Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a costly and unwanted problem for health care facilities today. According to the CDC, approximately 1 out of every 20 hospitalized patients will contract an HAI. HAIs are also a public health issue; adding approximately $30 billion to U.S. health costs each year. As a result, the prevention and reduction HAIs is a top priority for not only health care providers, but for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as well.

It is scientifically proven that rigorous and regular environmental cleaning, as part of an environmental infection control program, is associated with major decreases in HAIs. Training of environmental services staff on how to clean more thoroughly is paramount to the success of the program.

"Studies show that training is the number one issue in helping to prevent HAIs. Those studies also show that training in health care facilities starts to diminish after 90 days, and people go back to their old habits," Greg Ford, VP of Sales for Spartan Chemical explains.

This is why it is so important to implement environmental cleaning programs that address the challenges cleaning managers face when developing a system to optimize the thoroughness of high touch surface cleaning. But, cleaning for health is not only a concern for health care facilities. In K-12 education facilities, school budgets are heavily dependent on attendance for funding. A clean, healthy environment leads to better attendance.  

"While the benefits of cleaning for health are widely studied and documented in the health care industry, we have found that most other markets we serve find these programs highly valuable," says Ford, "especially industries heavily regulated by legislation."

In food processing facilities, documentation and reporting of facility cleaning standards and performance is required. These programs allow facilities to verify and validate their cleaning standards and control and manage these standards with tools and technology. In addition, building service contractors are finding that a managed environmental cleaning program with quantitative, documented performance and processes enables them to create value with their customers.