy several benefits and can be a powerful addition to your cleaning facility.
One of the greatest benefits you and your staff can enjoy is increased janitorial productivity.
By speeding up the process of cleaning and disinfecting, you and your staff can get more done with the time saved on cleaning and disinfecting procedures. Your staff won’t need to take the time to properly mix cleaning chemicals or gather the several tools typically needed for cleaning and disinfecting.
And, depending on the wipe, it most likely can be used for both the cleaning and disinfecting process.
Additionally, wipes reduce the number of chemicals your janitorial staff comes into contact with during their cleaning routine. Premoistened wipes are already diluted to the right saturation. Since your staff doesn’t need to prepare cleaning or disinfectant solutions, the risk of improper chemical dilution is minimized.
Pre-moistened wipes can also increase the safety of the people in your building. With less chemical release in the air and reduced cross-contamination, wipes can help your staff protect the health of your building’s guests.
Imperial Dade locations have a variety of pre-moistened wipes that can help your cleaning staff disinfect the surfaces in your facility in less time.
If you’re located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, or Canada contact a specialist today to find out about how pre-moistened wipes can enhance cleaning in your facility.