PHILADELPHIA - (Business Wire) H1N1 has led to increased focus on how everyday hygiene affects our health. Not only is more attention given to managing personal hygiene, but a new cleaning logic is emerging, where wiping the door knob an extra time1 each day is considered more important than picking up the dust in the corner. H1N1 has made hygiene top-of-mind, particularly with business owners and operators. Employers are upgrading their washroom equipment and making efforts to educate their staff on different measures to reduce the risk of catching H1N1 and the common influenza virus. Hand hygiene as well as keeping surfaces clean and free from germs is regarded as a natural way to contain the spread of swine flu.
“H1N1 has increased the focus on how hygiene affects our health,” says Dr. Allison Aiello, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan and Tork® Green Hygiene Council member. “While handwashing is one of the most important ways to reduce the risk of contracting and spreading the flu virus, it is equally important to keep common objects and surfaces clean. This combination provides the best chance at preventing the spread of the H1N1 or common seasonal flu virus in one’s home or workplace.”
The influenza virus can survive on surfaces for up to eight hours and may spread when a person touches droplets, left by hands, coughs or sneezes, on hard surfaces or objects and then touches his or her mouth or nose2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that frequently touched surfaces are to be wiped clean on a regular basis3.
Single-use logic when cleaning frequently touched surfaces
Viruses can survive on cloth and spread between different surfaces or objects4. Due to this, one cloth should not be used over and over again. Single-use products, such as paper towels or disposable cloths, minimize the risk of germs from a contaminated object being passed on to another surface.
“Reducing the risk of cross-contamination gives cleaning yet another important part to play, besides maintaining facilities and fighting bacteria. Using single-use paper towels and detergent spray on frequently touched objects reduces the risk of cross-contamination,” says Dr. Aiello.
When using cloths instead of single-use paper towels, these should be replaced often and used separately for different areas. The Tork® brand offers colored cloths in red, yellow, blue, green, white and grey. The cloths are durable, but it is important to replace them regularly to minimize spread.
Frequently touched surfaces that require extra attention:
- Taps and flush buttons
- Handrails
- Elevator buttons
- Shared office phones or workstations
- Door knobs
- Light switches
- Printers/copying machines
- Coffee machines
Dr. Allison Aiello’s cleaning advice to prevent cross-contamination:
- Use single-use paper towels and a detergent spray when wiping frequently touched surfaces. Dispose of the towels immediately afterwards. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label. No additional disinfection is needed.
- If you use cloths instead of single-use paper towels, use disposable cloths or replace them regularly.
- Keep cloths for different areas separated and avoid contact between different surfaces to avoid cross-contamination. The different cloths should be easy to keep track of.
- The dryer, the safer. When washing areas like the kitchen, use a highly absorbent paper afterwards to get surfaces really dry.
- Don’t use the same cloth on several high risk objects.
About Tork
The Tork brand offers a complete range of products and services within hygiene and cleaning for away from home washrooms, healthcare, food service and industry. Through customer understanding and particular expertise in hygiene and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader in many segments and a committed partner to businesses in over 90 countries. Tork is a global brand in the SCA portfolio. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit: www.torkusa.com.
About SCA
SCA is a global hygiene and paper company that develops, produces and markets personal care products, tissue, packaging solutions and solid-wood products, with sales of around $15 billion USD. The SCA Group employs approximately 50,000 people and has production in 60 countries. The hygiene portfolio includes global brands TENA and Tork, and regional brands Tempo, Zewa, Velvet, Libero, Libresse and Edet. SCA hygiene solutions are found in over 90 countries. SCA is recognized as a global leader in sustainable development. SCA was ranked as the world’s greenest paper company in 2007 by The Independent newspaper and EIRIS research. For more information about SCA, hygiene and sustainability, please visit: www.sca.com.
About Tork Green Hygiene Council (TGHC)
Tork created the Tork Green Hygiene Council (TGHC) to assist in its ongoing commitment to providing environmentally friendly and hygienic away from home washroom solutions. Comprised of top professional and academic authorities from across the country on green building, corporate sustainability, hygiene and germ prevention, the TGHC is a council of four experts that offer holistic and trusted perspectives on how businesses can create sustainable and healthy work and home environments.
The TGHC provides independent feedback and advice on Tork’s environmentally and hygienically friendly initiatives, serves as valued professional resources to Tork’s partners and customers and provides expertise and industry insight. The TGHC exists to enhance global awareness of proper sustainability and hygiene practices to make the world a greener, safer and cleaner place to live and work.
1 Barker J, Stevens D and Bloomfield SF. Spread and prevention of some common viral infections in community facilities and domestic homes. J Applied Microbiology. 2001 (91): 7-21.
2 CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to the 2009–2010 Influenza Season [homepage on the internet]. Atlanta: Centres for Disease Control and prevention [updated 2009 21 Oct; cited 2009 22 Oct]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/business/guidance/.
3 Barker J, Stevens D and Bloomfield SF. Spread and prevention of some common viral infections in community facilities and domestic homes. J Applied Microbiology. 2001 (91): 7-21.
4 Bean B, Moore BM, Sterner B, Peterson LR, Gerding DN, Balfour HH Jr. Survival of influenza viruses on environmental surfaces. J Infect Dis. 1982 Jul; 146 (1): 47-51.
Eileen Garrity, Cramer-Krasselt
312-616-3869 OR egarrity@c-k.com
