Cross-Contamination: Is the Cleaner the Culprit?

Despite their best intentions, cleaners can play a role in cross-contaminating the very buildings they clean. Viruses that lurk in a restroom could hitch a ride to a water cooler or bacteria from a napkin dispenser can spread to lunchroom tables. Unless janitors are properly trained and equipped, they might easily and unwittingly spread or track pathogens from one area of a building into another.

Properly equipping cleaners is essential in cross-contamination prevention. For instance, managers must identify which chemicals are required for specific areas of the facility and stress the importance of wearing and changing out rubber gloves between different areas.

Extra precautions, such as color-coding, can also go a long way to prevent cross-contamination. Highlighting specific colored products for a particular task can be a foolproof method of reducing the spread of bacteria. Cleaners can designate their own colors, but an industry standard is: red for high-risk restroom cleaning such as toilets and urinals; yellow for low risk restroom surfaces such as sinks and mirrors; blue for general purpose cleaning; and green for kitchens and food service areas.

No matter which method is used, it is important to train cleaners on proper cross-contamination prevention.