Controlling infection with steam
May 1st 2005

Steam cleaning is argued as the best option for ensuring cleanliness in hospitals by OspreyDeepclean.No chemicals are used meaning that it is a green technique while efficacy against infections has been independently tested

In the ongoing debate about Hospital Acquired Infections the question is, are more cleaners really needed, or does it all boil down to the effectiveness, productivity and the method employed by the individual cleaner? If we accept that the number of hospital cleaners is not going to increase substantially any time soon, then it is not only the standard of cleaning, but also its effectiveness that needs to be addressed if any real progress is to be made in the reduction of the number of cases of HAI.

If chemical impregnated wipes are proving ineffective against the so-called ‘superbugs’, it will not really make much difference then if more cleaners are employed or not. Another consideration is that chemical wipes may or may not be able to effectively clean and sanitise every surface in a ward,washroom or kitchen where bacteria may harbour and grow.

Cleaning along pipes and beneath washbasins can only be effective, first, if the cleaner has time to do it, and second, whether or not the wipe in their hand can actually reach everywhere.

A tested and proven system Laboratory evaluations using steam sanitising machines from OspreyDeepclean have established the rapid destruction of hospital infection strains, including the antibiotic resistant superbugs 'MRSA' and 'VRE', in less than 2 seconds.

Further trials have been carried out on hospital training wards and repeated on patient inhabited geriatric wards over a three month period.When measured at 30 minutes after steam sanitising 80-90% microbial kill efficiency was achieved .

Other, more recent tests have been carried out using OspreyDeepclean equipment against Norwalk virus. Norwalk is an enterovirus causing human gastroenteritis with diarrhoea and vomiting.There is no specific antiviral treatment available.The mode of transmission is the faecaloral route and it is also contracted by exposure to infected water, food, or by particles suspended in the air, and contaminated surfaces.Transmission in institutions such as hospitals is rapid and causes epidemics.

Susceptibility by Norwalk to disinfectants includes 1% hypochlorite and 2% gluteraldehyde, but exposure to these agents requires at least 30 minutes,which is not very practical in the hospital environment where faecal accidents occur and which can also induce an additional chemical hazard.

The virus survives a heat exposure of 60°C for 30 minutes, but is killed by steam.The use of superheated steam (greater than 100°C) is particularly effective as it gives up its latent heat directly by condensation onto the contact surface.

The reason OspreyDeepclean steam sanitising is so effective is simply that the system relies not upon chemicals to do the job, but instead upon the physical action of steam heated to between 150 to 180°C to destroy the water-based biome that the bacteria must inhabit to survive and grow.

Tests have shown an effective kill by steam sanitising machines of Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria (including MRSA and spores) and Candida spores in–vitro and additionally in the hospital environment.

Nothing less than the complete physical destruction of the bacteria can be an effective remedy to the disastrous situation that now prevails within the Healthcare environment.

Many hospitals are now using OspreyDeepclean machines to sanitise patient trolleys, wheelchairs, bedside curtains (try using a chemical wipe to clean those!) and for use in A&E areas.

Steam penetrates where a chemical impregnated wipe cannot, so that equipment to be sanitised does not need to be dismantled, nor even the curtains taken down, meaning beds may be returned to full use in the fastest time possible.

OspreyDeepclean has assembled a collection of specially selected machines to satisfy the high demands of every cleaning task imaginable within the Healthcare sector.The market-proven Robby 6000, together with the newer Robby Pro and Evolution machines are steam-only stainless steel bodied machines that offer a budget priced yet robust steam cleaning application.

The Steam ‘n’Vac and Steam & Vac Pro housekeeping models are the suitable for routine ward cleaning, combining efficient steam cleaning with a built-in vacuum that is filtered at the molecular level through water to ensure absolute dust filtration.These machines may be used not only on beds,mattresses, pillows, and bedside curtains, but specifically where patients with respiratory problems are located.The water filter ensures that it is not possible for dust mites, pollen, or other allergens to be exhausted back into the air.And because the dust is safely retained in the water compartment, emptying of these machines also becomes completely non-hazardous.

For ward deep cleaning, large floor areas, corridors, and for regular deployment within kitchen and catering areas, the new and more powerful Revolution, the Deepclean 3000 Vac, and the Vega Plus, are the recommended machines.

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