Measuring the effectiveness of terminal cleaning by housekeepers at the Foothills Medical Center

Abstract

The primary objective of this study was to quantify and map the biological contamination within private hospital rooms at Foothills Medical Center in Calgary Alberta. Secondary objectives were to assess the ability of two common cleaning products to remove biological contamination from surfaces as well as compare two methods of measuring housekeeping efficacy (UV gel and microbiological sampling techniques). Researchers covertly observed 9 housekeepers terminally clean 31 private rooms. Assessment took place using microbial swabbing and UV gel technology to evaluate cleanliness. Results suggest that the type of cleaning product does not make an impact, and that cleaning technique may be of higher importance. Lastly, the use of UV gel is may not be a suitable substitute for measuring a reduction of microbial contamination.