Many cleaning professionals visit the International Custodial Advisers Network (ICAN) Ask the Experts page for insight and, every business day, we deliver advice to better help you perform your job.
Friday’s Question:
I work at a 1500 bed correctional institution.
The health care department is all worried about MRSA.
They came in with bleach and "Comet."
I believe that our Quat cleaner is enough.
Please let me know the best way to deal with MRSA in an institutional situation.
Friday’s Answer:
A quat or bleach, used daily on commonly touched surfaces, will aid in the prevention of cross contamination.
Abrasive cleansers can damage surfaces, making their cleaning and disinfection more difficult. I would avoid their use.
Again, we should stress that simple hand washing and proper personal hygiene are the best defenses against any infectious agent, including MRSA.
In a correction facility, which affords opportunity for lots of personal contact in crowded areas, you surely have a valid concern about MRSA, but to use an old expression, “Let’s not panic!”
Staph is very common in the healthy community. It has been around for a long, long time and is carried by … - Lynn E. Krafft, ICAN/ATEX editor
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