Photo Credit: Courtesy of KAIVAC, Inc.
The professional cleaning industry is currently embroiled in a debate about which surfaces actually need to be disinfected, as well as how best to disinfect when it is deemed necessary and how often.
But why are these issues so important? We now know that many surfaces that have long been thought to be “hot beds” of contamination may actually need less attention simply because no one ever touches them. On the other hand, other areas that may be overlooked or neglected may actually be much more likely to prove dangerous to human health. As a result, many cleaning professionals are now calling for some old-fashioned common sense when it comes to hygienic cleaning and disinfection.
For instance, how much attention really needs to be paid to the inside of a toilet bowl? It is true that a number of pathogens--many of which are health-threatening--can be present inside toilet bowls, and that they therefore must be cleaned and disinfected regularly for both safety and appearance. But since the only individuals who touch such areas are generally custodial workers using bowl-cleaning tools or wearing gloves, the risk of cross-contamination from a toilet bowl--especially to visitors to a park and recreation facility--is actually quite minimal. For these situations, using a large number of powerful, costly, and potentially environmentally damaging chemicals and disinfectants may not be necessary.
